THREE rare species of birds visited Cornwall in the last decade - and one of them was on the Lizard Peninsula.

Wildlife photographer Rowena Castillo-Nicholls managed to capture their time in the county and as a result, they have been shortlisted by birdguides.com for the UK top 25 bird rarities of the last decade.

The three notable species are the Lammergeier (or Bearded Vulture), the Dalmatian Pelican and the Brown Booby.

The Brown Booby was spotted on September 4 last year at Kynance Cove on the Lizard.

A Dalamatian Pelican was seen on May 16, 2016 at Drift Reservoir, near Penzance, while the Bearded Vulture was photographer on Breney Common Nature Reserve, near Bodmin, on May 23, 2016.

Of the vulture viewing she said: "It was very high, maybe up to 2,000 feet and had a small bird in tow - which was not getting too close. The small bird turned out to be a buzzard.

"The Lammergeier did not flap its wings. It was just gliding gracefully across the sky. It was huge and unlike anything usually seen in the skies over Cornwall.

"Luckily, I was already prepared with my camera and was able to take some pictures.

"We were able to watch it for about 12 minutes, before it went out of sight. Perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime sighting. It's nice to sometimes be in the right place, at the right time."