Could you be the first to snap the elusive purple heron chick of Dungeness?

The first of the birds ever to be born in the UK was finally spotted on Tuesday morning at the RSPB reserve, Denge Marsh.

It emerged from reeds and practised flapping its wings for around 45 minutes.

But the creature avoided being caught on camera, so there is still no hard evidence of a sighting.

Keen twitchers could be the first to catch the chick on film - but the RSPB has warned against disturbing the nest.

Spokesman Sophie McCallum said: “A combination of factors has meant the birds are very difficult to capture on film.

“They nest in tall reeds and they’re far away from the path.

“There are a lot of people who’ve been down there, and that’s fantastic, but we do have to be careful not to disturb the birds. Anyone attending should do so responsibly.”

The birds have received round-the-clock protection since they were first spotted in April.

The purple herons, which are usually more common in southern Europe, were believed to be feeding chicks by June.