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Monday 12 October 2020

Holiday Update – Titchwell RSPB With Vivien & An AA Call Out!

Some of you have probably been wondering why I haven't posted much – well, I haven't really left the house to be honest, for several reasons – I heard some extremely sad news about the death of someone I know, someone who was cruelly taken from this world far too young and then more news about someone else that has been very ill, but is recovering fairly well now, I was told. Other stuff going on I can't write about on here and generally having too much time to think, being as I'm not at work! I could have spent time getting millions of jobs done, but instead I was lazy, watched TV and generally did nothing and watched the birds in the garden. I was also in the doldrums because I regret not going away – it really doesn't help when there are incredible birds on Shetland and on the Isles of Scilly and the winds in Norfolk are naff. But — all that should change after 1pm on Tuesday (tomorrow) with east winds right the way through to the weekend!!! So hopefully the remainder of my holiday should be full of good birds, fingers crossed!

Lucy is in a massive hysterical state about going to the dentist tomorrow – I've had so many phone calls daily about the three fillings she has to have. I have tried to reassure her and pointed out that her small fillings won't be anywhere near as painful as the wicked pain I experienced recently etc etc, but she won't relax until its all done, that's if she decides to go that is! She isn't in any serious pain, as managed to eat almost the entire home-made Banana Cake I took to her yesterday! On the subject of teeth, my dentist receptionist simply told me to go and buy a filling kit from the chemist, until my appointment at the end of the month – I didn't, so just eating very carefully on my partly completed root canal treatment!

Received a very depressing letter on Saturday – I had to read it several times in disbelief...... a speeding fine at 'Prince Phillips' tall yellow speed cameras along the Dersingham Bypass – lots of us thought they were just for show, well they are not! I looked back on my blog to remind myself what I was doing on that particular day and I was early morning birding (last weekend) and there wasn't a car in front of me or behind me and ok I was doing a bit more than I should have been, but to be honest at that time of the morning with no other traffic and a long stretch of dry road, its very easy to find yourself going a bit faster than you should be and now I have to pay the consequences in 'points' and cash!

Titchwell RSPB
Met up with my sister Vivien in the car park at Titchwell at 10am. We spent a lovely day together, ambling to Thornham Point. The weather was fairly bright, but deteriorated later in the day with drizzle and dull skies. Several Dunlins on the freshmarsh, Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Heron, a Kestrel, a Cetti's Warbler burst into song and all the usual ducks and gulls. Lovely walk along the beach with loads of Sanderlings, Turnstones, Grey Plovers, Oystercatchers and several Knot all feeding amongst the razor wreck – an amazing sight and not bothered by our close presence! However, they were bothered by a dog off a lead and all duly scattered!

At Thornham Point there was several Reed Buntings perched up in the buckthorn scrub, which I tried to turn into Little Buntings, but no eye ring etc etc! A male Blackcap was eating some blackberries and saw a female later on. A Robin was seen along with several Meadow Pipits, one Rock Pipit, a Pied Wagtail, Hedge Sparrows and some Redwings flew over. As last time I visited here, I felt sure there were more birds in the scrub than we saw. Walked back along the beach and watched all the waders again, feeding amongst the razors, mussel shells etc. We sat on one of the seats along the main path and watched a little party of Dunlin, feeding almost below our feet. Nice to bump into and chat with Ray Kimber and volunteer Tony today. Back in the far car park we sat in our cars eating late lunch in the rain. Saw a Goldcrest and a Blackcap in the sycamore tree.

We had decided to go for another short walk somewhere else, but poor Vivien discovered she had a flat battery, when she attempted to turn the ignition on! She realised that she had probably left the fan on in the car during our lunch. The same thing had happened to her a few weeks ago and she had to have the AA out. She had no signal on her mobile, so I phoned the AA for her – they were brilliant and came out exactly 60 minutes later at 4.50pm – a very helpful AA man, who got Vivien's car going again for her, but said she needed to buy a new battery within the next couple of days, as when he tested it, its on its last legs so to speak. So, to keep the car going, she had to leave immediately and returned home to Ely. It was raining heavily now and after stopping in a small supermarket on the way back, I also made my way home. I watched Boris's live broadcast about the new Covid-19 rules, but yet to find out the details of what we can and can't do now in this area, so better look at the government website!

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