Distinct bird species photographed for the first time in Black Sea

The northern warbler, a unique bird species never been photographed in its natural habitat despite being featured on the list of bird species native to Turkey, has been photographed for the first time in Trabzon by forest engineer and photographer Taner Şeremet.

Fascinated by wildlife, Şeremet spends most of his free time taking photographs of wildlife, especially birds. As the season of fall approaches, birds in the Black Sea region of Turkey have begun to migrate, and Şeremet took advantage of the opportunity to capture images of the birds' movement with his camera. When Şeremet took a photograph of one bird in the brush-wood near the Black Sea coast in Trabzon, he had no idea that it was a northern warbler but an assessment done by experts later revealed the discovery. The northern warbler is considered an incidental species in Turkey and is now in the spotlight for having been photographed for the first time.

The northern warbler, a songbird mostly seen in mild climates in Asia and Europe, migrates to countries such as India and Sri Lanka and is one of the bird species not yet documented in Turkey. In a statement, Şeremet said: "Rain is an important element in determining bird migration. When it is rainy, birds migrate to the nearest region. Hence, the coasts of the Black Sea are very important in that sense. I took the photograph on a rainy day, hoping to catch a glimpse of a rare species. To my surprise, I had the honor of photographing the northern warbler for the first time." The photograph was first published on the website Trakus.org, a pioneering,Turkey-based website on bird watching and photography.