A RARE vision in white took flight and delighted a nature lover in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Penny Birch discovered she had a special visitor in her back garden when her daughter pointed out the young albino sparrow.

Surprised by the sight, Penny quickly grabbed her camera and started snapping. The distinctive sparrow has returned to feed several times a day since that first appearance a week ago.

Penny said: “I wasn’t sure what type of bird it was until I saw its parents feeding it - at first, I thought it might be a budgie.

“I was thrilled that this rare bird had flown into my garden, I’ve never seen one like it before, it’s fantastic and so exciting.

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Pictures by Penny Birch

“She - I’m not sure if it’s a boy or girl but I refer to her as she - is so pretty and looks lovely when she flies.

“She got stuck in the feeder once and I went to help her out but she managed to escape all by herself. She holds her own against the flock of starlings that feed there, too, she’s not afraid.

“I am a bit worried that she is more vulnerable to predators because she stands out so much.”

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Penny has had a lifelong love of and fascination for wildlife which she combined with a newfound interest in photography four years ago.

The 57-year-old Adver camera club member enjoys wandering along the Wiltshire and Berkshire canal near her home and taking photos of robins in the nearby woods. Her garden has been designed to attract animals, with stumperies and shrubs providing temporary habitats for little critters and flocks of fowl.

One of her snaps became the main photo for August 2020 in the Royal Wootton Bassett Rotary Club’s calendar - the same month she received a visit from the rare red-eyed sparrow.

Penny added: “It must be my month! I’ve always been a great lover of nature - I’m often found stumbling around along the canal or in shrubs or trying to take photos of robins in the woods.

“My photos are getting better but I’m not quite good enough to take one of the sparrow mid-flight, though it looks great. She seems quite happy with my garden so I hope she’ll keep coming back. I’m happy to see her every time she returns.”

Albino sparrows are extremely rare although one was seen in Headington earlier this year. Albinism is a genetic condition that affects the production of the pigment melanin.