Hundreds of birdwatchers caused traffic chaos as they raced to catch sight of a rare bird not glimpsed in Britain for nearly 60 years.
The enthusiasts – lovingly known as ‘twitchers’ – descended in their droves on Mundesley in Norfolk over the weekend after reports of a Northern Nutcracker perching in a garden.
Around the size of a crow, the species features dark chocolate plumage heavily speckled with white spots, and a large black bill, which it uses to crack open pine cones and bury seeds.
Northern Nutcrackers are native to Siberian forests and are very rarely seen as far away as the UK, but will make the 3,500 mile journey if there are food shortages.
In 1968 there was a large irruption – the term given to the sudden movement of northern species to unusual areas – that resulted in 315 Northern Nutcrackers being sighted in Britain.
Another influx of the birds was seen in 1991.
A Northern Nutcracker was again sighted in Kent in 1998, but was witnessed by only a few twitchers before it moved on.
And another single sighting was recorded in Caithness, Scotland, in 2021.
Enthusiast Chris Stone, 44, from Wymondham in Norfolk, told the BBC that one had not been seen in the area for nearly 60 years.
Hundreds of birdwatchers caused traffic chaos as they raced to catch sight of a Northern Nutcracker – which has not been glimpsed in Britain for nearly 60 years
The species is native to Siberia but will make the 3,500 mile journey to the UK if food is scarce
Bird experts had noted the species elsewhere in western Europe and said it was ‘only a matter of time’ before it arrived in the UK
‘It’s rare because they don’t really migrate. They will move if food is low where they live in Siberia.’
Josh Jones, of Bird Guides, said the species had been spotted elsewhere in western Europe and it was ‘only a matter of time’ before one reached the UK.
‘The northern nutcracker is a very rare visitor to Britain, primarily because we are so far from the bird’s native range and because these unexpected movements, or irruptions as they are known, are infrequent,’ he said.
Locals on social media noted that hotels had been booked out close to the village, while another said the roads had been ‘crammed with cars’ as crowds of bird fans gathered to see the rare species.
