The indigo bunting is a species of bird that is usually found in North America, has only been seen in the wild in the UK three times before and never before in the North East of England!

The rare bird understandably generated keen interest from the birding community, with more than one hundred enthusiasts visiting the location of its initial sighting in our patch on Saturday afternoon alone, and plenty more people over the weekend.

We are extremely grateful that many of those who flocked to see the bird have generously contributed to a donation collection to be split between Durham Wildlife Trust and Durham Bird Club, raising vital funds to support our work for wildlife from Tees to Tyne.

Peter Bell said: "The bird's plumage indicates that it is in its first summer, in other words still a young, inexperienced bird - that makes it far more likely that it is wild, rather than an escapee from captivity. It is also in pristine condition, and unringed, lending further support to the idea that it is wild. There have also been other recent sightings of this North American species in Denmark and Iceland. It is likely that it came across with other North American birds last autumn, in the aftermath of a hurricane, and is now migrating back north in the wrong continent. The decision on whether it is judged to be wild will eventually be made by the British Birds Rarities Committee, but it has many points in its favour."