Rare starling spotted at Hassendean Station

The Borders had a very colourful visitor from Eastern Europe last week.
The rosy starling in the garden at Hassendean Station near Hawick.The rosy starling in the garden at Hassendean Station near Hawick.
The rosy starling in the garden at Hassendean Station near Hawick.

Tom Pyemont is used to a colourful view out of his window, as he is the owner of Hassendean Station and keeps a beautiful garden, as seen by viewers of the recent TV programme on the route of the former Waverley line.

But last week, he saw something he had never seen before ... a rosy starling.

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They are rarely seen this far north in the UK, with its normal habitat being in the likes of from northwestern Mongolia, southern Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

However, this year, it seems they are flying further than normal.

Tom said: “It was certainly a female of the species, as the male has a larger crest.

“She was here for around a week, just kept returning to the garden.

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“The sighting has been authenticated by Martin Moncrieff of the Scottish Ornithologists Club, who said they were extremely rare, and it’s piqued the interest of many twichers.

“Unfortunately, she seems to have moved on as we haven’t seen her since the weekend.”

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