Fascinating Discoveries!

I have been sifting and sorting paperwork ALL day! I knew my father had a complete set of NOA reports from 1962, but I didn't know he had a complete set of Norfolk Bird & Mammal Reports (up to 2009 – I have reports after that) which starts in 1948 and was called 'Wild Bird Protection in Norfolk' and subsequent years: 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 – these were published by 'The Council of the Norfolk Naturalists Trust' and then the 1953 report was called 'The Norfolk Bird Report' No. 1 and was then jointly produced by 'The Council of The Norfolk Naturalists Trust' and 'Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society'. The next report was 1954 and so on! The old reports make fascinating reading. The line drawings by various artists including RAR are just delightful. My father had several photographs in the old reports too, alongside Dick Bagnall-Oakeley.

I have scanned in an extract from RAR about the devastation of the 1953 floods:

I managed to get out for a short while this evening and went to Holme Marsh Reserve NWT (hides in village). I got there too late really, but was surprised to find both the first and second hide full of birders, which is very unusual here at any time, never mind mid evening. Didn't see very much, too late in the day and the light was fading fast. A couple of Little Grebes, female Gadwall, Mallards, Magpies, several Redwings and two Barn Owls and a couple of Chinese Water Deer.