9P1A4209 Black Redstart (female) Manchester by Adrian Dancy

Black Redstart (Phoenicuras ochruros). Full frame image. Best viewed at 2048 pixels for fine detail. The Black Redstart is a very rare breeding bird in the UK. I was granted permission to use a private courtyard: fortunately a white van drove into it and parked. There were some security railings stored against a wall so I dragged the railings out alongside the van in the hope that this bird would drop down and use the railings as a perch. A few seconds after dragging the railings out, the female dropped down. This is a style image I first tried to achieve in 2006 with spotted flycatchers but was unable to pull off (through my lack of experience). I was delighted with this shot...nothing like a plan coming to fruition:) "If wishes were horses...." https://flic.kr/p/2atMLp3