Birdwatchers see rare White-throated Needletail fly into turbine on Harris (BBC)
The White-throated Needletail on the Isle of Harris, by David Campbell An enthusiast who travelled to the Western Isles to view a rare bird has told of his "dismay" after watching it fly into a wind turbine and die. The white-throated needletail, which breeds in Asia and winters in Australasia, was spotted on Harris. About 30 birdwatchers travelled to the island to see the unusual visitor, which has only been recorded five times in the UK since 1950. However, they then saw it die after colliding with the wind turbine. Birdwatcher David Campbell, from Surrey, told the BBC Scotland news website that the incident took place late on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Campbell, who is now making his way home to south east England, said: "We just watched the whole thing with dismay." He added that on a previous bird watching trip he had seen a migratory wryneck hit by a train. A relative of the common swift, the white-throated needletail is s...