Bird watchers have been flocking to Essex University to see a rare American gull.

The ring-billed gull was first spotted at the lower lake by senior research officer from the biological research department Dr Peter O' Toole who alerted a bird watching service. The news was posted on the internet and a special phone line.

Dr O' Toole said several hundred bird-watchers travelled to see the solitary bird but no one knows whether it is a male or female gull.

"It is quite rare for this part of the country. They fly in from America and usually fly to the west coast."

The gull has a stout yellow bill with a band around it, said Dr O' Toole.

There is one other ring-billed gull in Britain at the moment according to birdwatchers and the second one is at Shoeburyness.

Dr O' Toole said: "They have mainly come from Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Kent."

He added: "It is a great campus for bird watching. I have seen kingfishers here."

Bird watchers are also travelling to Abberton Reservoir where a drakes canvassback duck is spending the winter.

Dr O' Toole said: "People from further away come down and know they will see one out of two of the birds."

The male bird which comes from North Western America has a russet head.

Steve Beary from the reservoir said: "It's been here quite a few months now and we've had a lot of people coming to see it. Essex University seems a good place to see birds. A few years ago there was an osprey fishing on the lake."

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