The southern subspecies of the Bluethroat luscinia svecica cyanecula is a recent addition to the Danish breeding birds lists. It has penetrated the Jutland peninsula from the south, and is by now well established throughout most of the peninsula, albeit still a rare sight. I had never seen one, so I took the trip across to the west coast hoping to find a bird that would be cooperative. I met just one Bluethroat, and the light wasn’t great, but the bird cooperated more than I could possibly have hoped for. I had the camera on a tripod, and this turned into a real hindrance because initially the little critter foraged in the deep undergrowth – when my long lens setup is angled downwards at 45 degrees I can’t look through the viewfinder any more…

Anyway, here are the images, I hope you enjoy them. Remember to click them up in size – all were shot using the EOS 1D mkiii and the 500mm coupled with the 1.4x extender.

That this image turned out sharp is just about a miracle – I could only just look through the viewfinder on the tip of my toes, and it was a very active little bird…

Another shot from the undergrowth – this time with more vegetation across, but this is where the bird lives so why not show it?

By now the bird is level with me, and assuming a nice posture. Probably my favourite from the shoot.

…and the classic songpost shot. I have seen at least one more photo of this bird, on this perch, on the Internet, so it is obviously a favourite perch.