There's been lots of excitement among some birdwatchers in the past week, as the UK's very first Siberian accentor landed on Shetland. As the name suggests, it's a small songbird which has come all the way from northern Siberia. Recent winds from the east have brought an unlikely selection of feathered waifs and strays to the UK.
(The bird's rarity value was soon diminished somewhat, as the UK's first sighting was followed rapidly by the second, third and fourth!)
It might not have the Siberian accentor's colourful plumage, but the dunnock - a close cousin also called the hedge accentor - can be seen easily in gardens, parks and hedgerows all over the UK.
Don't be fooled into thinking dunnocks are dull. Though they are common, and decked out in subtle shades of grey, brown and... more brown, dunnocks are entertaining to watch. Look out for them waving their wings about like the bird in this photo, or chasing each other around your shrubbery.
I like their unassuming characters; for much of the year, dunnocks spend a lot of time shuffling around in flowerbeds or lurking underneath bird feeders, leaving the limelight to other birds. But in springtime, the dunnock's mating habits are nothing short of scandalous!