Hundreds of bird lovers have flocked to North Yorkshire to see a rare visitor to the UK after it was spotted on a garden bird feeder.
A two-barred crossbill has taken up residence in the garden of Patricia and Robert Urquhart close to the village of Chop Gate, near Helmsley, where its appearance on the feeder is thought to be unique for the UK.
The species, which breeds in places such as Russia, Sweden and Finland, is not normally seen in this country – but some years failures in their favourite food source, the larch crop, can drive them westwards.
When small numbers occasionally appear in the UK they tend to be elusive and live in northern conifer woods, the RSPB said. After the couple identified the bird, which they said looked “a bit scruffy” when it first appeared, they allowed the RSPB to spread the word of its appearance.
Within hours carloads of people had arrived at their house to see the bird and more than 500 bird lovers have now visited the garden. The Urquharts, who have opened their barn for the bird lovers to shelter from the rain, have been taking donations from the visitors for a local school.
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