A declining spring and autumn migrant in Britain, Bluethroat is a sensationally rare bird here in winter. With just one previous winter record since the inception of our bird news services back in 2000, the discovery of a young male at Lincolnshire's Willow Tree Fen (a fairly new reserve that has also held Black-winged Stilts and Red-footed Falcon in recent years) this week was both surprising and exciting. Incidentally the last winter record concerned a bird at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire, in November–December 2004.
Rather sodden in the poor weather at the start of the review period, it's gradually become more confiding as conditions have improved. Here we present a gallery depicting some of the fantastic images that have been uploaded to the BirdGuides website in recent days. Thank you for all your wonderful submissions!
(Photo: Russell Hayes)
(Video: Steve Black)
(Photo: J Farmer)
(Photo: Zac Hinchcliffe)
(Photo: Mark Leitch)
(Photo: John Saunders)
(Photo: Dean Eades)
(Photo: Paul Riddle)
(Photo: Jake Gearty)
(Photo: Ian Bollen)
(Photo: Paul Coombes)
