North Norfolk Holiday Cottage
Two young Barn Owl chicks were ringed on the 2 August. Looking forward to seeing them flying around the meadow.
Once again, many thanks to my old mate Phil Littler for the ringing. Long time visitors to this website will know that Phil is a member of the North West Norfolk Ringing Group and holds a license for this kind of work.
Ticketyboo Fest did rock and was a huge success; thanks to a good team.
Work Hard Play Hard…..
Not only a good showing with the camassia’s in full flower, but also a good showing of both Barn Owls out hunting to feed their small chicks in the nest box in the horse shelter.
And at the far end of the meadow the Kestrels have three chicks; so not a bad year for nest boxes at Old Beans Cottage.
Well this makes a change for me, as all the photographs in the mini-gallery below were taken by Chris, who was staying in Old Beans from 16 – 23 of April 2016.
What great images of whats happening at the back of the cottage, and so many of you will be able to relate to the Stoats.
So if you take any photographs of the wildlife at Old Beans, and want to ping them over for the news letter, we will try and get them on the page.
This just in….
Well spring is here at long last, and all the signs are out there.
In March the pair of Barn Owls were seen out on the meadow all the time, with the female stocking up on food. Since around the 30 March things have gone very quiet, so lets hope she’s
sitting on eggs for the next 33 days.
We also got to do some very quick spring cleaning, with reroofing part of the cottage on Saturdays when you left at ten, and stopped before you arrived at four. As the cottage is booked at the moment for 33 weeks of this year, it’s very hard to squeeze these jobs in, so a big thanks to Graham the builder.
For many of you have been to Old Beans before, you will know about the Stoats; one has been seen running around the garden on the 2 April and again 3 days later, which is great news, and the Swallows returned back here on the 3 April; so spring is here….
The last Barn Owl nest box has gone up to the left of Old Beans cottage, with the help of Mr Phil Littler (in pic). There have been two Barn Owls flying over the meadow of an evening, only time will tell.
Seven Buzzards have been soaring above the cottage, while in front of the cottage the Kestrels have been in and out of their nest box.
East Barsham Manor is up for sale again; if you have got three million spare…..
See more: click here
Well I honestly don’t know where the last few months have gone, maybe it was spending quite some time filming in Australia. Look out for the series on ITV in late March, Wild Australia With Ray Mears.
Back at Old Beans Cottage I have planted hundreds more tulip bulbs. And with a friend, Phil Littler, we have done up and restained the Barn Owl nest boxes, and cleared out all the old crap and fleas, and put fresh sawdust in the cleaned out boxes; early Spring cleaning.
I’m hoping to put up one more Barn Owl box nearer to the cottage in February.
Hi All
Just home myself for a few days in warm sunny North Norfolk, compared to where I have been filming in wet Scotland, thought I would take a few pics of the new kitchen tiled Travertine floor and new fridge freezer.
Out side the wild flower meadow garden has just been cut, there has been good sightings of the Hummingbird hawk-moth now on the Buddleia, which is just coming into flower.
Three young Kestrels from the nest box are now screaming out, as they fly over head, and if you have £3,950,000 the neighbours at Barsham Manor have put the place on the market with Sotheby’s…
