Holme Reserves!

I have not been to where my parent's ashes are since March and this is one of many things that has been difficult to cope with. It would have been far easier, had they requested to be laid to rest in Holme churchyard! So today, after four months of not being able to visit the reserves, I was finally able to sit with them and spend some time reminiscing. It made me feel relieved to be back there, thankfully nothing had changed and everything looked lovely with beautiful flowers growing close by. It was spitting with rain this evening as I sat there.

At Holme Bird Observatory this afternoon, I had a lovely catch up with Sophie (Warden) and paid my overdue membership fee. Several seats had been moved around to ensure social distancing and there is hand gel to use at all entry points. I saw 2 Spoonbills flying east over the marsh, but didn't see the Great White Egret seen by others today. Sophie said the NWT car park was more or less full at midday, which doesn't bode well for the weekend! The wader pool path and hides are completely closed, so there is only the NWT Forestry to walk around, plus the car park – lets hope its not too long before we can use the hides again. The lure of the beach, toilets and cafe will no doubt bring the hoards back, of which there won't be many birders sadly. NOA Redwell Marsh Hide is also closed. I haven't been to look, but I'm sure the village hides (NWT) are still closed too. There was also a barricade across the short path to the seat that overlooks the Broadwater (NWT), which I don't quite know why that has been done. All NOA seats along the bank and in front of observatory are available to sit on, but the Dell Hide and car park hide are closed.

I walked from the observatory to Post 10, as I remember it – this spot was part of my father's nature trail, that used to be – this is by the curved wooden bench seat overlooking the Broadwater. I was horrified to discover that someone had left a bag of dog crap on the actual seat! Where lots of people sit and a seat that is in memory to someone loved and lost! How low can some dog owners stoop to?! Sickening behaviour! What a sad and selfish thing to do! A refillable drinks bottle also left on the seat, which wouldn't have been cheap, approximately £10 I reckon looking at it! I don't understand why someone would leave a poo bag on the seat?! Why? Is that so that the local dog poo collector can see it easier to pick it up? There is NO local dog poo collector!!! I did the only thing I could do and found a stick to flick the bag to the ground, as if it was left on the seat, the stench would quickly seep through and become ingrained in the wood and would stink for ages, plus people would be unknowingly sitting on it and no I wasn't going to carry it back to my car and dispose of it – the person carrying that bag could have Covid-19.

A singer/artist's huge house that was being built last time I was here, has now been completed along the Firs Road. It was so weird to be back here – I felt like I had been robbed of the Spring, which of course I and everyone else has! Four months have been erased! A third of the year, gone! I'm very much looking forward to Autumn migration, and hope very much that we don't have a second lockdown! Missing Spring migration is serious enough, but Autumn in Norfolk would be far far worse to miss! I didn't sleep brilliantly last night, but it was better than the night before. I have learnt that I mustn't put even the slightest pressure/touch on my dodgy tooth, so have to eat on the left side only. Going back to work on Thursday. Good night.