An exotic visitor to west Cork, a cattle egret, is causing great excitement in birdwatching circles and amusement in the farming fraternity around Rosscarbery.
The bird, a native of Africa that lives among livestock, arrived with the December storms to John Maguire's farm, just outside the town.
It immediately attached itself to the farm's three bulls and became their constant companion, perching on their backs as it would on elephants and cattle in Africa.
According to Margaret Maguire, John's mother, when local people and the birdwatchers became aware of the visitor, there were dozens of visitors to the farm to see the bird.
"We were afraid that there might be an accident because people were stopping on the roads to see the sight and we put the bulls in for a while," she said yesterday.
"Immediately, the egret took up with the cows and that is where he is at the present time," she said.
According to Oran O'Sullivan of BirdWatch Ireland, this is only the eighth sighting of the cattle egret in Ireland and it was possible the bird was blown off course while migrating.
"The first cattle egret was spotted here in 1976 and they are very rare indeed. Most Irish birdwatchers want to see one if they can," he said.
He said the bird seems to be adapting well to Irish conditions, living on insects and worms churned up by the cattle.
"It is hard to know whether it will stay or go but chances are that it will move on at some stage.
"Anyhow, it's in the right place if it wants to find cattle. We have plenty of them," he said.