Common summer migrants arrived early with the favourable warm zephyrs from the south. With them came some of the now very regular Mediterranean overshoots or perhaps more accurately described as vanguards of potential colonisation. An Alpine Swift flew south over Snettisham RSPB 9th. A Red-rumped Swallow flew east past Titchwell RSPB and one flew south past Horsey and Winterton 24th and it or another flew past Horsey Gap the next day. A Red-rumped Swallow lingered for an evening at Cley 25th.

A Purple Heron flew east over Cley, Salthouse & Weybourne 27th and one was seen near North Walsham 28th. Hoopoes pitched in at Gorleston 5th and Upper Sheringham 20th. A Serin was at Caister-on-Sea briefly 5th. Former breeders included a Wryneck at Weybourne 10th, Blakeney 17th, Winterton 28th and Waxham 28th.

The rarest passerine found was a Black-headed Wagtail at Titchwell RSPB 25th. Departing winter visitors included a Shorelark at Winterton 5th, a Great Grey Shrike at Letheringsett 9th-10th, a Hooded Crow at Happisburgh 22nd and Rough-legged Buzzards were at West Somerton 10th, Winterton 20th and Horsey 21st. An early adult male Red-footed Falcon was over Kelling Heath 24th. Montagu’s Harriers were seen on passage at Holme 23rd, Salthouse 23rd and Winterton 24th.

A Golden Plover at Breydon Water entertained birders with its elusive identity. Was it an American or a Pacific 7th-18th? A Glaucous Gull was found there 15th. An early summer or left over wintering Dotterel was at Wereham 18th-21st and two Dotterel were at Happisburgh briefly 26th. Away from their core breeding range was a Stone-curlew at Stiffkey 11th, it or another at Weybourne 14th and one was just west of Great Yarmouth 27th.

A Great White Egret was at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB 11th and Breydon Water 26th.

A drake Green-winged Teal was Lynn Point 20th-21st and Cley NWT 25th-30th at least. Black Brants were still at Snettisham RSPB, Heacham, Blakeney, Titchwell RSPB during April.

A lingering Long-tailed Duck was still in Blakeney Harbour 8th-22nd. The Black-throated Diver remained on Ormesby Little Broad until 5th. Three Black-necked Grebe popped in at Pentney GPs 17th and one was at Breydon Water 20th. An Iceland Gull was at Titchwell RSPB 26th.

The fine conditions encouraged Common Cranes to wander; two flew east over Titchwell, Holme, Holkham, Cley, West Runton & Trimingham 5th, two Trunch 6th, one King’s Lynn 12th, five Holme 19th, three over Saxlingham, Kelling and Weybourne 22nd, four Sheringham Park 21st, two Gateley 22nd, two south Heacham 24th, one south-east Burnham Overy Dunes 28th and one south-west Titchwell 30th.