CROWDS of people gathered on a main road in Bradford today for a fleeting moment of joy.

The Press's sister paper, the Telegraph & Argus reports that avid birdwatchers gathered in the Tesco car park on Halifax Road, Buttershaw, to for a glimpse of a rare waxwing.

York Press: The Waxwing bird caught in Tesco carpark this morning. Image: Rodney HolroydThe Waxwing bird caught in Tesco carpark this morning. Image: Rodney Holroyd (Image: Rodney Holroyd)

The first sighting of these Scandinavian birds in Bradford was noted in a Facebook group on Sunday and since then, birdwatchers have patiently waited in the cold to catch a glimpse of these birds.

York Press: Picture of waxwing bird caught by avid birdwatcher. Image: UGCPicture of waxwing bird caught by avid birdwatcher. Image: UGC (Image: UGC)

One birdwatcher said: “I came for a little bit on Monday, and I’ve been here since around 9:30am.

“It’s exciting and I hope I get to see it today.

“I’ve been a birdwatcher ever since I was a kid, I was part of the local ornithology club.

“These birds are really cool, they’ve got little mohawks.”

York Press: Rare Waxwing bird caught on Odsall Top. Image: Alan Cokell Rare Waxwing bird caught on Odsall Top. Image: Alan Cokell (Image: Alan Cokell)

The Waxwing flies north for the winter and can be seen in the UK from October onwards as the food supply begins to dwindle in their native setting.

The birds feed on red berries from the Rowan Tree, native to Scandinavia, which can also be found in the UK.

Another person said: “They were here this morning, but I didn’t see them.

“Hopefully I’ll get to see them now.”

Emily Gardiner, one of the birdwatchers, said:"A lot of the time my disability prevents me from chasing birds around or heading out onto moorland, for example, so I was excited when I heard that waxwings had been seen in a car park, just half an hour away.

"Today was my first time seeing waxwings and I was delighted to be lucky enough to see them."

York Press: Birdwatchers gather to capture sighting of rare bird. Image: Newsquest Birdwatchers gather to capture sighting of rare bird. Image: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

At the moment the bird was sighted this morning, crowds eagerly grabbed cameras and binoculars to get the perfect shot.

The birds made an appearance around 11am, and satisfied ornithologists were able to leave after not too long a wait. 

York Press: Waxwing birds caught in Tesco Carpark, this morning. Image: Emily GardinerWaxwing birds caught in Tesco Carpark, this morning. Image: Emily Gardiner (Image: Emily Gardiner)

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