Hedgehog Update, Birding & Shopping at Titchwell RSPB & CleySpy!

I have a couple of helpful emails from concerned Hedgehog advisors, who recommend that you should only feed meat based cat or dog food (not fish based) and not to feed any meal worms, nuts or sunflower hearts as "these cause metabolic bone disease in mammals, horrendous suffering and a painful death....." Leave a shallow bowl of drinking water too and this is enough to supplement the hedgehog's natural diet. See all hedgehog advice here: https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/feeding/

This morning I started the day off at my parent's house in Holme. Completed my usual chores of watering plants, changing and cleaning out bird baths and general checks. Also loaded up the car with some garden ornaments that mother had in pots and some other odds and ends. Today was boiling hot and sunny, the complete opposite of yesterday's rainy day! I would have liked to have seen the Lesser Grey Shrike at Horsey, but that's a lot of miles from King's Lynn and its not as if I havn't seen one before, it was tempting though.

Purchased an 'Ultimate Suet Feeder', 'My First Nature – Let's Go Exploring' (a wonderful book) for my friend's Sarah's little boy who is aged 1 tomorrow, and a box of 10 suet blocks from the shop at Titchwell RSPB. Attempted to see the Spotted Flycatcher that had been seen in the apple tree in the car park this morning, but no luck. I had not got time to go birding here, as had lots of things to get done today.

Had a quick stop at North Point, Wells and had lovely views of loads of birds, including 6 Spoonbills, several Little Egrets, loads of Black-tailed Godwits, Egyptian Geese with young, Avocet with young, Lapwings with young, Redshanks, Black-headed Gulls, Mallards, lots of Shelducks, Heron, Oystercatchers, House Sparrows, Whitethroats, Reed Buntings, Pied Wagtails etc.

At CleySpy I treated myself to a lighter tripod, the "Manfrotto MT190 CX Pro3 Carbon Fibre Tripod" and also the "Opticron BGA 8x42 Monocular", which I'm going to keep in my work bag, for when I'm out and about in the community etc – this is brilliant quality and has a 30 year guarantee – in my case probably a life guarantee! Also useful if you want something extremely light and can't carry binoculars, excellent for the 'older' person.

Parked up at Beach Road, Salthouse and had to phone the NT office at Blakeney, as a large family group were having a barbeque at the base of Gramborough Hill!!! Nothing at the 'hill' apart from Meadow Pipits, Linnets and one Starling. Went straight home after this, as had loads of things to sort this evening. Back in King's Lynn it rained for a short while. The Hedgehog is going to be disappointed with the lack of meal worms and nuts this evening, but need to follow advice on keeping my new visitor healthy.