My now usual morning walk along Cromer golf course was passing by fairly uneventful, apart from 3 Wheatears which quickly disappeared over the cliff face as the grass-cutter approached, and still a few Chiffchaffs singing along the cliffs.
As I was heading back towards Overstrand I noticed a now very familiar silhouette approaching high from the east, an Alpine Swift! It drifted up high above the sea and then I temporarily lost it, but swinging round I was delighted to see it flying around the cliffs behind me, and upon climbing up to a high point I was treated to amazing views as it was flying round in front of me for some twenty minutes, and I often had to duck for fear of it hitting me it was coming so close round my head feeding on the insects being pushed up in the updraught of the cliffs. At one point it was joined by my first Swallow of the year, with the two of them majestically flycatching together around the cliffs.
I guess this was the time to have a DSLR, as my little point and shoot camera was failing miserably to get anything decent despite the very close-up views, although I did manage a pic which I guess is slightly better than yesterdays effort.
It eventually drifted west but I then picked it up again around the Lighthouse area and was able to get a couple of locals who had just arrived on to it, as well as a group of tourist birders who had fortunately picked the right day to go for a walk along to Overstrand. We continued to watch it for about an hour and a half, during which time more people arrived to enjoy it before it drifted off westwards. A few more Swallows and a Sand Martin were also seen passing through whilst we were watching it.
I headed back towards the east end of the golf course and on my way back my attention was drawn to the sound of a Curlew calling and picked it up coming along the cliffs high up, the first record of one that I've had through the patch so far this year. At the far end of the golf course a Black Redstart was on the roofs of the bungalows.
I then headed along the coast to West Runton checking the spots where the Swift had previously fed on the way just in case, and then upon arriving in the beach car park I scanned Beeston Bump off to the west and there was the Alpine Swift flying happily around the top! As I watched, it slowly drifted towards me and then flew right past along the cliffs before heading back towards Cromer in front of the approaching rain. A simply amazing bird and I couldn't believe my luck in finding it twice today.
A check of the ploughed field revealed that there was still at least 3 White Wagtails in with the Pieds and on the sea was the unusual sight of a Brent Goose on the sea close inshore feeding on the seaweed being brought in on the incoming tide.
