Okay, so this has to be a candidate for worst photo on the site, but this bird is a very infrequent visitor to the garden and, although we had occasionally seen them elsewhere when we were out for walks, they always seemed to be high up in trees, silhouetted against the sun, so there was no knowing when I might get a better shot.

And at least with this being the first recogniseable picture, the bird made it straight into the Garden Gallery!

Photograph (left) - November 2005

Before too long though, we were lucky enough to see this bird. It wasn't a lot closer than the one in the garden but the light was altogether better - with the result that these two pictures will enlarge.

Photographs (above) - June 2006

The bird in the sequence of three pictures below was photographed through glass from a hide at a local nature reserve.

Slowly the pictures are getting better!

Photographs (below) - June 2009

Another eight years, and at last a chance to snatch a few pictures in the garden. Again taken through glass, but a rare treat to see this bird at such close quarters.

Photographs (below) - October 2017

Next Bird