Spotted Flycatcher

I was massively excited to have spotted this beautiful bird in the ash tree at the top of our garden. At first, from a distance, I thought it was a juvenile of a typical species that I'm used to seeing around here due to the mottled plumage and subdued colours that so many recently-fledged woodland birds take on. To add to the confusion, I was not familiar with the single high-pitch squeaky call it was letting out. However, once it perched for a moment on one of the branches, I got a slightly better view. I still wasn't convinced - as I have never seen this species in the wild before. However, using my 300mm lens, I sneaked a photo, and upon looking on a bigger screen it is definitely a spotted flycatcher! I am very excited about this, and I am really hoping that it is nesting nearby. Taking the advice from the previous owner of my house (who is a keen wildlife enthusiast and used to have a flycatcher nesting in the garden every year), I have placed a wooden stake in the middle of the lawn, hoping that the flycatcher will use it as a perch as it waits to flit out to catch its flying insect prey. Although I have spotted it a few times since taking this picture, I have not yet caught sight of it close enough to take another photograph. However, I am hoping that I will be able to spend more time watching this incredible and delicate bird, and that I will get more photos of it to upload to the blog.