Support worker shocked to glimpse 'rarest garden bird in UK' in Somerset village

The ultra-rare bird was spotted in a local garden

A local support worker has spoken of his shock after catching a glimpse of the "rarest breeding garden bird in UK" in a Somerset village.

Paul Galvani, from Yeovil, was working at a home in Martock when he spotted a Black Redstart in the back garden.

The keen birdspotter even captured a picture of the orange-tailed rarity sitting on a fence as it fluttered around the area on Friday, January 24.

"I managed to get a superb photo of one of the rarest garden birds in Britain," said Mr Galvani.

"Over the last decade there is estimated to be less than 100 breeding pairs in the whole of the UK.

"When I first saw it, I thought it could be a pigment anomaly or a juvenile bird of another species, but after speaking with other birdspotters, it was confirmed to be a Black Redstrat.

"It was just a fantastic feeling to get a photograph of the bird"

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