Dusky Thrush - Beeley Village, 13th record for Britain

Beeley resident Rachel Jones posted the photo below on the internet yesterday unsure what species of thrush it was. It was clearly a Dusky Thrush and only the 13th recorded in Britain and a first for Derbyshire. An amazing find from her garden!

Dusky (©Rachel Jones)

This morning, in very overcast and misty conditions, there were at least a dozen birders looking for the bird but, following an early sighting by the church, the numbers increased rapidly with around 100 birders there by late morning.
The bird favoured an orchard which is overlooked by the Dukes Barn Outdoor Centre and thanks to the people there who both provided additional car parking and allowed access on to their site to view the orchard.
This morning the bird showed several times in the orchard but in gloomy conditions, Rachel took another photo of the bird feeding in an apple tree. 
It's a first winter bird and, with extensive black spotting on the underparts and dark ear coverts, I think probably a male.

Dusky Thrush (©Rachel Jones)

If it stays during the week it's likely to attract many more bird watchers, including me hoping for slightly better light.
I took a couple of record photos;

Dusky Thrush

Birders in the village

The Dusky Thrush breeds in Eastern Siberian and winters in southern China and Japan so it's a long way from home.

Dusky Thrush distribution (© Birdlife International - I think this map may also include the recently separated Naumann's Thrush)

The list of British records is as follows;

1905 Nottinghamshire: Gunthorpe shot 13th October

1959 Cleveland: Hartlepool 1st winter male 12th Dec - 24th February 1960

1961 Shetland: Fair Isle 1st winter female 18th-21st October

1968 Shetland:Whalsay 24th September

1975 Shetland: Firth, Mainland 6th-13th November

1979 West Midlands: Majors Green 17th-19th February, 27th-28th February and 18th-23rd March

1983 Cornwall: Coombe Valley, Bude 13th November

1987 Pembrokeshire: Skomer 3rd-5th December

2010 Greater Manchester: Leigh near Wigan 9th December

2013 Kent: Margate 15th-18th May

2013 Devon: Brixham 26th October - 2nd November

2016 Isles of Scilly: Penninis 26th October (subject to acceptance by BBRC)

2016 Derbyshire: Beeley 4th December -?

Please respect the local residents and park sensibly in the village if you are visiting for the bird.

The Chesterfield - Beeley road is closed during the week for repairs to the dry stone walls so access to Beeley is best either via Baslow and Chatsworth or on the B5057 then A6 through Darley Dale.