Northumberland Wildlife Trust member and keen bird watcher Niall Cartlidge was delighted when a very rare black throated thrush visited his West Kyloe garden in Berwick-upon-Tweed all the way from Siberia.

Not content with a brief touch down, the bird which is native to Asia and used to colder conditions stayed in his garden for an hour - giving Niall enough time to take photographs of this wonderful event.

The birds are native to Asia, but are occasionally seen elsewhere as vagrant birds, which is when a bird strays far outside its expected breeding, wintering, or migrating range.

Sightings of the black-throated thrush in the UK are incredibly rare, with some bird watchers saying they only appear here once or twice a year.

Speaking about Niall’s sighting, Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chief Executive says: "You get very few sightings of this rare bird each year in the UK, so It’s fabulous that it landed in the garden of a Trust member, in this region and that he was able to identify it and take photos. What a way to lift someone’s spirits at this time. I’m delighted he shared it with us.

“Throughout the whole of the lockdown I have been urging people to look out and look up - from outside or their windows - and watch the birds flying overhead. The sky is a canvas and it’s amazing what you can see flying against it and the paintings that are created.”