'Crocodile' spotted at Yorkshire nature reserve of over 280 species of birds

Lee Collings said that he had spotted the 'four foot long croc' in Fairburn Ings.

Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve is a protected area in Yorkshire.

It is noted for its avian biodiversity.

The reserve has recorded around 280 bird species.

Lee said had never seen anything similar in over 30 years as a wildlife photographer.

Lee said: "I am 36 years old, and have been a birdwatcher for over 30 years, and I've never seen anything like this, other than a crocodile or alligator.

"It moved slow, but too fast to photograph it.

"By the time I realised what I thought it was. It was three to four feet in length, and about four to five inches high

"I'm not bothered about being ridiculed, I'm that confident about what I saw.

However, a spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said it was the first reported sighting of 'anything like this' at Fairburn Ings.

The spokeswoman said: "It's a pity the photographer wasn't able to get a photo as it would obviously have been a big help in identifying what this was.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first reported sighting of anything like this at Fairburn Ings.

"We'd love to see any attempts from our visitors who manage to snap anything like this at our reserve in the future."

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