by Adam Williams

Birdwatchers are flocking to Faversham following reported sightings of a Pacific seabird.

The tufted puffin, never seen before in Britain, was sighted at the Oare Marshes nature reserve on Wednesday by Murray Wright, a member of the Kent Ornothological Society.

He took this picture (right) of the bird bobbing on waves.

Normally found in the North Pacific, the bird usually favours cliff or island habitats to avoid predators and to have an adequate height to take-off from.
Ray Lewis, from the Kent Wildlife Trust, stressed the estuarine waters of the Swale are a far cry away from home.

He said: “It’s a highly exciting find and one that’s seemingly unprecedented around the British Isles and western Europe.

“It’s obviously been blown off course quite considerably and when last spotted it was seen heading West, so if it is starting to head home, I hope safe as it’s quite a long way back.

“It’s a very bright and distinctive bird and one that’s typically preyed upon quite easily by larger species.”

The sighting has seen twitchers descend on Oare Marshes in their numbers in the hope of catching a glimpse. Ray Lewis admits interest has soared.

He added: “It’s certainly put the area on the map.

“We’ve had hundreds of visitors to Oare Marshes since Wednesday and one couple even drove down all the way from Middlesbrough when they heard about it.

“It’s highly unlikely someone will spot it again, but that’s not going to deter committed groups from going out there and having a look.”