Black-winged Stilt remains at RSPB Frampton!

This is a couple of miles less than going to Cley for me. Hmmmm..... now what was I saying about having to cut down on long journeys - well some anyway!!!!

Bird News in Norfolk today!

Some highlights from RBA Website:

Hunstanton: Osprey south of Hunstanton - afternoon.
Titchwell RSPB: Osprey through west early morning, Pied Flycatcher, White Wagtail, also Swifts (100+) and Swallow through the reserve today and 3 Yellow Wagtails.
Cley: Blue-headed Wagtail (probable), 7 Yellow Wags, fem. Redstart, fem. Black Redstart, Hobby and 5 Ring Ouzels at Friary Hills (Blakeney).
Salthouse: Hooded Crow near Gramborough Hill.
Kelling Water Meadows: Wood Sandpiper this morning along with male hybrid Blue-headed Wagtail x Yellow Wagtail with 12 Yellow Wagtails.
Waxham: Purple Sandpipers x 2.
Winterton: Hooded Crow.
Hickling: Osprey.
Welney: 2 Gargeney and a Hobby.
Breydon Water: 116 Whimbrel and 9 Greenshank.

GOOD BIRDING AT THE WEEKEND!

Something to make you laugh!

Hopefully, anyway!

http://www.wimp.com/animalvoiceovers/

A rough few days!

A cheery post from Victor Meldrew!!

Its been raining non stop - yes I know that's fabulous, but give us a glimmer of sunshine for a bit please!!! I am very glad I live on a hill!

Oh and we are officially back in recession – "I don't believeeeeee it"!!!

Sadly I will have to cut down the amount of long journeys I make, as financially things have changed dramatically. There are no bank shifts available at work for the forthcoming future (can't go into details why this has occurred - can't risk losing my full-time job!). I have been doing bank shifts on Sundays for over 11 years and I never expected it to stop and just when I have purchased a new car! I have downgraded my iphone 3gs today to a new 12 month contract for same amount of minutes/texts etc for half what I was paying monthly for keeping this 'old' phone. Was going to upgrade to the iphone 4s, but that won't be happening now. Was also going to treat myself to a RBA pager, that also sadly is going to be shelved. Bought myself a lottery ticket for Wednesday - didn't get a single number.

Woke up on Wednesday feeling sicky and feverish - went into work, got rapidly worse and HAD to leave just after lunch. I couldn't eat any lunch - always a sign that I am ill!! That's my sickness record up the spout again - just in case you didn't know, you are not allowed to be ill when you work for the NHS. I have been off work the rest of the week, lounging on the sofa under a rug and hot water bottles. Not actually been sick, but severe stomach cramps, lower back/kidney pain and temperature and extreme tiredness and no appetite at all. Lost a few pounds so far. Forced myself to make a proper dinner earlier this evening, but could only manage a third of it and threw the rest away (never do this normally). Oh well, with no shifts on Sunday at least I will have the whole weekend to recuperate!

Father is still ok – but not himself yet – I live in hope. Mother is struggling and this makes me sad, although I will be helping all I can. If only they had a bigger house, I would just move in! At long last she has given in to me picking her up each week to take her food shopping.

Bird News in Norfolk today!

Ring Ouzels, Ring Ouzels and more Ring Ouzels.
Redstart at Cley
Sacred Ibis on Burnham Overy Marshes
Green Winged Teal at Welney.

My mother saw a Lesser Whitethroat near the farm shop at Thornham this morning.

Norfolk - the new Hollywood!!!

House prices in Norfolk are going to rocket out of all proportion if this trend continues!!!

With Johnny Depp now living just outside Burnham Market and Keira Knightley looking for a home: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/4261016/Keira-Knightley-in-a-hunt-for-home-near-Johnny-Depp.html

Not that I am complaining at all, that there just be a tiny, tiny chance of actually bumping into Johnny Depp on my travels!!! When speaking to one of father's district's nurses at Burnham Market Surgery this week, she informed me that Johnny Depp has already been seen in the high street!!! Some of you are probably thinking.... 'so what' – SO WHAT!!!!!! Johnny Depp as the pirate with bins round his neck would be a perfect vision - what more could a girl want! You may laugh, but he may get into the birding scene and realise its cheaper than doing drugs and much more therapeutic - I'll keep dreaming!!!!!

Jamiroquai's Jay Kay, lands on Blakeney Point!!!

Seriously!!! – I heard from someone that he landed on Blakeney Point by helicopter and asked "is this Brancaster"?

Also "scorching" around Snetterton in a Porsche 911.

East Bank Saves the Day!

Arrived at my parent's house to see how father was getting on, recuperating at home, when really he should be in hospital, but refused to go!!! He's not doing too badly considering his age.

Titchwell RSPB – 10am
It rained most of the day, in fact, no it was all day on and off. Heard my first Reed Warbler this year along with Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Cettis's Warbler singing and 3 Bullfinches. I was not inspired to walk any further than the Fen Trail this morning. I walked round twice and then left. Dipped out on several birds today.

Burnham Norton – 1.00pm
Kestrel hovering, skylarks singing, 2 swallows skim over the marshes, 2 cettis' warblers singing, goldfinches just by the carpark, tufted duck and pochard, 3 pied wagtails, 2 marsh harriers, 2 grey partridges, canada and greylag geese, 2 little egrets and a blackcap singing.

Garden Drove - Western track, Warham
Parked the car up and waited for the rain to stop - my new car now looks old and muddy! Rob, who had just walked back from East Hills said he had had 3 Bramblings and also 6 Ring Ouzels along the track which had been around probably all day - he had just seen them again on the way back.

No birds seen whatsover along the track except for a nice male Blackcap in the copse at the end of the track. As I walked back up, Ashley had seen the 6 Ring Ouzels and pointed to the area that they had flown to. I followed the track west of the carparking area in search of the ouzels, but much searching produced nothing more than a few hares and pheasants!

House on the Hill, Blakeney – 4.15pm
Chaffinches and woodpigeons...... hmmmmm....... One day though I will have the 'House on the Hill Mega'!!! Best bird I found here so far was a Red-backed Shrike.

Walsey Hills NOA
At the end of the bottom path and looking back into the willows I watched 2 chiffchaffs, one of which had an oak leaf in its beak. Not alot else in here really. I heard that a Blue-headed Wagtail had been seen and photographed from Bishop's Hide this afternoon - here is the picture.

East Bank
The sun at last came out, just enough to bathe the reed beds in an orange glow. As I walked along I could hear sedge and reed warblers and also 3 bearded tits 'pinging' - one of them posed close by for a photo. There were loads of black-tailed godwits, a few bar-tailed godwits, ruff in different states of plumage and a single whimbrel feeding on Arnold's Marsh. A greenshank called and another whimbrel was seen on the way back. Bumped into Eddie and we stood listening for the Grasshopper Warbler heard reeling by other birders earlier, but no luck.

Daukes Hide NWT
No sun out now and poor light. Very little seen really, but a green sandpiper called.

As I left Cley via the Wiveton Road I had some lovely surprises - a little owl sat on a pole and a tawny owl took off from a wall a bit further along!!!

Got home late - work tomorrow.

PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE ADDED

Hunstanton Cliffs

Took Lucy to see father. Later on we had fish 'n' chips on the seafront at Hunstanton with the sun setting over the sea - a short walk along the cliff top gardens produced several house sparrows and a few blackbirds.

My first Sedge Warbler singing this evening at NWT Holme Marsh Reserve along with a blackcap, chiffchaff, reed bunting, marsh harrier and tufted ducks with fluffy young chicks! Two Swallows also flew through east. It was a wonderful half an hour outside, away from all the stress of the past week.

Forgot to say that mother had a Cuckoo fly past her back door on Saturday afternoon.

See my previous post about the HBO Anniversary DVD and link here.

Father had some scans etc at the hospital and is now back home.

Not a normal day......

I had to cancel my shifts for today (yesterday) - I had no choice. I hate letting people down and especially when its my own ward where I should have been working on as a nursing auxiliary (my second job). One can only mentally cope with so much and I was needed today. My father was taken seriously ill and I have had so little sleep and have been in such a state that I feel I am losing my mind. I HAD to take time out today and late this afternoon I decided to go to Titchwell, just to get some air. I arrived in the carpark, but couldn't get out of the car - I just sat there. A robin flitted about in front of me and a cute little bank vole scurried along a branch. I shut my eyes - time passed and I eventually forced myself out of the car. I couldn't walk my normal speed and ambled along in a daze. It was sunny, but a bitterly cold north wind cut through you. There were 4 beautiful, summer plumage Spotted Redshanks amongst the usual waders, avocets etc. A magical scene of loads of swallows, house martins and sand martins skimming over the pools and also a Red-crested Pochard was seen distantly. From Parrinder hide there were shovelers, tufted ducks, teal, gadwall, shelducks, pied wagtails feeding along the muddy bank and a single greylag and canada goose grazing on the bank. Several brent geese, loads of avocets, gulls etc and also 2 Med gulls flew across the hide. I walked up to the beach and scanned the sea - seriously cold here and a sand storm blowing - saw a Red-breasted Merganser flying east, but little else aside from the usual sanderling, turnstones, gulls along the shoreline. Back at the carpark, several blackcaps were singing before I left.

Nature helps so much in difficult times. I would also like to thank Sophie, colleagues at work and friends for their support over the last few days X

Snettisham Coastal Park for Sale!!!!!!!!!!

Just turned the computer on for 5 minutes for going to sleep - quick look at Birdforum and was horrified to see that someone had posted that Snettisham Coastal Park was sale. This is an absolutely brilliant place for migrants. The only reason I don't go there as much as I would like to is because there is so much dog crap there. Wouldn't it be absolutely perfect if someone bought it as a nature reserve and fenced it all round with no dogs allowed! But I expected it will be bought to stick caravans in - what a sickening thought!

http://www.brown-co.com/full-details?profileID=100005003008

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/latest-news/threat-to-snettisham-beach-car-park-as-owners-put-it-on-the-market-1-3733341


Best bird in Norfolk today was a Black Guillemot sitting on the sea at Titchwell RSPB still early morning only. It had been there yesterday too. In normal circumstances I would have gone to see that last night - I would love to have seen that. Tons of Ring Ouzels around too when I read RBA.

One of the most stressful days of my life!

I am too mentally and physically exhausted to say what's been going on the last couple of days..... update later........ only had 5 hours sleep last night. Going to bed.

Friday 13th - HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE DAY!

Father was taken seriously ill.

Millionaire's - URGENT APPEAL PLEASE!!!!

POPE'S MARSH, Cley is for sale, adjacent to the 'Norfolk Wildlife Trust' Reserve.

PLEASE can someone buy this and donate it to the NWT. It would be catastrophic if this was bought and used for any other reason other than preserving it for wildlife. Just reading the 'Description' on the following link makes me shudder!

"The ponds are situated in such a way that they offer a range of wildfowling flights......
There are temporary timber hides and shelters......." !!!!!!!!!!

http://search.struttandparker.com/rural/salthouse-norfolk-nr25/9187

See Steve's appeal here:
http://birdingworld.co.uk/Cley%202012.1.htm

BLAKENEY POINT!

I decided after yesterday's stressful day of crowds, traffic and stress that Blakeney Point would be a wonderful place to escape from everything and everyone! This was my first walk here this year and it was a spectacular day! Just before I left home I noticed that someone had found 7 Ring Ouzels at 'The Hangs' at Cley, so I decided to start here, before walking the 'Point'.

Walsey Hills NOA and 'The Hangs'
Parked the car at Walsey Hills. A beautiful sunny day, but dramatic dark clouds were looming! Cettis's Warbler singing as soon as I got out of the car. I walked along the bottom path and along the field edge up to 'The Hangs'. Lots of insects buzzing around the blackthorn blossom along the path, including honey and bumble bees. I spotted birders before I saw Ring Ouzels! At the end of the path, there is a furrowed field on your left with a grass strip running down along the hedge and there they were, 5 stunning male Ring Ouzels (phoned through to RBA) at 10.45am – beautiful to see, but sadly much too far away to be photographed. I found a Wheatear in the field which was an added bonus. Eddie sent me a text to say he had heard a Sedge Warbler this morning. Nothing else much seen on route back to the car. Went to the 'NWT Visitor centre' and had another cheese scone – oh dear! Pat told me someone had had a House Martin this morning in Cley. Parked the car at Coastguards and packed up my BP rucksack!

Blakeney Point – 12pm-5.15pm
The sun was still shining and skies were blue – it was a beautiful, tranquil day and there was no one walking in front or behind me as I trudged along the shingle to 'Halfway House'. My first Swallows of the year twisted and turned past me, low over the seuda bushes – 3 of them going west at 12.30pm. A nice male Wheatear appeared and this was one of many on my walk. Several meadow pipits, male and female reed buntings and a few hedgesparrows and flocks of linnets. Tons of pristine white Sandwich Terns flying west to 'Far Point' – I just love their calls – a real feeling of long, hot summer days. Found a dead juv. gannet on route. 1 Kestrel flew past. 11 Swallows were seen in all on my walk, all going west. At 'Halfway House' I could see 5 Wheatears all sitting on the roof of the house!!! They all looked so chilled, sunning themselves on the roof! I sat at the new picnic table outside the house to have my lunch. A particularly beautiful male Wheatear decided he wanted to be famous and almost ran towards me to have his picture taken – very obliging! 14 Wheatears were seen throughout the walk. Other birds seen in this area were 9 curlew, 7 brent geese and a marsh harrier. As I sat having my lunch I could see what I presumed was a peregrine sitting on the shingle, distantly – it remained sitting there for the next half an hour. I left 'Halfway House' and as I approached the supposed peregrine (still very distant) it turned out to be a Merlin, although I confess I did not realise this until my distant, fuzzy pictures were ID'd in the evening by Eddie and Andy! When I took the pictures and looked at the camera at the time, I was pretty sure it was just a kestrel – wrong twice!!! Back to birding school Penelope! Note: Simeon and Joseph saw this/a merlin on BP yesterday, see their account here. I continued walking to the 'Plantation'. At the Tamarisk by the building I had two Chiffchaffs together at 3pm, but they skulked low in the bush and didn't wish to be photographed. In the 'Plantation' I saw absolutely nothing. I sat on the log by the shed and watched the 'Lupin' area – lots of linnets and meadow pipits here. It was really hot now – a real sun trap! A wheatear appeared from round the corner of the shed and landed inches from me! Shortly after this I spotted 4 Wheatears lined up on the one of the shed roofs!

I decided to be sensible and left the 'Plantation' at 4pm and walked back along the beach to Coastguards. A continuous stream of sandwich terns flying west on route and a common seal was also seen. The skies looked pretty scary now – large, ominous black clouds loomed over my head. I expected to get drenched. A rainbow formed over the sea and it appeared to be pouring with rain inland. I was very, very lucky. I managed to get back to the car without a spot of rain falling! Got back to the carpark at 5.15pm. I collapsed in the car and had a coffee.

Daukes' Hide – NWT – 6pm-8.20pm
It was nice to sit down in the hide! Andy J. and Eddie also here (Eddie had seen 4 Ring Ouzels at 'The Hangs' this evening). 3 Sand Martins going west past 'North Hide' - my first this year and another 3 later on and also 4 Swallows. A Short-eared Owl flew over the reed bed at 6.30pm and also a barn owl a bit later. 4 Spoonbills were seen, 2 right in front of the hide! 2 Little ringed Plovers landed briefly on 'Simmond's Scrape'. Other birds seen were: black-tailed godwits and also 2 bar-tailed godwits, several ruff, 6 pochard, shovelers, teal, shelducks, greylags, pintails, lots of avocets, redshanks, black-headed gulls, herring gulls, 5 marsh harriers, 7 little egrets, Cettis's Warbler singing, a snipe, 2 knot, a mute swan and a squealing water rail as I walked back along the boardwalk at 8.20pm! Left at 8.30pm and arrived home at 9.30pm! Back to work tomorrow.


Main birds of note seen in Norfolk today (RBA):
Lots of Ring Ouzels, a Cuckoo at Heacham, Sedge Warbler at Cley (heard by ETM), Hoopoe remains at Waxham, Osprey and Swift seen at Titchwell RSPB, Osprey at Alysham, Hooded Crow at Trimingham.

PICTURES TO BE ADDED

This week has not gone to plan at all. I have been sorting loads of errands/jobs etc out, which very annoyingly has resulted in no birding whatsoever! Not good at all. I WILL be out tomorrow however!

One of the neighbours decided to get a whole team of men in, to chainsaw their trees down - WHY do they do this in the spring!!!

Upgraded my 'Orange' pay as you go phone today to one that has 'Bluetooth' and this is now linked to the car along with the 'vodafone' iphone - I just love technology!

Went into town to pay my electric and gas bill in my bank to discover at least 50+ people in the queue – why do banks send their staff out to lunch at the same time as their customers come into the bank in their lunch hour – surely they could stagger their lunches!!!!! Lots of people were complaining. I was parked in a 30 minute space, so had to find another space and re-parked the car in a 60 minute space and walked back to join the massive queue – what a waste of time! I then drove to my garage via London Road to ask them to help me to link my new phone to the car – it took at least half an hour because of massive road works on London Road – not a happy day at all. My car insurance company tried to scam me for another £68 – reckoned I hadn't told them the correct information and after I wrote them a stinking email saying I HAD and that if I had to pay it I wanted a refund immediately and I would find another insurer – they emailed back saying they had listened to my phone conversations that I had had when I took out the insurance and that I was right and their sincere apologies etc etc!!!! PHEW!!!!!

Birds seen in Norfolk today (RBA):
Hoopoe remains at Waxham and another seen at Sheringham. Passage of Swallows and Sand Martins going through today. Ring Ouzels at Heacham, Blofield and Winterton, 3 Waxwings in Norwich, 2 little terns and 3 little gulls at Barton Broad.

Male Subalpine Warbler at Eccles!!!!!

Don't get too excited – 'late March'.

Holme: Beach bid opposed by councillors - Latest News - Lynn News

Holme: Beach bid opposed by councillors - Latest News - Lynn News