An unusual wryneck bird has been spotted on a garden lawn in Cromer.

David and Joan Hyam, of Suffield Park, said the bird visited at lunchtime and stayed for about an hour foraging for his own food.

Mr Hyam said only one person he showed the picture to recognised the species.

Birdwatcher Richard Porter said every autumn around 10 to 20 wrynecks were spotted, with three or four sightings already reported this year.

He said the birds migrated to the south and during periods of easterly winds they could be blown across to Britain where they stay to feed before resuming their journey southwards.

Mr Porter, from Cley, said the species were mostly seen on the east coast of Britain and were known as scarce migrants but not rare ones.

He added they bred across Europe from France, Germany and Sweden to places including Poland and Russia.

'It's a really nice bird to see. I love seeing wrynecks and very often they turn up on people's lawns.'

Wrynecks are closely related to the woodpecker and have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backwards. They eat insects on the ground and normally rest in a hole in a tree.