12 Cliff Terrace, Hartlepool Headland

I was there by about 5.45am. Plenty of birders there already. I stood next to a couple from Hampshire and a man from Kent. It was that kind of twitch. The bird, by the way, was visible just to the right of a bay window. All you could see in the darkness was a patch of white. It looked for all the world like a piece of flaking white paint.

This photo was taken much later when it was reasonably light. The little swift took off moments later. It's looking at us all!

The bird was soon relocated along the promenade north of the bowling greens and it showed magnificently for an hour or more. So fast a flyer that I struggled to get photos at all never mind sharp ones. This one will have to do!

Little swift I snapped a couple of species that fly in a nice straight, predictable trajectory...

Scoter... Drake eiders...

Heading home I called at the Chevrons near Sleddale. No rough legs but I did see kestrel, red kite, lots of common buzzards, 2 peregrines and grouse.