This curious bittern put plenty of smiles on the faces of staff at RSPB Titchwell Marsh when it made a surprise appearance.

A remote camera had been set up to monitor wildlife on the Norfolk nature reserve and captured this footage of the rare heron investigating an alien object in its reed bed home.

Bitterns are probably best known for the booming calls of the males in the breeding season but there was a time when few people would have heard of a bittern, let alone seen one or heard its boom.

Once almost mythically rare, bittern numbers have soared thanks to conservation efforts that have seen reed beds restored around the country including here in Norfolk.

RSPB Titchwell Marsh is open every day of the year and the visitor centre and shop are open daily from 10am to 5pm and there is a charge of £5 per a car for non-members.