All of a twitcher! Rare Pacific swift sparks chaos in Trimley villages as hundreds of birdwatchers descend to catch a glimpse

Police were called to a nature reserve after hundreds of twitchers descended to catch a glimpse of a rare bird.

The sighting of the Pacific swift, a species rarely seen in Britain, at Trimley Marshes in Suffolk had bird-watchers all of a flutter and the sudden influx overwhelmed the reserve's tiny car park.

As news spread throughout the ornithological world over the weekend, police were called as traffic chaos extended to the nearby Trimley villages and ruffled the feathers of residents.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said: "We were called at about 1.25pm on Saturday.

"Locals were concerned about the way the visitors were parking and there were lots of cars in an area which isn't used to that amount of traffic.

"We sent officers to manage the traffic and managed to send a message out to the twitcher community asking them to park more considerately."

Officers also attended yesterday as birders continued to visit.

The weekend's sighting is thought to be only the seventh or eighth British record of the Pacific swift.

The species' breeding range stretches from central Siberia to Japan, with wintering grounds in Asia and Australasia.

PA