A mum was stunned to discover a giant two-foot-tall bird who posed for a photo and 'locked eyes' with her on the promenade was in fact a rare 'missing' falcon worth more than £330,000. Natalie Ellis had gone for an afternoon cycle past Chalkwell Beach in her hometown of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
The 50-year-old was caught by surprise when she looked up and 'locked eyes' with a two-foot tall, majestic white bird that was perched nonchalantly on the beachside railing. Curious, Natalie immediately got off her bicycle and walked over to the railing for a closer look, where the bird sat 'calm and comfortable' for another ten minutes while she took some snaps, before flying away.
Believing that the unidentified bird was a snow owl, the mum-of-one uploaded a series of photos of her new feathered friend on Facebook, wondering if someone had lost their pet. However, Natalie was in for a shock when a friend informed her that the bird was actually a very rare white Gyrfalcon - a bird of prey that has previously sold for £337,000 at auction.
