White-billed sea monster in Lincolnshire

It is rare that I am dragged away from the gulls of London and the southeast for something I have seen before. However, some birds are worth the effort and today was one of those days. Roll back 21 years to March 1996 when I was a fresh faced 15 year old, and a day where my mum had driven me and Tom Lowe so we could see our first White-billed Diver on a small Lincolnshire river near Tattershall Bridge. That was the River Witham. And merely five miles north of there today - on that same inland Lincolnshire drain - was another of that same species of Arctic beast. There are birds and there are birds, and this massively impressive specimen falls into that latter category. Seemingly feeding quite nicely, and looking fine in the sunshine, I had a fantastic few hours on the River Witham to the north of Kirkstead Bridge today. Enjoy...

White-billed Diver River Witham north of Kirkstead Bridge, Lincs 29th January 2017