[ian_g]

... Yes, it always happens, doesn't it?! The minute you walk out of your front door without your camera, you spot something that you've never seen before and therefore have to rely on describing what you saw.

Luckily, I had a good long close-up look at this particular bird, so I'm hoping my description will be good enough.

The bird was roughly the size of a turkey. The majority of its face was bright red (similar to the colour and texture of a rooster). Its plumage was light/mid grey and it had a 'quiff' of grey feathers on the top of its head. The 'shoulders' of the wings were distinctly white. Its feet were webbed and were a pale pink/orange colour and it was stood on a rock near the sea (I live on the south coast, near Portsmouth).

Is it a rare sighting? Can anyone determine what this bird is?

Many thanks,
Ian G