More than 150 birdwatchers flock to Norwich man’s living room

Marc Betts

PUBLISHED: 13:02 20 October 2018 | UPDATED: 13:19 20 October 2018

A man’s living room has become a birdwatcher’s paradise after a rare starling decided to nest in his garden.

Stephen Leake, from New Costessey, has been letting bird lovers enter his home to get a look at a Rose-Coloured Starling, a bird that is rarely spotted in England.

The teacher first spotted the bird in his garden on October 7. He reported it to the RSPB and gave his postcode. Within a day he noticed groups of people outside his house trying to get a glimpse of the bird.

Since then Mr Leake has had more than 150 birdwatchers come in his home.

The Rose-Coloured Starling normally breeds in eastern Europe and Asia such as Kazakhstan and Russia.

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Norwich Cathedral peregrine falcon eggs face intruder threat

A rogue bird has threatened to destroy the clutch of four peregrine falcon eggs being nurtured on the spire of Norwich Cathedral.

A female peregrine flushed the father from the nest and then indicated it was "toying with the idea of breaking them," said the Hawk and Owl Trust.

It eventually withdrew from the nest when the adult male made "high speed low passes over her head".

The intruder, wearing a ring marked DP, came from a nest site in London.

The clutch of four eggs is the third successful year of laying for Norwich's breeding pair. They are now 12 days into what is expected to be a 34-day incubation period, said experts.

The DP peregrine, ringed in 2012, first showed an interest in the Norwich nest some weeks ago.

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