17 Dec - Over the last few days, a fine male Black-throated Thrush has taken up winter residence at Whipsnade in Bedfordshire, frequenting the zoo grounds with a flock of Redwings. The bird has been mobile but tending to feed in the berry trees in the mornings before moving around the grounds later in the day. Unfortunately the day I was free to visit, the weather was misty and murky with rain on and off. Despite this, and the poor light for photography, I had good views of the bird, an impressive adult male with a striking black throat and upper chest, bright yellow bill, with contrasting grey/brown plumage, being about the size of a Fieldfare. In between brief forays the berry bushes, the bird also fed in the leaf litter in typical Thrush fashion. My third of this species in Britain, but the first for a few years. Well worth the trip, but the stunning pictures have been taken by others on sunny days.
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