October 2020 Update

Well, I hope you are all well and keeping OK.

Its been a very hectic time here for us after lockdown. Old Beans Cottage and The Bohemian Blue Hut have been fully booked up and continue to do so. With Old Beans Cottage it is now on Airbnb for the Autumn / Winter and early Spring for three nights minimum stay and then with some bookings with Norfolk Cottages in the summer, but next year where we have gaps it will be going onto Airbnb. Why? you might ask, well Norfolk Cottages take 25% off us in booking fees and Airbnb takes 3% so its a no brainer really for the business.

We will close the cottage for a week in January 2021 to get the decorators in, and builder to tidy up a few things.

The Housemartins had a very successful June and July here at Ticketyboo. Hopefully, they will be back here next year along with the Swallows. The Barn Owls are still showing very well.

The Otters are still showing well at the bottom of the garden

17 April 202017 April 2020

March & April 2020 Updates

Dear all

I hope you are all well and safe, and DIY jobs doing fine.

Here at Ticketyboo Cottage, all is well, and as you all know, I am very lucky to live in open space with fields, river and surrounding woods.

Like most places the sound of birds singing is amazing. Its been a great time to get a lot of jobs done at Old Beans Cottage as well as at Ticketyboo; it’s that old saying ‘like the Forth River Bridge…’.

The first Swallow was back here on the 8 April, on the same day the neighbours saw the Otter heading upstream in daylight. Lots of Brimstones, Orange Tips and Holly Blues; the Masonry Bees are again very active at Old Beans. We now wait for the return of the Spotted Flycatchers…..

All the very best

Martin

A few shots of the back of Old Beans up to present date

The Kestrels have been very noisy with bonding and food passes, and now she has gone down on eggs, so time will tell in about 28 days….

A first for the pond here at Ticketyboo, a female Reed Bunting singing out.

And another first is a Raven here in East Barsham. Its been here for two weeks and living up at the church, and can be heard calling out most days, but on several mornings its been down the lane here.

Extras

I thought I would share with you my last Filming Job in January in the Arctic Circle with Mr Ray Mears

Ticketyboo Fest has been cancelled for June 2020 and will now take place in 2021

31 July 201931 July 2019

June & July 2019 Updates

Running a bit late on this as I know a lot of you want to know what’s happening in the nest boxes…..

But first Chrissie on the 27th July cut down the garden Meadow, which now matches the water meadow which was cut down the week before.

The Bohemian Blue Hut which is at the bottom of the garden at Ticketyboo, was used for a fashion shot for the North Norfolk Living magazine, which has been all good PR.

On the 19th of July we had some more PR for North Norfolk Safaris which we are now running and can now be found on the website …..

On the 9th of July my good friend Phil Littler and I, ringed two Barn Owls chicks from the nest box from inside the horse shelter, which the two flying over the meadow.

Spotted Flycatchers have done well this year in the garden, with bringing up four youngsters. And have showed very well for all… photo 28th June.

Sadly with all the rain we had, the Kestrel only reared one youngster, which was ringed on the 24th of June, and can still be heard screaming out in the vicinity.

15 April 2019

April 2019 Updates

New

We have just launched North Norfolk Safaris.

So, while staying at Old Beans Cottage why not join us on an adventure….Check out northnorfolksafaris.co.uk

Old Beans Cottage
The old horse shelter has now been re roofed, so the Barn Owls now have a very dry roosting place to get out of the wind and rain, the tea chest nest box inside the shelter is being well used with lots of pellets inside.

Martin fixing the roof of the old horse shelter

The Kestrel nest box that you can view from Old Beans Cottage, has been refurbished with fresh wood chippings. Most days the pair can be seen mating in the tree, with the female then inspecting the nest box afterwards.

So, fingers crossed for another successful year.