Twitchers flock to see rare heron

The green heron was spotted in Royal Military Canal (photo by Ian Roberts)

The first recorded sighting in Kent of a bird usually found on the other side of the Atlantic has been causing excitement among bird watchers.

A green heron was spotted on Saturday on West Hythe's Royal Military Canal.

The bird, which is smaller than the European grey heron, is usually found in North and Central America.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said the heron was probably blown over while it migrated along the east coast of North America.

'First for Kent'

RSPB spokesman Grahame Madge said: "It definitely is the green heron species from North America. It's quite a bit smaller than our grey heron.

"It's no doubt been blown across the Atlantic. What happens is that you get birds trying to migrate along the eastern seaboard and they get caught up in weather systems. They then try and reach the first bit of land."

He added: "It's a little bit further east than we would have expected. It's obviously been there for a few days and has been causing quite a lot of excitement for bird watchers.

"It's not the first time its been spotted in the UK but it is the first time it's been seen in Kent."