A SHY breed of bird made an appearance for a lucky group of people at an evening event at the Tamar Trails.

The group of 25 caught sight of nightjars in flight along the trails at an event organised by the Tamar Valley AONB team to find out more about the shy and elusive birds.

Becki Lumbis, from the AONB, said: 'The nightjar has a very unique, mechanical-sounding call, which is quite magical to experience.

'We were really lucky to hear three birds and to spot two of them swooping over the Devon Great Consols calciners — once the biggest copper producer in the world.'

The event was led by local bird enthusiast Richard Hibbert, who began the evening by giving a short talk on the nightjar's physiology, migration and breeding habits, including tips on how to recognise them in their natural environment.

One visitor said: 'It was a perfect summer's night — hearing nightjars so clearly and seeing the wonderful close-ups of the bird in flight was just amazing.'

The Tamar Valley AONB team and Tamar Trails Centre runs a variety of events throughout the year. Visit http://www.tamarvalley.org.uk">www.tamarvalley.org.uk and http://www.tamartrails.co.uk">www.tamartrails.co.uk to find out more.