It is not often that I re-visit a rarity more than once, but I made an exception with the Lincolnshire Bluethroat at Willowtree Fen Local Nature Reserve, near Spalding, Lincolnshire. I first saw this bird back in February and although I saw it well, I was never really happy with my photographs. On that particular day there were too many people and far to much noise for my liking. So, an opportunity to revisit the bird came about, shortly after my return from Morocco, on the 26th March. With only around 6 – 10 people on site, the bird was much more obliging, once it was on view. It was singing regularly from deep reed-bed cover, coming out onto the path every 30 – 45 minutes. This time I managed a few better shots than previously and as the bird was in much better plumage, it was easy to see that it was the Red-spotted variety. By the end of March, the bird had moved on.
Red-spotted Bluethroat – 1st summer male – Willowtree Fen, near Spalding, Lincolnshire – March 2017 – Tony Davison©
