The male bird of prey was found walking around the ground in a field near Wetwang, suffering from a broken wing.

It is not certain what caused the injury, but it is thought that the bird may have collided with some overhead wires.

For most birds, a broken wing results in almost certain death, as it leaves them vulnerable to attack from other predators.

However, this lucky bird was found by a caring landowner, and handed to Jean Thorpe of Ryedale Rehabilitation.

Jean, with the help of the Battleflats veterinary team, has produced a near miracle in nursing the stricken bird back to full flying fitness.

The bird was released in Natural England's Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve (NNR) on the outskirts of York.

The reserve has a network of internationally protected hay meadows, ponds and ditches which provide ideal hunting ground for Marsh Harriers.

They feed on a wide variety of prey from earthworms and beetles to frogs, small birds and small mammals.

Craig Ralston, Natural England's Reserve manager for the Lower Derwent Valley NNR said: "Although rehabilitation centres usually try to return all wildlife to the place where they were found, we wanted to release it in the best feeding habitat we could find.

"With it being a young male we knew it wasn't breeding and was probably just passing through the area when it broke its wing.

"It's now up to Natural England staff and volunteers to monitor its welfare for the first critical days after release'.

Jean Thorpe of Ryedale Rehabilitation said: "It's very rare to see a bird recover from a broken wing, especially where this fracture occurred.

"I spent a long time nursing it back to full health and seeing it fly off into the distance brought tears to my eyes. Although this is just one Marsh harrier, it can at least have the chance to breed and raise young."