Bluethroat

the characteristic feature of this medium-sized songbird from the flycatcher family are its long legs. The male Bluethroat's breast plumage is seamed at the bottom by a black and russet strip, and often has a central red or white spot. By comparison, female beards merely sport a pattern of black spots. The Bluethroat nests primarily in reed, cattail, and sedge growth on the edge of ponds. The male birds arrive several days ahead of the female birds at the nesting site and shortly thereafter break into song. The Bluethroat's diet is primarily animal-based – insects, spiders, and mollusks, which it catches mostly in muddy areas.