ONE of Britain's rarest birds has been spotted at Lopwell Dam, near Milton Combe, as it looks for a home to settle for the winter.

The bittern, famed for its booming call, was captured on camera, by amateur photographer Shane Willson, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time last week.

Shane, aged 36 from Buckland Monachorum, said he was grateful to a man who saw him taking pictures last Wednesday, and tipped him off about the rare bird.

Shane said: 'I was taking photos of a seal, which is fairly common at Lopwell, but only my second sighting — the last being over 13 years ago — when a gentleman approached me as I was just about to leave. He told me that there was a bittern above the dam in the reeds and it was his first sighting of this bird in more than 50 years.'

Only 13 years ago it was believed by experts that the British bittern population was down to just 11 males — although much has been done by conservationists to try and improve numbers. Particularly hard winters can see both bitterns and herons die off in large numbers though.

Shane said he was more than happy to help spread the word to 'twitchers' and the general public who would like to see this rare feathered friend.

Tony Whitehead, a spokesman for the RSPB, told the Times: 'It is great to see a bittern in Devon and although they are rare, it is not unusual do find them here during the winter in small numbers. It probably travelled in from Europe.'

'At the moment we know of four bitterns in Devon at Braunton, Slapton, South Milton and of course at Lopwell Dam and there is another one in Cornwall at Marazion marsh in West Cornwall.'

Mr Whitehead hoped people would enjoy the sight of this rare creature at Lopwell but asked them please not to disturb it, as any movement by the bird, apart from when it is looking to feed, takes up vital energy it needs to fight the winter.