Scarlet tanager: Crowds flock to Halifax to spot rare bird

Birdwatchers Gather On Peaceful Street For Rare Sightings

On Tuesday, the street remained crowded with avid bird enthusiasts.

For the second day in a row, a large number of bird enthusiasts have gathered in a peaceful dead-end street to catch a glimpse of a seldom-seen bird species that settled on a clothesline in someone's yard.

The sighting of a scarlet tanager in Shelf, close to Halifax, is thought to be the first recorded instance of this bird being seen in Yorkshire.

The sturdy little songbird typically migrates twice a year between the eastern part of the United States and the lowland forests of South America.

A birdwatcher who traveled from London in the early morning said that spotting the animal was "thrilling."

A crowd of bird enthusiasts gathered along the street after news of the bird's sighting spread online and through social media.

On Tuesday, the street was still filled with people aiming their cameras and binoculars at a specific garden in the suburbs.

Enthusiastic birdwatchers journeyed long distances just to catch a sight of the scarlet tanager.

Geoffrey King, a birdwatcher for 15 years, traveled 220 miles (354 km) from Weybridge in Surrey to West Yorkshire early on Monday.

He got to the location at 09:30 GMT, but it took another five hours before a quiet buzz spread among the spectators, indicating that the bird had finally been spotted.

"It was incredibly thrilling," he expressed.

Mr. King, who is 67 years old, was in the process of putting away his tripod and was about to reserve a hotel room when he spotted the bird.

"I was almost ready to throw in the towel. Then someone called, and there it was, right at the top of the tree! I felt such a huge sense of relief to spot it," he excitedly shared.

Mr. King mentioned that the scarlet tanager was the 478th bird species he had observed in the UK.

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A thrilled Geoffrey King added the scarlet tanager to his list of bird sightings, marking it as his 478th species observed.

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People gathered on the streets of Shelf, eager to catch sight of the elusive bird.

Another bird enthusiast, who identified himself only as Paul from London, mentioned that he had to wake up early to arrive at the location on time.

"I woke up at 5:00 AM and hit the road by 5:30," the 61-year-old shared.

As I grow older, I am increasingly amazed that a tiny creature like a sparrow can travel such a vast distance of 3,000 miles (4,828 km) across the ocean to reach this place. It's truly remarkable.

He mentioned that it was the first time he had seen that species in almost fifty years of birdwatching.

The American Bird Conservancy states that the song of the scarlet tanager is frequently compared to a robin's, but with a raspy tone, as if it has a cold.

Another person eager to hear it among the gathered birdwatchers was Luke Nash, who traveled all the way from Durham.

"I came across it online last night and immediately went down," the 22-year-old shared.

"This has never happened before. The last time anyone saw this was nearly a decade ago."

I felt a bit doubtful when I found out it was nearby. I was taking my time, fiddling with my camera and checking my phone. Suddenly, someone called out that it was approaching, and that's when I pulled my camera out of the bag and grabbed my binoculars.

The scarlet tanager marks Mr. Nash's 435th bird species observed in the UK.

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Telescopes, lenses, and binoculars were utilized to get a view of the bird, which has a weight of about 1 ounce (28 grams).

Another bird enthusiast, Matt O'Sullivan, mentioned that the sighting of the scarlet tanager marks the first time this bird has been spotted on the UK mainland, as previous observations had only occurred on isolated islands.

He mentioned, "This bird probably hatched in late spring or early summer somewhere in the eastern United States or Canada, and for some reason, it ended up all the way in West Yorkshire. It's likely that it was transported across the Atlantic by a weather system and has stayed here ever since. Normally, this type of bird spends the winter in Central America, migrating over the Gulf of Mexico or through Florida."

In the UK and Ireland, there have only been 13 documented sightings of this species before, and most of those were on secluded islands. This makes it the first time that regular people can actually go and see the bird, which explains the huge turnout.

The Bird Guides website mentioned on X that this sighting is thought to be the first recorded in Yorkshire.

"A first-winter male scarlet tanager has been spotted in Yorkshire for the first time ever. This marks only the eighth record of this bird in the UK and the first occurrence since 2014," it stated.

As stated on Cornell University's All About Birds website, male breeding birds are characterized by their vibrant red bodies and black wings and tails. In contrast, female birds and young juveniles display a yellowish-green coloration.

The website mentioned that it’s typically the more muted yellow birds that are seen in the UK. These birds often get blown off their migration path due to storms as they head south for the autumn season.

One man in the crowd had come from a location not too far compared to the other fans; he had made the trip from just a few hundred meters away in the village.

The passerby was out for a walk with his dog when he noticed the gathering of people and made the decision to join in, expressing that he would be "thrilled to bits" to catch a glimpse of the American guest.

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