Here are five species that you might see in Norfolk over the coming months.

Reknowned for being "very secretive", goshawks are still a "very rare" bird in the UK (Image: Chas Moonie)

Renowned for being "very secretive", goshawks are still a "very rare" bird in the UK, according to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

Otherwise known as the "phantoms of the forests", the raptors can soar through trees at up to 25mph as they hunt prey, including pigeons, crows, squirrels and rabbits.

Birdwatchers have a good chance of spotting one in Thetford Forest and wooded areas in Breckland this April.

2) Eurasian spoonbill

Eurasian spoonbills breed at Wild Ken Hill, Norfolk (Image: Gra Bloomfield)

A very rare breeding bird in the UK, there are only a few dozen breeding pairs of Eurasian spoonbills in the country.

Despite this, they are now breeding on the north and west Norfolk coast in spots such as Holkham, Wild Ken Hill and Hickling Broad.

They might be seen feeding on shallow lagoons and marshes between April and June.

A little tern on Winterton beach (Image: Gra Bloomfield)

Little terns are the UK’s rarest breeding seabird, with carefully protected colonies.

The birds arrive from West Africa in April but begin looking for fenced nesting areas and wardens on suitable beaches between late April and June.

In Norfolk, birdwatchers can look for the tiny birds' nests on sandy beaches, especially along the east and north Norfolk coast in spots such as Winterton.

A stone curlew on Weeting Heath (Image: Norfolk Wildlife Trust)

The stone curlew is a crow-sized bird with a large head, yellow legs and relatively long wings and tail, that are more active at night. 

Once found widely throughout England, their numbers declined through the 19th and early 20th century as their heathland nesting habitats were lost.

By 1985, there were fewer than 100 breeding pairs nationwide.  

In Norfolk, stone curlews can be found on rabbit‑grazed heaths, such as Weeting Heath near Brandon.

Enthusiasts are best placed to spot the bird on April evenings.

A marsh harrier flying through the sky in Holme-next-the-Sea (Image: Gary Roberts)

Once almost extinct in the UK, marsh harriers are the flagship raptor of the East Anglian wetlands.

In Nelson's county, the bird of prey is most common around coastal marshes and Broads reserves such as Titchwell, Cley, Hickling and Strumpshaw.

Those interested in the birds should watch out for their spectacular "sky‑dancing" display flights over reedbeds and grazing marsh from March through May.

© Norwich Evening News