A passionate amateur photographer from Suffolk has captured some stunning photographs of a large group of Little egrets at popular beauty spot, Needham Lake.
Julie Potter, 51, said she spotted more than a dozen of the white birds, that are part of the heron family, at the lake on Monday morning.
Miss Potter, who lives in nearby Stonham Parva, said: "We often see two or three Little egrets at the lake as well as two grey herons but this is the biggest group I have seen anywhere.
"I was told they often spend the winter here and roost at Needham Lake."
According to the RSPB, Little Egrets were first spotted in the UK in 1989 but are now are a far more common sight in East Anglia.
Miss Potter, who used to live in Essex, originally took up photography as a hobby to support her daughter's love of bird watching - the pair were regular visitors to RSPB Minsmere.
Her "huge passion for wildlife photography" was one of the key reasons Miss Potter moved to Suffolk. She said: "In lockdown it was a saving grace to be able to get down to the lake early and take some photographs."
Miss Potter said that by sharing her pictures in local photography Facebook groups she hopes to show people "what a lovely place Needham Lake is". She is hoping to set up her own photography page soon.
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