Guided Birdwatching Tours and Holidays in Norfolk

2008 Highlights from my local patch and beyond

Below are some of the highlights from my local patch this year along with a photo gallery of the more interesting birds. I've also included details from any out of county birding trips.

My local patch is the 10km square centered around Cromer, which also includes the parish of Overstrand, and parts of Sidestrand, Northrepps, East Runton, Roughton and Felbrigg.

Over the last few years we have had some very good birds on the patch including Little Swift, Alpine Accentor, Lesser Crested Tern, Rustic Bunting, Greenish Warbler and Woodchat Shrike, plus a host of scarce migrants, such as Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Yellow-browed Warbler, and I find that looking for and finding my own birds is both very rewarding and greatly improves your birding skills in the process.

With rather poor weather, the traditional Jan 1st day list around the patch was fairly quiet, although 50 different species were recorded including the Scaup which was still present at Sidestrand, Red-throated Diver, Gannet, Teal and Shelduck out to sea, a few skeins of Pinkfeet passing over early morning, and Lapwing, Snipe, Reed Bunting, Redwing and Brambling being other notable species seen during the day.

Strong northerly winds on the 2nd saw me seawatching off East Runton, with the major highlight being two small flocks of WHITE-FRONTED GEESE which flew past heading east, with these being the first ones I have ever seen on the patch. Other highlights of the seawatch included a Little Gull, Fulmar, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Wigeon and Common Scoter. A Grey Plover was on the beach, and a visit to Felbrigg Park produced Siskin.

Highlight of the 3rd was a small flock of Whooper Swans which flew over Felbrigg Park in a snow storm, and a Woodcock on East Runton Common. After a number of visits over the last few days, I finally managed to see the Water Rail which was overwintering on East Runton Common on the 4th. I had found this bird in November and it was the first one I had recorded on the patch, so it was nice to know it was still present. Knot, Sanderling and Ringed Plover were all recorded on the beach at low tide.

The 9th saw a Waxwing being found in the local Co-op car park in Cromer, and although it was elusive at times, it went on to stay throughout the month delighting many visiting birders during its stay.

A Brent Goose flew past Overstrand on the 22nd, and on the 27th whilst watching the Siskin flock in Felbrigg Park, I was lucky enough to also find a pair of COMMON CROSSBILLS, which were the first ones I had ever seen on the patch.

Crossbill, Felbrigg

February is traditionally a rather quiet month on the patch as there is little movement of birds, with most of the wintering species staying largely sedentary throughout the month.

I finally caught up with a Mistle Thrush on the patch with a pair on roadside wires in Overstrand on the 5th.

Other notable species seen during the month included a couple of Lesser Redpolls in Felbrigg Park on the 9th, and a flock of 4 presumed resident Common Buzzards over Northrepps on the 10th. Good numbers of Red-throated Divers were evident on the sea, and a few Siskins were seen flying over.

A Great-crested Grebe was on the sea off Overstrand on the 17th, along with a couple of Wigeon, a few Red-throated Divers, and also two Harbour Porpoises were also seen offshore.

A Pochard on the irrigation lagoon at Sidestrand on the 19th was a very good record for the patch, as I usually struggle to see one most years, having to relying on being lucky enough to see one flying past during a winter seawatch. Also at Sidestand there were 3 Stonechats, with this species seemingly more generally abundant countywide than in previous years.

A fine drake Eider was on the sea off Overstrand on the 28th, along with a Guillemot, and the same day I had two Egyptian Geese in Felbrigg Park.

Redpoll, Felbrigg

Pochard, Sidestrand

The month started off fairly quiet, with the first notable record being a Woodcock at Overstrand on the 9th, where next day a flock of 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were noted on the beach, and offshore a few Gannets were seen to be passing by.

On the 11th I saw a singing male Firecrest in Overstrand, which had presumably overwintered in the area, a simply stunning bird and a species that I never tire of seeing. Later that day, and with the aid of a loaf of bread, I tempted a couple of Mediterranean Gulls, a superb adult summer and a 2nd-winter bird, onto the beach at East Runton. These birds, along with a 1st winter, are currently over-wintering at West Runton, but obviously the lure of a easy snack was enough to encourage them the mile or so along the beach.

A couple of Stonechats were along Cromer Golf Course on the 14th and a few Guillemots and Red-throated Divers were noted offshore.

Good Friday saw a covering of snow, so a Chiffchaff in my garden that day was an unexpected surprise. More Stonechats were on the move through the patch, and a Greylag Goose at Cromer on the 28th was the first I had recorded on the patch this year. The irrigation lagoon at Sidestrand held 3 Mallards, Tufted Duck and Moorhen.

Spring migration finally got underway on the 29th with a Wheatear on Cromer GC, where there was also a Chiffchaff, and 2 Black Redstarts were along the cliffs at Overstrand.

The following day a Chiffchaff was singing away on the GC, where another Wheatear was also present, and a Fulmar was seen prospecting the cliff-face for a nesting site. Another notable record on the GC was the first Comma Butterfly of the year. The two Black Redstarts were still on the cliffs at Overstrand, with another at the far end of the village, and 3 Stonechats were at East Runton.

Another Chiffchaff was in my garden on the 31st and a Common Buzzard was seen drifting inland from the golf course.

Mediterranean Gull, East Runton

Wheatear, Overstrand

Black Redstart, Overstrand

The month started with a Marsh Harrier flying through the patch towards Felbrigg on the 1st. On the 3rd a Sand Martin flew along the golfcourse, and a Black Redstart was at Overstrand. In Felbrigg Park I found a pair of Marsh Tits, where there were also a few Redwings moving through. On the 4th there were 2 Grey Wagtails at Sidestrand and 3 Swallows flew along the GC, and the Black Redstart was still at Overstrand.

On the morning of the 8th, a phone call alerted me to the fact that a probable Black Kite had just been seen a mile or so away from me by a couple of birding colleagues, so after a quick dash up the road to join them, one of them quickly relocated it circling over Sidestrand, where its identity could be confirmed. I tracked the bird as it moved west and watched it over the golfcourse, and having made other observers aware of its presence it was tracked along the north coast. Unfortunately the record was slightly tainted with the news that 4 Black Kites had recently escaped from London Zoo, with some of these birds being seen in east Norfolk later in the month, but it was still a really nice bird to see regardless of its potential origins. A Blackcap was in my garden later that day and a couple of more Swallows were seen passing through.

The 9th saw a very confiding Ring Ouzel at Overstrand, and a Firecrest at Cromer along with a singing Blackcap. An early morning walk along Cromer GC on the 10th was very rewarding with 3 singing Willow Warblers, a fly-over Yellow Wagtail, a Tree Pipit briefly on the cliff-top before moving off inland, and a Short-eared Owl flying along the cliffs which was looking for a day-time roost site but everytime it landed on the cliff-face it was immediately harassed by the local birds, although it eventually found a bit of peace when it disappeared into a dense area of scrub. Also seen during the walk were 3 Sand Martins and a few Bramblings.

I recorded my first House Martin on the patch on the 13th, and two Sandwich Terns flew past Cromer on the 14th, where a pair of stunning summer-plumaged Mediterranean Gulls had set up temporary territory in the cliff-top car park. A Whimbrel flew over Cromer calling on the 15th and a few Swallows were now evident moving along the coast.

An ICELAND GULL was found at Trimingham on the 19th, and I arrived just in time to see it heading off along the beach towards Sidestrand, having unfortunately been flushed by walkers, and we watched as it disappeared high over the golfcourse at Overstrand, this being a new patch bird for me. Later that day news came through of a Common Crane moving east along the coast, and I picked it up over Felbrigg Park as it turned south-east and headed back to its Broadland home.

A Whitethroat was at East Runton on the 21st, and next day I had 2 separate Hobbies over Cromer, and a Ring Ouzel at East Runton, Willow Warblers were now fairly evident around the patch and the light passage of Swallows continued.

The 23rd saw a couple of Lesser Whitethroats at East Runton, where there was also at least 4 Whitethroats and a Black Redstart, and a few Sand Martins passing through.

On the 25th, whilst driving through Cromer, I noticed a bird sitting on a house aerial and from the quick view that I got as I passed, I realised it was something unusual. I quickly parked and walked back to get a closer look to see what it was, and found that it was a partially albino Blackbird which was happily singing away. A couple of the local residents came out to see what I was looking at, and a few passers-by also stopped to look at the bird as it continued to sing away. None of the locals had apparently noticed it before and I did not see it again after that day, so it appeared that it was potentially just passing through, or had recently moved to try and find a territory for itself.

The first Swift of the year was over East Runton on the 26th, where there was also good numbers of Lesser and Common Whitethroats. A walk along Cromer GC on the 27th produced a Whinchat amongst a group of 9 Wheatears feeding on their favoured slope. On thje cliffs below were at least 2 Ring Ouzels, a steady passage of hirundines and Swifts were moving along the coast, and offshore good numbers of Sandwich Terns were passing by.

Black Kite, Sidestrand

Ring Ouzel, Overstrand

Short-eared Owl, Overstrand

Brambling, Overstrand

Partially albino Blackbird, Cromer

Whinchat, Overstrand

The first Tutle Dove for the year was seen briefly at Overstrand on the 3rd before flying off inland, with another at East Runton the next day, where for the second year running, the same clump of bushes hosted a singing Reed Warbler on what is a totally dry area of land.

On the 5th a Common Tern flew past Overstrand, along with a Common Sandpiper along the beach, and a Ring Ouzel was on a small area of heath just inland. Three Common Sandpipers were on the irrigation lagoon at Sidestrand on the 6th, a Turtle Dove was in my back garden on the 8th and a Tree Pipit and Hobby flew over Overstrand on the 9th. Two Little Grebes were on the irrigation lagoon on the 12th, and it always amazes me what induces them to fly across fields to get there from somewhere inland.

Strong onshore winds on the 24th produced 10 Manx Shearwaters past East Runton along with good numbers of Little Terns, Gannets, Kittiwakes and a few Auks.

As seems to be typical for Bank Holiday weekends, the weather continued to deteriorate and whilst not being good for tourists, it was potentially very good for birds as the north-easterly winds would hopefully cause migrants destined for Scandinavia to drift across the North Sea and then be grounded on the east coast of Britain by the rain and coastal mist. By Tuesday 27th the wind and rain had subsided enough for the search of migrants to be productive so it was with great anticipation that I set out around my local patch to see if anything had indeed arrived, and I was quickly rewarded with two Spotted Flycatchers which were actively feeding along the sheltered edge of a cliff-top wood. My attention was then drawn to an unusual song which briefly came from a tall sycamore and as it sang a couple of times more, my suspicions to its identity grew and these were confirmed as it briefly revealed itself as an Icterine Warbler. Frustratingly it then moved further into the wood, which was private with no access, and failed to give itself up from the outside during the next 5 hours, although along with a couple of locals we did hear it singing again in the afternoon.

In the evening a suberb male Red-backed Shrike was found at East Runton, and despite the drizzle it showed well and was even heard singing on a couple of occasions.

The following day I checked out the Icterine Warbler again but there was no sight or sound of it, but there was one Spotted Flycatcher still present and a flock of c20 Crossbills flew over, with these birds being part of a fairly large influx of birds which is currently taking place in the county. Whilst driving back through Overstrand I noticed the silhouette of a raptor approaching in front of me, and the shape and flight action led me to immediately recognise it as an Osprey, and having been able to pull on to the side of the road was treated to spectacular views as it flew low over the village and then headed off inland.

A look for the Shrike showed that it had moved on, but a Common Crane was seen flying over high up and a Sedge Warbler was singing from inside a dense clump of bushes there. Also of note was a large passage of Swifts and other hirundines moving along the coast. A truly excellent couple of days, with some superb birds, and shows how rewarding working a local patch can be rather than chasing around after other peoples birds.

As the month closed a Red Kite flew through the patch over Sidestrand on the 30th.

Common Sandpiper, Sidestrand

Spotted Flycatcher, Sidestrand

Red-backed Shrike, East Runton

Common Crane, Cromer

Red Kite, Sidestrand

An early morning phone call on the 5th informed me that local birders had just seen a Common Rosefinch in their back garden in Cromer, and after a search of the area I located it singing from trees in a neighbouring garden. Unfortunately it was proving very elusive and although it sang on and off, it wasn't visible from the road outside as it frustratingly stuck to the back gardens of the houses. Luckily for me the residents of one of the houses in whose garden its song could be heard coming from had a passing interest in birds and they kindly allowed me into their back garden to try to see it. After a brief wait its song alerted me to the fact that it was in their garden, and then to my amazement it flew down onto their bird feeders giving stunning views only a few feet away. After a good feed it then left the garden and with subsequent attempts to try to refind it proving unproductive, it presumably had quickly moved on in the sunny weather.

Although unfortunately just outside my patch, an honourary mention must go to the Bee-eater which spent the day at Northrepps on the 7th, as it was such a spectacular bird and its prolonged stay for this usually very mobile species enabled many people to see one in the county for the first time. Another photo of it appears under the Norfolk Highlights page.

A few Common Scoter began to pass offshore, along with a few Gannets, and with young to feed, the local pair of Little Owls became more mobile and visible during daylight hours.

The first Curlews of the year were now to be seen passing offshore, and with a few Mediterranean Gulls being seen along the coast, a second-summer and a first-summer were a welcome sight along the seafront at Overstrand on the 26th as these were the the first that I had recorded here since 5th Nov 07 at this once regular site.

A Barn Owl was hunting between Overstrand and Northrepps on the 28th and as the month closed a few hours watching the sea off Overstrand on the evening of the 30th was enjoyable with an adult Kittiwake roosting on the groynes along with a few Sandwich Terns, 7 Common Scoter, a few Gannets and 4 Curlew past. A Harbour Porpoise and a Grey Seal were also noted out to sea, but the most strangest sight was 8 Mute Swans passing by about a mile out to sea!

Common Rosefinch, Cromer

Bee-eater, Northrepps

Little Owls, Felbrigg

Mediterranean Gull, Overstrand

The month started with a Marsh Harrier high over Cromer on the 1st, and 5 Manx Shearwaters past Overstrand on the 3rd, strangely in very calm conditions, along with a few Gannets, Common Scoter and a Little Tern which have been very scarce along this part of the coast this year.

Despite at least half a dozen birds present around the coast this summer, a ROSEATE TERN which flew along the tideline at Overstrand on the 4th was a big surprise, especially as it was the first I had recorded on the patch. Suspecting it may well have been on the beach further up I kept a close eye on the area at low tide over the next few days, but didn't see it again, although other birds of note there included Little Gull, Common Sandpiper and a few Kittiwakes with the gathered Terns and Gulls.

I recorded my first Arctic Skua for the year past Overstrand on the 11th, with 3 more on the 16th along with a couple of Razorbills and a few Common Scoter and Curlews passing by. Wader numbers passing began to increase with both Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwits being recorded for the first time this year on the 20th, along with Knot, Turnstone, Oystercatchers and some more Curlew. 3 Little Gulls were also noted passing by along with a few more Arctic Skuas.

Seawatching at East Runton on the 21st produced a few Manx Shearwaters, plus various species of waders, including the first Golden Plovers of the year, and a few ducks past including Teal, Mallard, Tufted and Common Scoter, but the undoubted highlight was a Storm Petrel which was watched as it briefly lingered offshore before moving off west, with it or another being seen off Sheringham later that day. As at one point it was just beyond the breakers, I managed to take a few digiscoped record shots of it, with this probably being the first time one has been photographed at sea in the county, and which adds to the documentation of this county rarity. A seawatch in the evening at Overstrand produced 100+Common Scoter past including a flock of c75 birds.

Waders contined to be the feature with a Whimbrel over Overstrand on the 22nd and a Greenshank along the beach there on the 25th, where there was also a flock of 15 Little Gulls offshore (8 ads & 7 imm's). As the month closed, birds of note included a few more Little Gulls offshore along with a few Arctic Skuas, a couple of more Greenshank past Overstrand, and 2 Common Sandpipers and a Little Grebe at Sidestrand.

Kittiwake, Overstrand

Storm Petrel, East Runton

The month got off to a quiet start, with the first bird of note coming on the 8th when whilst seawatching off Overstrand I was following a couple of Arctic Skuas moving east fairly close-in when they both stalled and appeared to dive bomb something on the surface of the sea. I scanned the area to see what had caught their attention and was amazed to see a Storm Petrel, my second of the year, slowly battling head-on low over the sea into the fairly stiff north-westerly wind. It would frequently shear back with the wind and then start heading back west, so gave good views before strongly heading off west.

A trip down to Cornwall for the weekend saw us sailing out into the south-west approaches on the now bi-annual Scillionian Pelagic trip on the 10th. Highlight of the trip was 2 Great Shearwaters which were feeding in the wake of the boat, along with good numbers of Storm Petrels, Gannets and Fulmars. A few Manx Shearwaters were also seen along with a Grey Phalarope and an Arctic Skua. As with all these trips anticipation of seeing something rare, such as the Fea's Petrel we saw in 2001 is always high, but other hoped for species including Wilsons Petrels were conspicuously absent, with the previous days strong winds and heavy rain seemingly having had the effect of moving any other seabirds which were present in the area further on.

A Common Sandpiper flew along the beach at Overstrand on the 15th, with a Hobby over there on the 16th and again on the 20th. On this latter date, whilst watching the Red Arrows performing over the sea as part of Cromer Carnival, 2 Little Egrets flew west and a Harbour Porpoise was offshore. 4 Common Sandpipers were on the beach at Overstrand on the 22nd, a Little Gull flew past offshore, and good numbers of adult and juvenile Common and Sandwich Terns were congregating on the groynes and beach.

With an increasing northerly wind and squally showers overnight there was the potential of a good seawatch, so shortly after dawn on the 23rd I ventured down to East Runton with great anticipation and was quickly rewarded with a Sooty Shearwater moving east, quickly followed by half a dozen more. I then picked up two more dark shearwaters approaching, but it became quickly apparent that one of the birds was smaller with an obvious pale belly and it was in fact a BALEARIC SHEARWATER, the first I had seen off my patch. A Manx Shearwater passed by shortly after, and being essentially black above and white below, this provided a good contrast with the browner upperparts and smudgy brown and white underparts of the Balearic. After a few more Sooties had passed by, a second Balearic flew by accompanied by a Manx Shearwater, with this second bird being much paler below than the earlier one and highlighted the variation that exists in the species. A good supporting cast of Ducks and Waders also added to a good early morning seawatch.

In addition to one seen past East Runton, 5 juvenile Shags were seen off Overstrand later that morning including a flock of four, with the same or another four being offshore there in the evening too, which were particularly unusual records this early in the autumn as I normally record them here in late October/November. With a number of Shags also being recorded on inland reserviors especially in the Midlands, it would appear that all these records were linked to a notable southwards dispersal both over land as well as down the North Sea.

A summer plumaged Red-throated Diver was off Overstrand on the 24th, where two Grey Herons flew high in-off the sea. A large flock of feeding terns offshore there on the 29th included at least one Black Tern and a Little Gull, and two Harbour Porpoise were also offshore. At least two Shags were also still present along the seafront there.

South-easterly winds produced a Pied Flycatcher at Sidestrand on the evening of the 30th and the highlight of the last day of the month was two Tawny Owls roosting in a tree by Cromer Lighthouse.

Gannets, Scillonian Pelagic

Sandwich Tern, Overstrand

Common Tern, Overstrand

Tawny Owl, Cromer

The month started with my first Wheatear of the autumn on Cromer GC on the 1st, but with little other migrants evident, attention switched to the sea with 2 Sooty Shearwaters past East Runton on the 5th along with a Red-throated Diver and a Shag. The 6th saw another Wheatear on the GC and a Hobby in off the sea there, plus a couple of Swifts still in the area, and then a good afternoon passage of Manx Shearwaters with a minimum of 60 birds passing distantly off Overstrand between 4 - 4.30pm. With the deep low pressure that was crossing the UK, seabirds continued to be pushed into the North Sea, and although there was only a light onshore breeze, seawatching off Overstrand on the morning of the 7th revealed that a seabird passage was taking place with good numbers of Great Skuas moving east. Then came the probable highlight of this years seawatching season when two separate CORY'S SHEARWATERS passed by, having previously been picked up moving east past Cley. The first bird was fairly distant and was easily lost in the troughs and passed by all too quickly, but the second bird some 45 minutes later, was fortunately closer and afforded much better views especially as it was seen on a couple of occasions to back-track on itself apparently pausing to look for food on the waters surface before banking back up and continuing off east. Having not seen one in Norfolk since 1993 they were a very welcome sight and a long awaited new bird for the patch. Normally what would have been the star bird, a juvenile Sabines Gull which passed by just after the second Cory's, was relegated to the supporting cast!

A check for incoming migrants in the afternoon found single Reed and Sedge Warblers in coastal bushes, and a further check next day produced 6 Whinchats and a dozen or so Wheatears, plus a Little Egret flying west past the lighthouse, a juv Shag still on the groynes, and a few Swifts passing through amongst other hirundines.

More Whinchats and Wheatears continued to be recorded throughout the week, and on the 12th a walk along Cromer GC after a day a rain revealed a large flock of 100+ House Martins feeding along the cliffs along with about a dozen Swifts and a few Sand Martins and Swallows, and taking advantage of the presence of these birds, a couple of Hobbies gave excellent views as they harassed the flock.

The 13th started off on a good note with my first Garden Warbler for the patch this year with one near Cromer Lighthouse, and a couple of Green Woodpeckers were busy digging for ants on the nearby playing field. It then became quickly evident that we were in the midst of a big influx of Honey Buzzards as birds were being seen coming in off the sea all along the coast, and although initially being hampered by the misty conditions, I finally picked one up from the high ground near the lighthouse and watched it as it headed off inland. More Whinchats and Wheatears were arriving throughout the day, and as dusk fell I found a Redstart in the cliff-top gardens at Overstrand.

Next morning I was on my way back along the cliff-top at Overstrand to see if the Redstart was still present when a bird which had presumably just come in off the sea flew across the path in front of me with its shape and flight action immediately suggesting a shrike. Fortunately it landed on a post right in front of me and was indeed a very smart looking Red-backed Shrike, a great find and on the patch too! I quickly took a few snaps of it as I could see some walkers coming along the path towards the bird, whereupon it then flew off along the cliff-top and disappeared into the same garden where the Redstart had been the previous night. News of my find was quickly circulated and I then relocated it in the garden, and although it was initially quite lethargic after its long flight, it eventually perked up and began feeding giving good views to a number of visiting birders. The same gardens also held a few Redstarts, Whinchats and Wheatears and was indicative of a good fall of migrants on the coast. Honey Buzzards were continuing to be seen and I had a couple more over the trees inland of the GC along with a couple of Hobbies.

An early morning rise the next day (15th) revealed that the fall of migrants was continuing and the number of birds present was even larger than yesterday, with good numbers of Redstarts and even larger numbers of Wheatears present along the coast. Also present on the patch were a few Pied and Spotted Flycatchers and the odd Tree Pipit. A male Redstart at Trimingham caused some debate as it showed an extensive white wing patch which suggested that it was possibly of the eastern subspecies, and whilst watching this bird we had a Common Buzzard come in-off the sea, and later I picked up a Honey Buzzard flying along the ridge inland, however the highlight of the day for me was a SPOTTED REDSHANK, the first I have ever recorded on the patch, which flew along the coast just out to sea, its distinctive flight call alerting me to its presence long before it came into view.

Throughout the next few days Redstarts, Whinchats and Wheatears remained the feature birds, but no other new arrivals were evident.

The finding of a Cretzschmar's Bunting on North Ronaldsay on the 19th, and the fact that it was still present the following day, was enough to lure me out of the county for only the second time this year. A group of 10 of us met up at John O'Groats early on Sunday morning (21st), and after a ferry to South Ronaldsay, followed by a minibus ride on to mainland Orkney, enjoying a stunning summer-plumaged White-billed Diver on the way, we set sail to the most northerly of the Orkney Isles.

Black Guillemots, Bonxies, Eiders, Hooded Crows, a Manx Shearwater, Gannets, Kittiwakes, Fulmars and a few Seals brightened up the journey, and 3 hours later we docked at North Ronaldsay harbour where we were kindly collected by the Bird Observatory landrover. After an anxious hour or so of searching the area it had previously been frequenting, a shout from one of the islands voluntary wardens alerted us to a bird flying over calling, and when it alighted on a dry stone wall, we were all treated to brief views of the superb male CRETZSCHMAR'S BUNTING. After dropping down into long grass to feed, it again flew round and landed on a post where it stayed for a few minutes, allowing me to take a few photos to record the moment, before it again flew out of view. Hen Harrier, Peregrine and Merlin, along with the famous seaweed-eating sheep, all added to the enjoyment of a fabulous trip to an island I had never previously visited.

Back to the patch on the 23rd and a seawatch produced a fly-past Purple Sandpiper and a Balearic Shearwater off Cromer, and another look the following day produced the first small flocks of both Pinkfeet and Brent Geese passing by. A walk along Cromer GC produced an Osprey slowly drifting west past the lighthouse, and a Golden Plover and Wheatear on the golfcourse itself, and a look around Sidestrand produced a Redstart.

Another good look around the patch on the 25th showed that there had been a good influx of Robins, Goldcrests and Song Thrushes, with a Pied Flycatcher at Cromer, a Brambling at East Runton and a few Reed Buntings the notable species seen.

A Redstart by Cromer Lighthouse and a few Wheatears along the cliff-top during an evening walk on the 26th showed that migrants were still coming in, and next morning a Yellow-browed Warbler was in the wood next to the lighthouse taking advantage of the early morning sun to feed before it quickly moved on, with a Pied Flycatcher also in the same clump of trees. A couple of Grey Wagtails flew over, along with a few Siskins and Song Thrushes.

Shag, Overstrand

Green Woodpecker, Cromer

Whinchat, Overstrand

Red-backed Shrike, Overstrand

Redstart, Overstrand

Redstart (possibly of the eastern subspecies samamisicus),Trimingham

Cretzschmar's Bunting, North Ronaldsay, Orkney

21st September 2008. Only the fourth British record.

October has always been the month for transatlantic vagrants, and 2008 has been no exception with the birds pictured below being the first records for Ireland and Britain respectively, and an excellent start to my annual October holiday!