First photos of shy songbird

Alistair Cutter took five visits to Bemersyde to capture images of this Cetti’s warbler.

An intrepid twitcher has captured images of a new-to-the Borders bird on the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Bemersyde Moss reserve near the River Tweed.

This is the first sighting for the area of a Cetti’s warbler, which suggests songbird’s range is beginning to spread northwards. Named after 18th century zoologist Francesco Cetti, the Cetti’s warbler is more often heard than seen, making a bubbling call from dense cover of willow scrub, marshes and nettlebeds.

Normally resident in Southern England and South Wales, the warblers are rich chestnut-brown above and grey below, with a pale throat. They have a long, often cocked, tail.

It took Alistair Cutter five visits to capture his photo.