ALL roads are leading to a North-East town for birdwatchers from all over the country following a second remarkable visitor in a year.

Twitchers converged in their thousands at Hartlepool Headland on June 5 and 6 last year to see a rare white throated robin.

And more headed for the same destination this week following the discovery of a western orphean warbler.

There have only been four recorded sightings of the bird in the UK since 1950, the last in Cornwall in 1991.

Like the robin, the orphean was spotted on a bowling green at Hartlepool’s Headland, spending a day feeding before resuming its journey.

Veteran twitcher Ted Parker, a former chairman of Teesmouth Bird Club, said: “It’s absolutely amazing the number of rare birds turning up there.

“The western orphean follows on the heels of the white throated robin – two of the biggest mega occurrences in Britain in the last few years. It is absolutely fantastic.’’ The breeding range of the western orphean, which is about 16cm from head to tail, extends from southern Europe to Africa and Arabia. It has white eyes and a coal-black crown and cheeks.

Cleveland Bird Recorder Tom Francis said: “It is very exciting to people on Teesside and bird watchers across Britain. It’s a new bird for Teesside, but a lot of people in the UK have never seen one before. A lot of people are coming from far away to see it.’’ Both the robin and the warbler were caught and ringed by the Tees Ringing Group.

Founding member Chris Brown said: “It’s absolutely brilliant. We have been ringing for 15 years and these a r e two birds I never imagined I could ever capture in this county.’’ Like the robin before it, Mr Brown believed the warbler had overshot its migration route, after being blown off course by winds, the Headland being the exhausted bird’s first welcome landfall.

􀁧 In November last year, birdwatchers got more than they bargained for when they stumbled across a glamour shoot taking place at South Gare, Redcar.

They had arrived to see the Hume’s leaf warbler, a distinctive green and yellow bird native to Asia, but came across a blonde model in a G-string on a motorbike, posing for photos.