Their smaller cousins are regular visitors to our shores – but bird watchers in the West have captured a rare glimpse of this great white egret at a Somerset nature reserve.

This picture was taken by renowned wildlife photographer Richard Austin, and shows the bird on the RSPB's Shapwick Heath reserve on the Somerset Levels.

The egret is around the same size as our native grey heron, which can be seen in the foreground of the picture.

The great white resembles the smaller more common egrets but other identification features to look out for include black feet, as opposed to yellow, a yellow beak in juvenile and non-breeding plumage, and a different fishing technique like that of the grey heron.

The bird is becoming more common across Europe, meaning sightings in the UK are more frequent, with most in south-east England and East Anglia.

Great white egrets favour all kinds of wetland habitats – even farmland ditches, and while they can be seen all year round, they are most likely to be spotted during spring and winter.