Among the regular summer visitors, which have now arrived here in vast numbers, there are always a few uncommon, exotic birds that appear here in the spring. They are birds that have lost their way to their regular breeding places, or have simply overshot them on their way north. Yesterday there were at least three red-footed falcons in the country. These are beautiful, small falcons, the male slaty-blue and the female barred grey with orange underparts. They nest in Eastern Europe, but yesterday they were reported at Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk, at Stewartby in Bedfordshire, and at Shapwick Heath in Somerset. Other dramatic arrivals have been hoopoes, which are pink, black and white, with a crest like a fan — including one yesterday conveniently outside the RSPB headquarters in Sandy, Bedfordshire. Golden orioles, which are golden-yellow with black wings, and have a trumpeting call, were seen yesterday in Flamborough village in East Yorkshire and in Shetland.