Bird-lovers gathered at Whitstable’s Tesco store on Sunday after a flock of waxwings appeared.

The birds, which normally winter in Scandanavia and western Siberia, are believed to have flown across the North Sea in search of food and made a beeline for a tree in the car park which was full of berries.

Richard Moyse, head of conservation at Kent Wildlife Trust, said that small numbers of waxwings are usually seen along the east coast of the UK between October and March but this winter the numbers in the country had been exceptional.

“Large numbers of the birds have been seen in the UK, with quite a few in Kent,” he said.

“They are normally found in northern forests and especially like red berries. But if a crop fails or if the weather is particularly bad the waxwings start heading south and west to find food.

“This winter we have had reports of flocks or 200-300 birds in parts of Kent whereas normally we would see just a handful.

"They are really attractive birds and because they come from the far north of Scandanavia and Siberia and are not used to seeing humans they are not too wary of people.

“They will head back north in the spring.”

The waxwing is a plump bird, which is slightly smaller than a starling.

It has a prominent crest, is reddish-brown, with a black throat, a small black mask around its eye and yellow and white in the wings with a yellow-tipped tail.

It does not breed in the UK.

The first British arrivals are usually seen on the east coast from Scotland to East Anglia, but birds also move inland in search of food.

They may be seen from October to March and eat berries, particularly rowan and hawthorn.