Holme Birding!

A short birding trip to Holme this evening, after I did Mother's on-line food shop. Parked the car by the gate to Redwell Marsh NOA, to search for today's reported singing Turtle Dove. Walked back along the Firs Road to Beach Road. Watched a Barn Owl over the paddocks, a Mistle Thrush harassing the owl, Pheasants, Red-legged Partridges x 2, Rabbits, a Muntjack deer and several House Sparrows chirping away in the brambles at the entrance track. Turned right to walk past the toilet block and was very upset to see the very large willow tree had been lopped dramatically to mere stumps – that won't be holding any migrants any more!!! I suppose it had be neat and tidy for visitors, after all, we mustn't let things stay wild in a SSSI area!!! Everything has to be 'managed'!!!

Walked through the village car park and saw 2 Oystercathers, 2 Pied Wagtails and several Woodpigeons feeding in the strip of ploughed mud at the far end of the car park. Continued along the path that leads to the coastal footpath, which overlooks the paddocks, hawthorn scrub and houses along the Firs Road. This area is excellent for Turtle Doves and they are regularly seen here in Spring – but alas I didn't see or hear any this evening. It was too cold and late in the day for any small birds to be showing. In fact it wasn't just cold, it was FREEZING with the East wind cutting through me and my gloves! Saw a few Linnets and heard a Willow Warbler singing briefly and that was it. Walked up as far as Gore Point and scanning over the marshes, spotted a lovely male Hen Harrier. I then crossed over to the dunes and walked back along the coastal footpath to the car park near the pay hut and then continued back along the Firs Road to my car at Redwell. From the hide, there were 2 Avocets, Shovelers x 2, Mallards, Coot and some Black-headed Gulls. I left here at 8.20pm.

Popped in to see my parents. My Mother fell again this evening, whilst on route to hanging washing out, she told me on my arrival – she's ok and got away without doing any serious damage. This was supposed to be a brief visit, but I ended up staying for ages, trying to get Father to take his tablets. He dug his heels in and refused and got really cross with Mother and I. We were exasperated and beyond despair. We tried to make him take the tablets, but that just resulted in wet pyjamas as he refused to gulp any drink to wash the tablets down. We got one tablet in eventually, but the second one came up again later...... I had just got him into bed and then had to sit him up extremely quickly, as his face suddenly turned bright red – he had started to choke on the tablet he led us to believe he had swallowed, but had in fact been storing it in his mouth!!! Sitting him up that quickly, didn't do my painful hip any favours whatsoever.

It may sound harsh, trying to make Father have his tablets, but he has already been refusing all his main tablets every morning, which include blood pressure tablets, aspirin and heart tablets. The two he takes at night are actually the most important ones, an indigestion tablet which stops him coughing all night and even more importantly 'Quetiapine' which stops him hallucinating. Mother has this battle with him every night now and can't take it any more. Enough is enough. Final plans will be going into place this week! My poor Mother had gone way beyond the call of duty in her excellent care – the lack of sleep is what's draining her – not even an 18 year old can cope with all she is doing. It's all so difficult and emotional – we don't want him to go into a Residential Home as we know he will hate it, but there is no choice left now.