Bittern spotted at nature reserve

One of Britain's rarest birds has been spotted at a former sand and gravel quarry in Derbyshire.

A bittern was recently seen at the Willington Gravel Pits nature reserve.

A member of the heron family, it is one of the most threatened and secretive birds and is found in wetland areas with large reed beds.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's reserves manager Richard Spowage said bitterns were unlikely to make their distinctive booming noise at this time of year.