An amateur photographer has captured the moment a rare Bittern appeared at a County Durham nature reserve.

Brian Howes, 75, heard that there had been glimpses of the elusive booming bird at Rainton Meadows.

After a fruitless morning on Monday and a second attempt in the afternoon that day he went home to Great Lumley disappointed.

Mr Howes caught a glimpse of the bittern on Wednesday, but it was not until Friday morning that he got a full look at the majestic booming bird in flight.

(Image: Brian Howes)

He said: "It was first spotted in Rainton Meadows on Monday, it's been in the reeds all week.

"I went down this morning and it poked its head up before taking flight and going back into the reeds.

"It was beautiful. Someone was saying it has been 10 or 15 years since we had one hanging around for a few days.

"It is especially rare to see one in Rainton Meadows. 

(Image: Brian Howes)

"We have seen them flying past overhead but not sticking around.

"It was just nice to see it and with the sun shining too. That made the pictures even nicer."

Bitterns are Britain's loudest birds and they were nearly driven to extinction in the 1870s because of over hunting.

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Their numbers are still low but conservation efforts are working and the occasional sighting of them is made in the North East.

In 2012, a male bittern was heard booming for the very first time at RSPB Saltholme, in Stockton, in an attempt to attract a female but was sadly unsuccessful.

Then in 2022 a male Bittern was once again heard booming and this time sightings of regular feeding flights to a nest indicated a successful breeding pair.