Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
A lovely sunny day, but still chilly. Put in some willow cuttings and trimmed more things in the garden. For the first time since I have been here I had two Robins together by the feeders! They must be a pair otherwise they would have been scrapping!
American Wigeon ad. drk at Setter Marsh, Loch of Spiggie.
ISLANDS
No news.
Last night I was reading through one of my mother's nature diaries for 1956 – she was aged 16 – she was a naturalist and birder long before she met my father. On the front of the diary it reads "Notes taken when only had Observer Book of Birds for reference! My first ever rare bird was a male Cirl Bunting in south Norfolk on 8th May 1956 + notes from half a year spent in County Mayo when had to work 6.5 days a week in Westport Hotel. Garganey regular at Hardley Flood. March 12th every year – 8 usually (1950's)."
When I open to the first page it reads "Cirl Bunting 13th Norfolk record, but not substantiated at the time. Cock bird see sitting on barbed wire fence near overgrown sand pit in Reedham Ferry Road". My mother lived and was brought up in Heckingham and her main birding patch was Hardley Flood. Her diaries are utterly fascinating and I'm intending to scan them all in, as don't want these to be lost after I depart this earth. There are several postcards from Michael Seago to my mother requesting her bird records for the year and very interesting discussions on birds she had seen. My mother talks about watching Red Squirrels, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and Hawfinches in Stockton Woods.
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