A Hoopoe recently took up residence on the grass lawns in front of the main IBM Offices in Warwick city. An extremely unusual location, but it stayed very faithful to the area for around 9 days. I managed to see it on the 30th October 2021 and it was very settled and confiding, until a large crowd had assembled when it moved more distantly and closer to the end of the grassy area. It was feeding on Cockchafer grubs and regularly raised its crest when it appeared to be alarmed or excited.
A species from southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, the Hoopoe often gets displaced on migration during periods of high pressure, usually in spring and autumn, overshooting farther north than normal. So this bird was well out of its normal migration route to Africa for the winter.
