THE GROVE afforded a birds-eye view of some rare Scandinavian visitors to Ilkley last week.
Birdwatchers responded to an Internet alert to the presence of three waxwings feeding from fruit trees in a garden next to Cunliffe Road. The starling-sized birds mainly live in mainland Europe, but are sometimes spotted as rare winter visitors in Britain, feasting on winter berries in parks and gardens.
They are recognised by their pink-brown plumage, crested head, and yellow, white and red markings on the wing. Bradford Ornithological Group placed the sighting on their website last Friday, and by the following day, the Breaks family from near Clitheroe had arrived on The Grove complete with cameras and binoculars, attracting attention from shoppers and visitors to the town centre.
The keen ornithologists were not disappointed, as two of the waxwings perched in clear view in the trees along The Grove, flying down to feed on berries in the gardens. The birds usually move on once they have exhausted their supply of fruit.
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