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  
Cattle Egret at Breydon Water
Spoonbills x 2, Wood Sandpiper at Cley NWT
Purple Heron at How Hill Nature Reserve
Honey Buzzard flew over Cantley
Garganey at Welney WWT
Curlew Sandpiper, Spoonbills x 10 at Titchwell RSPB
Spoonbills x 4, Short-eared Owl at Holme
Cattle Egret at Burgh Castle Marshes
Ruddy Shelduck at Burnham Norton
Great White Egret, Garganey at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB
Wood Sandpipers x 2 at Buckenham Marshes RSPB

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly
FEA'S OR DESERTAS OR ZINO'S PETREL
Cullercoats, Northumberland

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  
Spoonbills x 2, Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper at Titchwell RSPB
Cattle Egret, Black Terns x 4, Spotted Redshanks x 2 at Breydon Water
Wood Sandpiper at Buckenham Marshes RSPB
Purple Heron at How Hill Nature Reserve
Black Terns x 2 at Rollesby Broad
Garganey x 2, Great White Egret at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB
Garganey at Cley NWT
Caspian Gull at Cromer
Turnstones x 12 at Cantley Beet Factory

MEGA NEWS
None

FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

"YOUR LOCAL PAPER"
To be published today on Friday 24th August

CLARKE, MARGARET ROSE – Died peacefully, aged 78 years, at home after a long illness, sadly sooner than expected with her daughters present on 7th August 2018. Beloved wife of the late Peter Robert Clarke (Warden of HBO). Dearly loved mother of Penny, Lucy and Vivien Clarke – she will be deeply missed by her daughters and all who knew her. Funeral service at Mintlyn Crematorium, King’s Lynn on Thursday, 30th August at 10.45am. Family flowers only please, but donations if desired for either ‘Cancer Care and Treatment Unit’, Queen Elizabeth Hospital or ‘The Norfolk Hospice’, Tapping House, may be made at the service or sent to: John Lincoln Funeral Directors, 40 Greevegate, Hunstanton, Norfolk PE36 6AG.


"EASTERN DAILY PRESS"
To be published on Saturday 25th August

CLARKE, MARGARET ROSE – Died peacefully, aged 78 years at home after a long illness, sadly sooner than expected with her daughters present, 7th August 2018. Beloved wife of the late Peter Robert Clarke (Warden of HBO). Dearly loved mother of Penny, Lucy and Vivien, she will be deeply missed by her daughters and all who knew her. Funeral service: Mintlyn Crematorium, King’s Lynn, 30th August 10.45am. No flowers please, but donations if desired for either ‘Cancer Care and Treatment Unit’, QEH or ‘The Norfolk Hospice’, may be made at the service or sent to: John Lincoln Funeral Directors, 40 Greevegate, Hunstanton, Norfolk PE36 6AG.

http://www.familynotices24.co.uk/edp/view/4621283/clarke-margaret-rose

Writing Mother's Eulogy!

I started writing mother's Eulogy last night and it took much longer than expected to write. In fact even with Vivien's assistance, it took us nearly all day! I was reading through my father's unpublished autobiography, to find snippets of information about mother and was very pleased to find several interesting facts. Putting the whole eulogy together in the right factual order and trying to throw in some amusing stories, took a long time to compile. It is very sad to think that mother and I also spent a long time writing father's eulogy only eighteen months ago. It then had to be cut and re-cut as it can't run longer than 5.5 minutes – the entire funeral service can not run over 30 minutes.

On the note of father's autobiography, I felt ashamed to say that I had not even got round to reading any of it until today. Father had tried to get his book published via several publishers over the years, but none seemed overly interested. I found the list of publishers he had written to and had not heard of any of them! When the dust has settled as they say and I've moved house, I will make it my priority to publish his autobiography, as I found it fascinating to read. The variety and numbers of birds listed, that were seen pre 1962 and shortly after were jaw dropping to say the least. They had more rares in one particular 'fall' than Norfolk has ever had over a 10 year period!

BT Failed Again!

I received the BT Hub today, but was fuming to find that it was the BT Hub 4, which is exactly the same one as I have already!!! Unbelievable! It should have been the new BT Smart Hub 6. It was almost as if they were doing this on purpose to annoy me! I phoned them up to find out that the lady who had promised me this yesterday had requested a new hub to be sent out, but would not have been authorised without permission from a 'Manager' to send out the newest hub, for someone that had 'Copper Broadband' eg not Fibre. So, the person I was speaking today has authorised it with a 'Manager' and apparently a BT Smart Hub 6 will arrive tomorrow – I'll believe it when I see it!

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  
Spoonbills x 12, Spotted Redshanks x 2 at Titchwell RSPB
Pomarine Skua, Black Tern flew past Cley
Short-eared Owl at Breydon Water
Cattle Egret at Burgh Castle Marshes
Icterine Warbler, Pied Flycatcher at East Hills, Wells
Black Terns x 3 at Rollesby Broad
Osprey flew over Narborough
Spoonbills x 31 at Stiffkey Fen
Caspian Gull at Cromer
Pomerine Skua, Black Terns x 2 flew past Hemsby
Garganey x 2, Great White Egret at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB 

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly
BAROL SHEARWATER
Bridges of Ross, County Clare, Ireland

BT Are Just As Rubbish as TalkTalk!

So, I was given compensation recently (well my mother to be precise) from BT, for the lack of internet when we first opened the account in May and today I was given more compensation as a new BT Smart Hub 6 was supposed to be sent out to us on Friday – it never arrived! Yesterday I phoned up to complain about this and I was assured that one would be arriving today with Royal Mail – it never arrived! Not only did it not arrive, it was never ordered yesterday! You can imagine how angry I was when I phoned today – there should be one arriving tomorrow and this time I have been given a reference number. The reason for the urgency for this, is because I was told that my email should be resolved once this new router is installed – yeah right!

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  
Spoonbills x 2 at Titchwell RSPB
Icterine Warbler, Pied Flycatchers x 3, Whinchats x 4 in South Valley, Winterton
Cattle Egret, Spotted Redshank at Breydon Water
Purple Heron at How Hill Nature Reserve
Pied Flycatchers x 2 at Great Yarmouth Cemetery
Pied Flycatcher, Great White Egret flew over at Gramborough Hill
Pied Flycatchers x 3, Spoonbills x 5 at Holme NOA
Wood Sandpipers x 2 at Buckenham Marshes RSPB
Garganey at Welney WWT
Garganey, Great White Egret at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly

RBA Weekly Round-up 15th to 21st August!

By Jon Dunn
https://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/WeeklyRoundup2018-34.aspx?s_id=657964728

Another Busy Day!

Nothing too exciting to report really, just extremely busy organising the funeral, when all Vivien and I really want to do is to curl up into a ball and hibernate! Legal matters this morning and then this afternoon had to go to Hunstanton to sort other stuff and then wrote the Funeral notices for Your Local Paper for Friday 24th and Eastern Daily Press for Saturday 25th August, which also has to be in earlier than normal, as does the Order of Service because of Bank Holiday deadlines! Written the order of service, but picture scanning to do and the Eulogy to write between us etc.

We had a very kind visit from Marilyn F. this evening, who came with a beautiful card and wonderful gift of homemade chocolate and banana muffins! Scrumptious! Thank you so much. She sat chatting with us for a good while, which was very nice of her being as she had only just returned from a holiday. We have had huge support from neighbours with gifts of flowers, hugs and beautiful words and lots of lovely cards from so many people – it is so much appreciated more than you know.

Looking at the 'Norfolk Bird News' from Rare Bird Alert this evening, it all looks very exciting! Looks like Autumn migration has begun!

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  
Cattle Egret, Spotted Redshank at Breydon Water
Spoonbills x 18, Spotted Redshank at Titchwell RSPB
GREENISH WARBLER at Cromer Golf Course
Purple Heron at How Hill Nature Reserve
Icterine Warbler, Pied Flycatchers x 4, Whinchat in South Valley, Winterton
Pied Flycatcher at Trimingham
Black Tern flew past Cley
Pied Flycatchers x 2 on golf course at Gorleston-on-Sea
Pied Flycatchers x 2 at Great Yarmouth Cemetery
Pied Flycatcher, Spoonbill at Holme NWT
Caspian Gulls x 2 at Cromer
Garganey at Cantley Beet Factory
Spoonbill at Warham Greens

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly
FORSTER'S TERN
Soldiers Point, County Louth, Ireland

Meeting with a "Civil Funeral Celebrant"

Today, Lucy, Vivien and I met up with a Civil Funeral Celebrant who is going to conduct (if that is the correct word) our mother's funeral. I am now starting to panic as I forgot it is Bank Holiday next Monday, which means I have to get the Order of Service done, Eulogy written, poem chosen (we have actually found one now – a beautiful poem that our mother wrote for 'Poet's Corner' in the Lynn News), music etc etc done by Friday latest – help!!! I still haven't finished finding pictures yet and when I do, I have to scan them in and all kinds of other little jobs need to be completed!

I was overjoyed this morning to watch a Chiffchaff briefly come to drink from one of mother's drinking pools and seconds later a Goldfinch – there seems to be increased bird action in the garden I noted today.

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  
Cattle Egret at Burgh Castle
Cattle Egret at Breydon Water
Spoonbills x 18, Spotted Redshank, Garganey at Titchwell RSPB
Spoonbills x 7, Short-eared Owl at Thornham Harbour
Short-eared Owl at Berney Marshes RSPB
Dotterel x 2 in field near Felmingham
Great White Egret, Garganey at Welney WWT
Black Tern at Rollesby Broad
Wood Sandpiper at Holme NWT
Great White Egret flew over How Hill Nature Reserve
Great White Egret at Hickling Broad NWT
Wood Sandpiper, Great White Egret at Buckenham Marshes RSPB

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Searching for Pictures

I wasted most of the day – got up late, felt very low, cried, watched TV, fed the cat, topped up the bird feeders, dozed and eventually decided I needed to get on with funeral planning. I was much more organised for my father's funeral – this time I don't feel like being organised and don't want to organise my mother's funeral – I shouldn't be, she has gone to soon.

We never got round to searching all through father's belongings, in fact we've hardly started, so today I made that start. I needed to find some nice photographs of mother for the Order of Service – she hated having her picture taken and there are far less photos of her than we have of father. I eventually found two, one of her in her early twenties with her hair in a bun and another of her sitting in the first ever bird hide in Norfolk at Holme Bird Observatory – this picture was fascinating and I had never seen it before! My father has hundreds and hundreds of black and white bird photos, nest pictures, scenery pictures and a few of people. The most exciting ones I found were of the Ivory Gull, the first Collared Flycatcher at Holme Bird Observatory and some lovely pictures of Cley including a stunning picture of Old Woman's Lane, my father overlooking Arnold's Marsh (don't know who took that), the Heligoland Trap at Cley Bird Observatory, pictures of Barry Spence, Paul Kirby and Richard Richardson. This is just the first big trunk of photos! There is a long way to go..........

Cooked dinner late evening and then found a folder at the back of a draw marked 'When One dies'!!! This had father's requests of who his possessions should go to, which although not drawn up officially in a will, really should be honoured out of respect. I found lots of birthday cards, framed paintings that I had done at art college, old maps. 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  
Spoonbills x 3, Spotted Redshanks x 3, Garganey at Titchwell RSPB
Spoonbills x 4, Black Terns x 2 flew past Cley NWT
Spotted Crake, White-rumped Sandpiper reported this morning, Garganey x 2, Spotted Redshanks x 2 at Potter Heigham Marshes
Black Tern at Rollesby Broad
Spoonbills x 2 at Burnham Overy Staithe
Wood Sandpiper at Buckenham Marshes RSPB
Spoonbill at Holkham Freshmarsh
Spoonbills x 31 at Stiffkey Fen
Wood Sandpiper at Holme NWT
Short-eared Owl at Thornham Marsh
Great White Egret at Hickling Broad NWT

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Cley and Salthouse

I allowed myself to escape today – well it wasn't exactly for the day, I didn't leave until 3pm. I promised myself I would get out of the house for a change of scene, but everything I do is taking so long. I don't feel able to do things at my normal speed and efficiency. I spent the morning doing a load of washing, putting it out on the line, doing all the bird ponds and topping up the feeders, looking after the cat and cooking lunch. Vivien is back in Ely this weekend with Ray and I am here alone on cat duties!

I should have been at Rutland Bird Fair this weekend – I had booked Friday off to go, but there is no way I am capable of driving that far and facing hundreds of people, much too soon. I wasn't even sure about driving to Cley, but I made it – after contending with the ever increasing traffic and with motorbikes weaving their way around cars and day trippers driving faster than they should be. I felt guilty about going out, what gave me the right to do something nice after my poor mother has died? I suppose its normal to feel like that.

I arrived at the Cley NWT Visitor Centre just before 4pm, just in time for a clotted cream and jam scone – but, they didn't have any left – I was most disappointed, so had to make do with a piece of cake and a pot of tea. I sat by the window enjoying the wonderful views over the reserve and Eddie came to join me which was nice. I left here and headed east.

Parked up at Beach Road, Salthouse and ambled out to Gramborough Hill. It was a beautiful afternoon and I was glad I had made the effort to escape. As expected at this time of the year, there were few birds to be seen, but I did manage to see two Linnets in the scrub on the hill and a Little Egret on the marsh. The best moment of the day was laying in the thick dry grass on top of the hill in the sunshine and gazing up at the blue skies and fluffy white clouds and thinking about my parents – were they up there looking down? Maybe, who knows. Nothing can be as bad as what has happened in the last eighteen months – losing both parents in this short space of time is unreal – how are you supposed to cope?! Sand Martins and Swallows skimmed over my head. I tore myself away and made my way back to my car.

Yesterday, the 'green' Skoda went in the garage for a major overhaul: its second service, break fluid service, first MOT, two new tyres and new window wipers (required by MOT fail!), taxed, mini valet and none of it was part of the three year guarantee which is up on the 1st September so the bank balance has been considerably lightened! So its back on the road and looking nice and shiny – I looked into exchanging to a new Fabia a few weeks ago, but the monthly price increase for a new one was about £60 more and I'm not going to do that. I could have had their new smaller model Citigo, but the boot is minuscule!

Anyway, after Gramborough Hill, I parked up at the bottom of Old Woman's Hill and walked out to Daukes' Hide to join the gull watchers: Eddie, Mark, James, Richard et al! It was really nice sitting here and the light as always was beautiful. Besides the gull roost (1 Caspian Gull found by Eddie and a Yellow-legged Gull), there were good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, 2 Snipe, 1 Green Sandpiper, Shelduck, Pied Wagtails, Teal, Redshank, Ruff and Moorhen. I left the hide before the others and then drove back as the sun was setting along the A149 back to Holme. I stopped in Wells to get some chips and had to queue at 8.45pm! It was heaving with people like it was the middle of the day! Arrived back home, got the washing off the line and looked after the cat! 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  
Spoonbills x 9, Spotted Redshanks x 3, Garganey at Titchwell RSPB
Short-eared Owl, Black Terns x 2 flew past Cley NWT
Caspian Gulls x 2 at Cromer
Wood Sandpiper at Holme NWT
Spoonbills x 25 at Stiffkey Fen
Great White Egret, Wood Sandpiper at Rush Hill Scrape, Hickling Broad NWT

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly

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  
Spoonbill, Short-eared Owl, Spotted Redshanks x 2 at Titchwell RSPB
Caspian Gull at Cromer
Great White Egrets x 3, Spoonbills x 3 flew over Blakeney Point
Spotted Crake, Garganey x 4 at Potter Heigham Marshes
Great White Egrets x 3 flew over Weybourne Camp
Purple Heron flew in off sea at Hopton-on-Sea
Spoonbills x 3 at Stiffkey Fen
Great White Egret, Wood Sandpiper at Holme NWT
Garganey at Buckenham Marshes RSPB

MEGA NEWS
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Tresco, Isles of Scilly

NO EMAILS AT ALL!

I have received no emails since yesterday and can't send any either. Exasperated with TalkTalk – phoned them up and they said there is a major problem with all customers who were with Pipex (I was) whom they took over. 'Someone will phone me within 72 hours' – great! I will have to pay £232.51 if I want to close my contract and go with a different internet provider I found out. They should be paying me that for compensation!!!

A Difficult Day!

Today has been extremely difficult indeed. I spent this morning ringing everyone up in mother's address book, to inform them that she had passed away, which resulted in lots of tearful phone calls! Ringing up names from the 'old days' was very emotional and shocking to hear that some of the people I rang had passed away with either their wife or husband remaining – how short our lives are!

Vivien and I have sorted out and booked Holme Village Hall for the wake and have booked caterers for food. I then had to drive to King's Lynn to pick Lucy up and returned to Holme to find that Vivien was missing?! Lucy and I then drove to Hunstanton and found that Vivien was also in Hunstanton! We then went to John Lincoln's (funeral directors) to 'view' mother in their chapel of rest at 3pm. Traumatic is an understatement, very emotional. The undertakers made a very good job of making mother look pretty and she certainly looked a lot better then when we last saw her on the awful morning of her death. We had chosen the clothes she wore at father's funeral – a small print floral pink/lilac and cream blouse and lilac cardigan with black trousers from the Edinburgh Wool Shop. Her hands were crossed and she looked at peace in her white silk lined coffin. We spent a long time with her and it was torture to leave.

We returned home to Holme and had cake and strong tea to recover! We lit a candle and had a toast with our teacups to Mother and Father and to us. We are going to need huge strength to get through the coming days, weeks and months – there is so much to do, far more than you can possibly imagine. Sorting out the house will be a nightmare and the big question of what do we do with the house! We need to write the Eulogy, find one of mother's poems from years ago, write death notices for the papers etc etc.

This evening I was on the phone to BT for over 60 minutes, informing them of mothers's death, clarifying what will happen next, getting compensation for the lack of internet in May/June and getting a technical engineer to find out why I can't send emails – long story short, they are sending me out the latest Smart Hub which 'Macs' prefer and when I receive and install this, I should be able to reply/send emails – we'll see! Good night!