Birds of a feather flock together... and these excited twitchers gather in the hope of seeing a British first.
More than 1,000 birdwatchers landed by the sea in their bid to glimpse an Acadian flycatcher.
The sighting of the creature (Empidonax virescens) in Dungeness, Kent, prompted birdwatchers to travel from across the country.
The small bird , which is normally found in North America, appears to have been blown a long way off course during its annual migration.
Birdwatcher Dave Mairs said: “The information was put out on the bird information services and it’s thought about 1,000 people came down to see it.
“At one point someone counted 230 birders’ cars down there. It’s been a poor year for rarities in Kent suddenly out of nowhere this has turned up - a potential first for Britain.”
American flycatchers, which migrate to South America, are notoriously difficult to identify.
Fortunately a sample of the bird’s poo has been collected to provide DNA confirmation. If the bird’s identity is confirmed it will be the first one ever recorded in the UK.
Visitors from as far afield as Devon, Cleveland and north Lancashire are thought to have made the journey to the south Kent coast to see the American visitor on Tuesday.
But no further sightings have been made since then, leading to fears the bird may have died.
Mr Mairs said the Dungeness bird was first sighted near fishing boats on a beach before it moved into someone’s garden. He added: “These American flycatchers are known as some of the most difficult birds anywhere to identify.”
