Birdwatchers flock to spot rare American visitor
THE arrival of a rare American bittern to Britain has sparked a “mega-twitch” with thousands of birdwatchers descending on the Suffolk Broads to catch a glimpse of the elusive visitor.
It is the first time in eight years that the bird has been sighted in the UK, with ornithologists speculating it was blown off course on its annual migration between North America and the Gulf of Mexico.
The American bittern is usually difficult to spot because it is so well camouflaged with its tawny brown feathers that provide a perfect disguise at the edges of marshes and lakes. Like the native European bittern, its loud booming call is usually the first hint that it is present.
Birdwatchers posted their images of the bird on Twitter.
Andy Hale said he had caught sight of the American visitor after 30 hours of waiting, while David Walsh said he had made three visits to the marshes and spent 15 and a half hours watching.
Mr Walsh said: “I finally saw the American bittern at Carlton Marshes. What a relief.”
The bittern’s chosen landing spot was the site of Britain’s newest national nature reserve. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust has now been awarded more than £4million from the Heritage Lottery Fund to use 348 acres of land surrounding Carlton Marshes to create a 1,000-acre wild landscape.
Sir David Attenborough, president emeritus of The Wildlife Trusts, who supported the bid said: “England’s wildlife is under great and ever-growing pressure. It is vital that we restore our land on a landscape scale so that it can support more wild plants and animals.
“Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s ambition to extend Carlton and Oulton Marshes is a unique opportunity to do just this and it has my wholehearted support.”