Nightingale-3207, originally uploaded by Paradise in Portugal.

One of the most difficult birds to get a picture of as they always seem to sing from deep cover and project their song to five different points of the compass too. (Having said that of course, there’s always a Cetti’s warbler if I really want to lose a day or two!)
We have at least two pairs of Nightingales in the garden every year, (and sometimes people even complain about the racket they make, but for me they’re worth it), and until they start singing here around the middle of April I don’t think of Spring as having arrived; however, as I say, getting a good view of one is a great deal harder than hearing them sing, and as I haven’t ever taken a good enough shot of one and I had some time to spare, I thought I’d give it a go in my lovely new portable hide this afternoon, so Daniela and I shooed the children away and settled down … as luck would have it right next door to their nest! For the last two hours we’ve been treated to them flying past within feet of us with nesting material; still damn hard to get a shot of one, but I rather like this one.