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Thursday 30 September 2021

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Rose-coloured Starling, Little Stints x 2, Hen Harrier at Titchwell RSPB
Velvet Scoter flew past Cley
Little Stints x 2 at Cley NWT
Hawfinch at Fakenham
Black-throated Divers x 2 in harbour at Wells
White Stork at Buckenham Marshes RSPB
Common Cranes x 59 at Welney WWT
Lapland Bunting flew over Hunstanton
Pomarine Skua, Sooty Shearwater at Winterton
 
MEGA NEWS
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire
WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 1w male
Tiree, Argyll & Bute

WHITE'S THRUSH
Fair Isle, Shetland

Wednesday 29 September 2021

Calmer! The Big Pack Up & Holiday!

Finished work at 12.15pm. Had cheese on toast at home for lunch. I spent a long time this afternoon sorting out my buildings and contents insurance. Phoned Aviva, but they only do £1,500 max in the boot of the car, even less than my current Nationwide home insurance. I then put all my details into www.moneysupermarket.com, including having to list all the specified items (which took forever) and to my surprise Shelias' Wheels came up trumps (who I also have my car insurance with) and not only did they cover me for everything I needed, the premium and monthly payments are far less than I'm currently paying!!! Cancelled Nationwide and then started on the next big job.

Phoned an Apple Technician, who initially was stumped after sharing my Mac screen with me. Eventually the lady I spoke to said that because there were several issues, that even if there had been a moment of time lost with the internet going off line (when I was uploading the new 'Big Sur' operating system) that it could have thrown a glitch in the system. So, with her help of shutting down the Mac and then pressing 'Command R' and then choosing 're-install Big Sur', I waited over two hours to see if this worked and IT DID!!!

I have to ring Apple again in the morning to ask some other stuff and then need to do some more Mac housekeeping, before I leave on Friday.

This evening, I did three shopping lists, one for stuff I want to take with me, one for supplies here when I return home and another for Tescos in Lerwick! Went shopping late this evening and arrived back at 11.40pm! Good night!

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Fea's or Dersertas Petrel (possible) flew east, Roseate Tern, Pomarine Skua flew past coastgards at Cley
Cattle Egret at Potter Heigham Marshes
Cattle Egret at Hockwold Washes
White Stork at Buckenham Marshes RSPB
Pectoral Sandpiper, Little Stint at Titchwell RSPB
Scaup x 2 flew past Sheringham
Velvet Scoter flew past Holme Dunes
 
MEGA NEWS
GREAT SNIPE
Fetlar, Shetland

WHITE'S THRUSH
Fair Isle, Shetland
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire
WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire

CHAOS!!!

My toe is better than it was – I can almost walk my very fast speed, but difficult to put any pressure on toe.
 
Car is valeted and looks the best it has done for a long time!
 
The petrol situation is extremely worrying, but currently I have a full tank.
 
Not ready for my Shetland trip at all. Still MASSES to do, even before I even think about packing.
 
Had to pick up three things from different places after work, got home at 6.45pm. Didn't eat until 9.40pm!!!

This evening, my iMac has gone BADLY wrong, can't open Mail, can't open Preview (to view pictures) either. Rebooted Mac by turning off and then turning on, whilst holding down the shift key, no joy, very worried, so will have to phone an Apple technician tomorrow afternoon (I finish work at 12.15pm). Here are the messages that came up – never had this happen before, ever! This is NOT the time for things to play me up!!!!! STRESSED!


 

RBA Weekly Round-Up 21st to 27th September!

By Jon Dunn

Tuesday 28 September 2021

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services    27th SEPTEMBER

Hawfinch in Gaywood, King's Lynn
Honey Buzzard flew over Choseley Drying Barns
Common Cranes x 43, Cattle Egret at Welney WWT
Pectoral Sandpiper, Rose-coloured Starling juv., Little Stints x 2, Curlew Sandpipers x 3 at Titchwell RSPB
Little Stints x 3, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stints x 4 at Snettisham RSPB
Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Redshanks x 7, Cattle Egret at Potter Heigham Marshes
Raven at Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve
Curlew Sandpiper, Great White Egret at Breydon Water
Balearic Shearwater flew past Winterton
White Stork at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB
Puffin, Arctic Tern flew past Mundesley
Caspian Gull at Cley NWT
 
MEGA NEWS
PECHORA PIPIT
Fair Isle, Shetland
GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire
WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

MONDAY 27th SEPTEMBER
Caspian Gull at Cromer
Pectoral Sandpiper, Rose-coloured Starling juv., Little Stints x 4, Curlew Sandpiper, Spoonbills x 2, Caspian Gulls x 2 at Titchwell RSPB
Caspian Gulls x 2, Garganey at Cley NWT
 
MEGA NEWS
BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS
Flew past Spurn then reported at Flamborough Head,
Yorkshire
WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire

Sunday 26 September 2021

Swarovski NL Pure 8×42 Binoculars!


My new binoculars have arrived in time and I collected them from CleySpy today! Huge thanks to the CleySpy team for their excellent service, as always. They are much lighter than my EL's and will be a joy to use, can't wait! I didn't divert anywhere else, can't afford to lose any unnecessary petrol and had not got the time to go birding anyway.

I spent a long time this morning updating Firmware on my camera bodies and lenses, something I have not ever done before, but managed it ok in the end. Spent as much time as I could removing pine sap from my car before my valet tomorrow. I took a long time to completely empty the car, you realise how much stuff you accumulate, when you have to remove it all!

My battered toe seems very slightly better today and I did manage to drive. Thank goodness for the 'cruise control' switch on my Skoda! I'm trying to be positive and not letting my injury get in the way of my Shetland trip. I took advice from a pharmacist who actually advised me to go to A&E to get my toes strapped up correctly – I have not got time to do that, so with more advice purchased a stretch bandage and some Zinc Oxide Tape. The petrol may be more of an issue though – all petrol stations I passed on route to Cley were closed or had notices up saying emergency services only!

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Sabine's Gull flew past, Caspian Gull at Happisburgh
Red-necked Grebes x 2 on sea at Heacham
Pectoral Sandpiper, Rose-coloured Starling juv., Little Stints x 3, Curlew Sandpiper, Honey Buzzard at Titchwell RSPB
Osprey at Winterton
Vagrant Emperor Dragonfly in dunes at Winterton
Spotted Redshank at Holme NOA
Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Redshanks x 7, Cattle Egrets x 3 at Potter Heigham Marshes
Caspian Gulls x 2 at Cromer
Pectoral Sandpiper at Welney WWT
Spoonbills x 11 at Brancaster
Caspian Gull at Cley NWT
Black Guillemot at Mundesley
 
MEGA NEWS
RED-NECKED STINT
SW of Misson, Yorkshire
WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire
FORSTER'S TERN
ENE OF Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland

Saturday 25 September 2021

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Baltic Gull (possible), Pectoral Sandpiper, Rose-coloured Starling juv., Hen Harrier, Little Stints x 3, Caspian Gull at Titchwell RSPB
Whooper Swans x 17 in field near Burnham Overy Staithe
Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Redshanks x 4, Osprey at Potter Heigham Marshes
Pectoral Sandpiper, Common Cranes x 4, Cattle Egret at Welney WWT
Spotted Redshank at Cantley Beet Factory
Yellow-browed Warbler at North Dunes, Winterton
Vagrant Emperor Dragonflies x 3 in dunes at Winterton
White Stork reported at Rockland Broad
Garganey at Cantley Beet Factory
Spoonbills x 26 at Stiffkey Fen
Caspian Gulls x 2 at Cley NWT
 
MEGA NEWS
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
Unst, Shetland
RED-NECKED STINT
SW of Misson, Yorkshire
WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire

Probable Fractured Toe!

It has not been a good day at all. Got up earlier than I intended to this morning, as I felt really awake after a good night's sleep. Did some more holiday clothes washing etc, had shower, breakfast and then did the worst toe stubb EVER on my Lloyd loom chair. I gasped in pain and I realised that this was not the regular toe stubb, where you gasp and then the pain disappears within a few seconds. I had full intentions of walking to the hairdressers this morning and stupidly and stubbornly I started my walk. It killed me to put my shoes on, but I refused to believe I had hurt my toes that badly. I only got a couple of streets away and I was almost in tears – had no choice but to turn back and collected my car to drive into town! Smothered my toes with Volterol gel, took ibuprofen and paracetemol. Sat with my shoe off in the hairdressers, hobbled back to the car, which I had parked at Lucy's and then picked Lucy up and we went back to my house.

The plans for the afternoon were abolished, as there was no way I could take Lucy to Holme Reserves and then go to Hunstanton for fish 'n' chips. So Lucy and I chatted in my house, which to be fair Lucy was quite happy with, as she had not been to my house since before Covid began and she really enjoyed watching all the birds in my garden. I sat with my left foot up with a bag of frozen peas around my toe! After I took Lucy home early evening, I popped to the garage to buy some bananas and was shocked to see a long line of cars queuing up at the last pump out of 4 that had any petrol left at Tescos, Gaywood! A member of staff told me that it had been like this all day. On returning home, I noted that on social media there is nowhere else left in King's Lynn that has petrol and Vivien told there is none left in Ely at all either. The media have a lot to answer for!!!

The toe (next to little toe) is even more painful this evening and I can hardly walk – what with this and the petrol shortage, will I be driving north on Friday? Who knows!!! Dosed up on pain relief I feel extremely fatigued, drugged up and very pissed off!

Friday 24 September 2021

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Little Stints x 4, Curlew Sandpiper at Snettisham RSPB
Spoonbills x 25 at Stiffkey Fen
Curlew Sandpipers x 3, Wood Sandpiper, Hen Harrier at Breydon Water
Pectoral Sandpiper, Rose-coloured Starling juv., Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stints x 3 at Titchwell RSPB
Vagrant Emperor Dragonflies x 2 in dunes at Waxham
Caspian Gulls x 2 at Cromer
Cattle Egret at Welney WWT
Spoonbill at Warham Greens
White Stork flew over Burgh Castle
Vagrant Emperor Dragonflies x 6 at South Dunes at Winterton
Spoonbill at Wells
Pied Flycatcher Gun Hill, Burnham Overy Dunes
Russian White-fronted Goose at Cley NWT
 
MEGA NEWS
WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire
BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS
Bempton Cliffs RSPB, Yorkshire