Hundreds of twitchers descend on quarry after rare Asian bird never before seen in the UK flaps into view

24th October 2009

Lined up in neat rows with binoculars poised, they look like they're waiting for the arrival of royalty.

Eagle eyes: Thousands gathered from all around the world to spot an Eastern Crowned Warbler

This is what all the fuss is about: The Eastern Crowned Warbler, a rare bird which has attracted has been photographed in the UK for the first time

He was delighted when he captured what he thought was a yellow browed warbler nesting in the trees  -  but was stunned when it was later identified as the even rarer species.

Mr Holden, a father of two who works at an engineering firm, said: 'I couldn't believe it. I've been interested in birds since I was a small boy and this really is the absolute ultimate.

'In the birdwatching world, this is the equivalent of winning the World Cup.'

High-hopes: The astonishing scene at Trow Quarry in South Shields, Newcastle where hundreds of twitchers hoped to catch a glimpse of the Eastern Crowned Warbler

Mr Holden thinks strong winds blew the bird off-course towards Britain.

News of the sighting brought around 400 twitchers to South Tyneside yesterday to see if they could catch a glimpse themselves. Bird expert Richard Millington travelled from Norfolk overnight in the hope of seeing it.

He said: 'This is such a rare sighting for Britain and it's causing an awful lot of excitement from twitchers.

'Occasions like this will happen maybe half a dozen times a year, so it is very rare for so many people to gather in one place.'