I took a walk round the paddock by the Monument this afternoon and I was immediately struck by the noise a large group of Common Swifts, Apus apus, were making. It's not unusual to see Swifts here but normally they are moving steadily on migration. The behaviour I observed is what I would normally associate with a breeding colony, but there are none breeding close by. The nearest colony I know of it in Deal. 
They are difficult to photograph, and I wanted to try and show that there were lots around, I guess that there were between 60 and 80, but they were disappearing and returning all the time, so the total number was difficult to guesstimate.
While I was chatting to a local couple about the Swifts a bi-plane came by. It was only when I looked at the picture when I got home that I found out that it was a US Navy plane. I don't know if this was connected to the Deal festival but it gave us a close look.
Soon after the Coastguard plane come close along the cliff top and it did several passes while I was there. I don't know if there was an incident or it was just on patrol duty, but either way it came close enough to see the face of the pilot!
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