A LONG-EARED owl has been seen at Samphire Hoe at Dover for only the second time.

Local birdwatchers were delighted to see the owl which spent a day roosting in scrub at the base of the cliff.

Paul Holt, of the White Cliffs Countryside Project, said: "As I walked along the path at the Hoe I could hear some blackbirds giving very loud alarm calls, which is often the first sign of the presence of an owl.

"A close scan of the bushes with the binoculars revealed a pair of eyes glowing like amber in the sunlight. I realised it was a long eared owl because of its tufts of feathers giving it an eared appearance".

Long eared owls are a scarce in Kent with birds arriving from Scandinavia in the autumn to spend the winter in the UK.

Samphire Hoe is open every day from 7am until dusk.