The first Whimbrel of the year on the patch was seen during the week with one high west over Northrepps.
With brisk onshore winds attention today turned to the sea and although it was far from spectacular, there was enough of a good passage of commoner birds to keep up the interest during a six hour watch.
Most notable was a nice westerly passage of Arctic Terns (mainly juv's) and Little Gulls (both adults and imm's) many of which stopped to linger for a while feeding on the leeward side of the pier.
2 drake Velvet Scoters were also a very notable sighting for the patch, and single Manx Shearwater and a couple of Arctic Skuas were also recorded, along with Gannets, Fulmar, Kittiwakes and Guillemots. Wader passage was also very good with Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher plus the odd Shelduck and Common Scoter also moving.
Back home a Southern Hawker feeding in the road outside my house was a bonus especially when it hung up on the garden hedge allowing close approach.
