Waxwings spotted in Colchester business park

Twitchers gathered at Severalls Industrial Estate with their cameras and binoculars to try and spot some Waxwings said to have been flying around the area on Friday.

This year is said to be a Waxwing irruption, meaning birdwatchers are more likely to spot the birds who have flown all the way to England from northern Europe.

The last Waxwing irruption occurred in 2016, and these happen due to food shortages in the bird's usual environment. 

Steve Cook, who has been birdwatching his entire life, said: "I was here yesterday, with about 20 other people, and we did manage to see them.

"At one point they were scared off by magpies as they tried to eat some Hawthorn berries.

"Waxwings eat about 600 to 900 berries a day."

Birdwatchers were chuffed to witness such an unusually large group of Waxwings eating berries in a tree found behind the Myland sign, in The Crescent.

Neil Boom, who has been birdwatching for 40 years, said: "I have seen them before, but this is my first time getting lucky locally.

"This is the biggest flock of Waxwings I have ever seen, they usually come in groups of about four to five, but this flock is about 30 large.

"They tend to like scrappy areas, like spots near supermarkets and business parks, as their food sources grow more."

A picture of a Waxwing (Image: Pixabay)

Such an occasion was enjoyed from people all across Essex, with people travelling down from places far and wide.

Claire Ward, who has been birdwatching for two years, said: "I have come all the way down from Harwich to see these Waxwings.

"Spotting these birds has been a lifetime first, it's really amazing."

Waxwings are identifiable mostly by their prominent crests upon their heads.

Their bodies are a reddish-brown colour and they have black throats, a small black mask around the eyes and yellow and white in the wings as well as a yellow-tipped tail

For more information on where to spot Waxwings yourself, go to: www.birdguides.com.