HUNDREDS of twitchers have been making their way to Brownsea Island to catch a glimpse of a bird hardly seen in Britain.

The western sandpiper was spotted in Saline Lagoon on Wednesday afternoon and within an hour bird enthusiasts had turned up to tick it off their list.

Colin Williams, reserve warden from Dorset Wildlife Trust said: "The beauty of the bird doesn't lie in how lovely it is, but because it is very rare.

"The last one was seen in Britain in 1997, but this is the first one that is accessible to bird watchers for many years."

Simon Lee of the National Trust, which owns the island, said: "It's been very exciting.

"Literally several hundreds have been turning up every day from all over the country to come and see the bird."

The sandpiper is a juvenile. It is about the size of a starling, is brown above and white below. It is similar to other waders on the island but smaller and paler.

It is from North America and would have been migrating to South America for the winter but was blown off course by recent hurricane winds.

It is not known how long the bird will stay on the island.

First published: Oct 4