Lesser Kestrel by Ashley Fisher
The Lesser Kestrel that has been touring the Isles of Scilly in recent days is comfortably this spring's top rarity so far. Although typically mobile around St Mary's (with a couple of brief visits to Tresco), birders managed to intercept this beautiful falcon at several points during its five-day stay and obtain some brilliant views as it hunted. Among them was Scilly birder Ashley Fisher, who managed this fantastic shot of the bird hovering overhead. Caught in a pose that shows off many of the key plumage features, including the richly coloured breast and belly, the solid slate-blue head and the largely white undersides to the flight feathers, this is an engaging image which must rank as one of the best Lesser Kestrel images ever taken in Britain. Congratulations to Ashley!
Other notable images
Common Eider, Seahouses, Northumberland (Romano Da Costa).
Ring-necked Duck, Glasgow, Clyde (Margaret Sweeny).
Kittiwake, Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire (Neil Loverock).
Northern Gannet, Butt of Lewis, Lewis, Outer Hebrides (Silas Olofson).
Northern Fulmar, Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire (Neil Loverock).
Lesser Kestrel, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly (Graham Jepson).
Osprey and Common Shelduck, Salthouse, Norfolk (David Griffiths).
Grey Heron, Hampden Park, East Sussex (John Lauper).
Common Crane, Willow Tree Fen LWT, Lincolnshire (Glyn Sellors).
Red-rumped Swallow, Lough Aderra, Cork (Gemma Kelleher).
White-spotted Bluethroat, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland (Frank Golding).
