It seems to have only been a flying visit, but the appearance of a black-browed albatross on a Suffolk nature reserve has created something of a flap.
The creatures are usually only found in the southern hemisphere, although occasional 'vagrants' are found further north, outside their normal range.
This particular bird is thought to have arrived at RSPB Minsmere from the German archipelago of Heligoland, in the North Sea, where one had been seen there four days earlier. And its remarkable – if fleeting – visit, as reported earlier this week, has filled birdwatchers with excitement. Suffolk Ornithologists' Group president and the author of The Birds of Suffolk, Steve Piotrowski, said it was a 'tremendous first for Suffolk'.
'Seawatching is a popular part of the Suffolk birding scene and observers put in hundreds and hundreds of hours staring out to sea but it is mainly in spring and autumn and to have an albatross turn up in the middle of summer is absolutely incredible,' he added.
'It would be incredible enough if it was seen as a dot on the horizon but to have one on a pool at such close range is almost unbelievable, but we have the photographs to prove it.'
The albatross was seen at Minsmere by just two shocked observers during heavy rain on Sunday afternoon, and the photos were taken by Peter Hobbs, of Basildon.
Black-browed albatrosses might be one of the most common albatross species, but they are still classed as endangered – not least as they are one of the most frequently killed species in many longline fisheries. One of the largest flying birds, they breed in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Chile with small numbers on sub-Antarctic islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They feed mainly on shrimp, fish and squid and their wingspan can reach up to eight feet.
Although a first for Suffolk, there have been two sightings in Norfolk since records began.
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