Totally Unexpected.

A couple of weeks ago I took a wander around Thursley Common hoping to catch sight of a Great Grey Shrike that had been reported.

My search around 'Shrike Hill' and elsewhere was unsuccessful so with little other avian activity I decided to follow a path across one of the wetter areas where I heard but failed to see a Dartford Warbler calling from a clump of mature gorse.

I then spotted a distant pale head moving about level with the heather and initially thought it might be a Grey Heron but something in my mind said it just didn't look right. So I diverted from the path and very slowly stalked through the heather while trying to avoid any of the many deep wet pot holes to get a closer view and this is what I found ...

A young Rhea which had presumably escaped from somewhere close-by as they are a flightless species native to South America.

Apart from its neck and head it was well hidden in a ditch where it moved around totally aware of its surroundings and the 'watcher' so after providing these few (cropped) portraits we parted company.  FAB.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday.

Please click here for my other WBW post on FABirding.