Amber thrush - Andrew Walmsley - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2007

2007: Urban Wildlife - Highly Commended

Andrew Walmsley Enlarge image Amber thrush

Andrew Walmsley (United Kingdom)

Amber thrush

'A pair of thrushes had chosen some traffic lights to nest in at a busy junction in Glasgow, Scotland. It took hours to get a parent bird's silhouette in the brief showing of red and amber lights together. All four of their chicks fledged, probably benefiting from the warm lights and the fact predators were put off by the traffic.' The mistle thrush, like the song thrush, has a spotted front. It lives across the UK, Europe and parts of Asia and is quite aggressive. Feeding on worms, slugs, insects and berries, it will readily guard its food. Its nest is usually large and untidy, sometimes including waste paper and plastic and often built in the forked trunk of a tall tree.

Nikon D70 + Sigma 50-500mm f4-6.3 lens at 420mm; 1/1000 sec at f8; ISO 500; Manfrotto tripod.

This photograph is available to buy as a print.