Rare bird brings wildlife tourists to county

Ross Nairn said people come to Somerset from all over the country to see the Bitterns

A rare and elusive bird has made the Somerset levels a "wildlife tourism hotspot", experts have said.

Once close to extinction in Britain, Somerset's population of Bitterns is now thriving and the county is one of the top places to see the bird.

"Lots of people come down to try and see the Bitterns," Ross Nairn, who works with the RSPB at the Avalon Marshes, said.

"They come from all over the country."

Describing Britain's "loudest birds", Mr Nairn added: "You can't not hear the birds when you're down here.

"When you come early in the morning, you're almost guaranteed to hear them."

"This area has become a wildlife tourism hotspot," Stephen Moss said

President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust, Stephen Moss, said it is "always an absolute joy" to see the Bitterns.

"They are a bird that lives in the reed beds, they live their whole lives there," he said.

"So when they pop up, and often just for a few seconds, it's very special."

But Mr Moss said it can be "very hit and miss" whether someone might spot one of the birds.

"It's pretty random. But if you want to see Bitterns, this is the place to come," he said.

"This area has become a wildlife tourism hotspot. People come here from all over Britain and they put money in the local economy."

There are between 40 and 50 pairs of breeding Bitterns in the Avalon Marshes

In the 1990s, only about a dozen breeding pairs of Bitterns were left in the whole of Britain.

Now, there are between 40 and 50 pairs in the Avalon Marshes alone, the Somerset Wildlife Trust said.

"This is a protected area and Bitterns are going to be fine, just like all the other birds here," Mr Moss said.

Kevin Anderson said that given Bitterns are so rare, seeing them is a "very special moment"

Kevin Anderson, who does guided bird walks at the Avalon Marshes, added that spotting a Bittern was the "experience of a lifetime" for a lot of people.

"Behind Starlings, it's the one thing that's on the bucket lists," he said.

"I get asked so regularly 'Will I see a Bittern today?'

"Given that they're so rarely seen, to see one is a very special moment."

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