Watch: The remarkable story of the search for a very rare white fantail

A bird lover has managed to capture some remarkable pictures of a rare white fantail in a graveyard just north of Auckland.

Sea bird scientist Edin Whitehead turns her hand to bird photography in her spare time.

One day she caught wind there was a white fantail that was spotted fluttering around a graveyard in Whangateau.

She quickly decided to head down and try and photograph the rare sight.

"I don't usually have much luck finding the birds I want to photograph, but the first time I walked through the gate I saw it sitting on a headstone," Edin told Seven Sharp.

"It flew across the path and we hung out for an hour."

Watch the video above to hear more of Edin's tale and see her stunning pictures.