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Birdwatchers have been left 'shaking with excitement' after seeing a rare bird that has been spotted for only the fourth time in the UK in more than a century.
Twitchers have been wading into the River Ribble to try to catch a glimpse of the belted kingfisher.
The bird is normally a native of Florida, but was seen on the banks of the river at Brockholes nature reserve near Preston, Lancashire, on Thursday.
It has been spotted only three times in the UK since 1908, with previous sightings in Cornwall in 1979-1980, and Staffordshire and Aberdeenshire in 2005.
Unlike the UK's common kingfisher, the belted variety has a distinctive white band around its neck.
Morgan Caygill, a birder based in Otley, West Yorkshire, tweeted yesterday: 'Belted kingfisher still on the Ribble this morning, shaking with excitement.'
The belted kingfisher was first seen at the site on November 8 with a common kingfisher, but then disappeared until Thursday.
The belted kingfisher (pictured) has been spotted on the River Ribble near Preston in Lancashire
The belted kingfisher is markedly different from the more colourful common kingfisher (pictured)
The Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside Wildlife Trusts warned bird enthusiasts to exercise extreme caution and said in a statement: 'Although this
