WINTERTON-ON-SEA Hundreds of bird watchers gathered on sand dunes in Norfolk to catch a glimpse of a rare black lark.

It is only the third time that a black lark, which was spotted in Winterton-on-Sea on Sunday afternoon, has been seen in Britain.

Sean Offord, 46, who lives in the village, was the first person to report seeing the male bird.

He said: “I’ve been bird watching my whole life and this is by far the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen. I was in a state of ecstasy and panic because I was really excited at seeing it but also wanted to make sure someone else saw it.”

The black lark, which is native to Russia and Kazakhstan, is black, with pale fringes to the feathers on its back and a yellow or pink bill. Black larks have previously been recorded in Spurn, by the River Humber, in 1984, and Anglesey, North Wales, in June 2003.

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