A photographer managed to capture a series of stunning images of a bittern in flight as it flew directly over him during a trip to the Norfolk Broads.

Sukhdev Singh took the photographs of the elusive bird on a day out at Hickling Broad.

The 62-year-old from Bedford had travelled to Norfolk with the main objective of photographing a rare swallowtail butterfly, so the bittern shots were an unexpected bonus.

The bittern flew over Mr Singh at Hickling Broad (Image: Sukhdev Singh) Mr Singh, who took up nature photography during retirement, said: "I heard the bitterns booming throughout the day but they stayed hidden in the reedbeds.

"Luckily I saw something flying towards me later in the afternoon as I was standing next to the observation tower.

Bitterns are very elusive birds (Image: Sukhdev Singh) "It only turned out to be a bittern heading straight towards me - I snapped away like crazy and luckily got a few nice images as it flew straight over my head."

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Eurasian bitterns are amber-classified under the Birds of Conservation Concern and are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.

The Norfolk Broads are one of the best places to see and hear bitterns (Image: Sukhdev Singh) A shy and elusive type of heron found in large reedbeds, the bittern is closely associated with the Norfolk Broads and the waterways are one of the best places to see them in the UK.

Their camouflaged plumage helps them blend into the reeds, meaning anyone wishing to spot one must be both eagle-eyed and patient.

Mr Singh also managed to photograph a swallowtail butterfly (Image: Sukhdev Singh) In the past, Norfolk bitterns were hunted for food and they were a prized dish at a medieval banquet. 

They became extinct in the UK in the late 19th century before returning and increasing to around 80 booming males in the 1950s.

Their numbers have steadily increased since, with around 200 males thought to exist in the UK.

Managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Hickling Broad covers 600 hectares of land and is a haven for many of the UK’s rarest animals and plants.