The Evening Patrol

   Started out at 6:30 pm into a brisk North Sea breeze—23°C on paper, but a fresher 18°C in reality. A wood pigeon warbled contentedly from a leafy silver birch, keeping watch over the playground as I skirted the recreation ground. Overhead, a half-dozen corvids high-tailed it toward the distant woods, while up above the cemetery, a pair of herring gulls effortlessly wheeled and glided through the air.

   Passing the cemetery road, my regular Pitbull ‘friend’ stood at attention in his garden, silently tracking my progress before deciding I wasn’t a threat and settling back into the grass.

 Cutting through the wildflower garden to the main road, I noticed the blossoms had already tucked themselves in for the night, though the surrounding viburnum hedge was still putting on a brilliant show of white flowers. I turned down toward the leisure centre, where nine feral pigeons and a duo of sparrows had claimed the rooftop. Another lone sparrow dashed into a hawthorn hedge for cover as I neared.

  Right near the finish line, two wood pigeons held absolute formation on separate rooftops—sentinels clearly warning off any feathered interlopers. Just as the boots stopped moving, a male blackbird touched down on a neighbouring lawn to welcome me home.

Nature Log Stats

Distance: 2.24 miles

Duration: 50 minutes

Google Fit: 24 Heart Points.

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

Morning Patrol Nature Log 

   Out early at 06:00 am to beat the heatwave, though a brisk wind dropped the real feel well below the actual 15°C. The morning belonged to the birds and butterflies. Wood pigeons filled the air with sound from the moment I stepped outside, later scattering in numbers as I entered the cemetery.

   A lone rook held court on the town football ground, while ten corvids and a gathering of four jackdaws claimed the playing fields. Sparrows darted from the hawthorns and care home hedges in lively little flocks, and noisy gulls circled their abandoned factory colony.

 . The local dog walkers are clearly adapting to the rising mercury—passed a muzzled white Poodle and a black greyhound out early to protect them from the heat. On the insect front, a cabbage white fluttered by the playground, a brilliant red admiral zipped past the privet hedge too quickly for a photo, and a comma butterfly provided the perfect finale, whizzing around the garden as I arrived home.

Daily Stats

Distance: 1.69 miles

Duration: 36 minutes

Google Fit: 20 heart points.

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

Daily Log Narrative
    6:00 am: Out early to beat the heatwave. The streets were completely deserted, save for a few sporadic drops of early rain. A fresh breeze (12–16 mph) took the edge off the mugginess, making the 24°C forecast feel like a comfortable 18°C.
   As I headed towards the recreation ground, the resonant cooing of wood pigeons filled the air while noisy gulls called out from their distant rooftop colony. Near the playing field, a lone blackbird darted swiftly into a thick hedge.

   Reaching the cemetery road gates, I was greeted by a brilliant, large cluster of poppies in full bloom. Inside, a single corvid hopped along the verges, completely unbothered by a muntjac deer slipping quietly into the empty field at the top end. Out on the water, the offshore response vessel sat brilliantly lit against the silhouetted morning sky—naturally, I had to snap a quick photo.

Heading back past the leisure centre, three feral pigeons kept watch from the roof. Near the five-a-side pitch, a tabby cat sauntered past, likely wrapping up a successful nightly prowl, while a large white butterfly fluttered along the wire fence.

In Foxy Lane, local dog owners were clearly out early to protect their pets from the impending, oppressive heat. I passed a lady with a black Greyhound on a lead, and a man keeping pace with an impressive Schnauzer tearing freely across the grass. One final wood pigeon on a rooftop marked the end of today’s trek.

Today’s Stats
Distance: 1.74 miles
Time: 36 minutes
Google Fit: 24 heart points

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

Daily Nature Log
Narrative
   The air was a warm 18°C to 28°C, but it felt closer to a scorching 30°C in the direct sun when I set off 🌞. Down Foxy Lane, three painted lady butterflies danced over the tiny wildflowers.

    Reaching the recreation ground, I spotted six corvids feeding on the football pitch, with another ten—mostly rooks—pecking at the grass around the field’s edge. Countless small whites and two large whites darted beneath the hedgerows, while a pair of magnificent painted ladies fluttered by the cemetery road. True to form, the ‘friendly’ local Pitbull Terrier let out a couple of barks from his garden as I passed.

   Inside the cemetery, a trio of magpies darted through the trees, their numbers swelling to six as I walked on. Two corvids and a gathering of wood pigeons patrolled the verges. Reaching the top field, I caught sight of an Offshore Response Vessel out at sea and zoomed in for a photograph. I tried to capture a couple of painted ladies fluttering frantically over the wildflower bank, but they were simply too quick for my camera! Two distant rooks and a pair of roadside dunnocks rounded out the cemetery sightings.

   On my way to the main road, I photographed the wildflower garden, noted a solitary feral pigeon on the Leisure Centre roof, and watched a flurry of butterflies charting the edge of the playing field.

Stats
Distance: 1.74 miles
Time: 36 minutes
Google Fit: 23 Heart Points

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

The Walk Narrative
   A fresh 8:45 am start with a deceptively cool breeze in the shade. I practically had the morning to myself—a wonderfully peaceful absence of people.
   Down by the football ground, six corvids and a solitary rook were busy feeding, while a raucous crew of ten gulls wheeled overhead, calling out to one another. Near the cemetery road entrance, a dunnock darted into the greenery. Spotting my usual acquaintance—the local Pitbull Terrier—lounging quietly in his garden, I received an inquisitive look that clearly translated to: ‘You’re early today!’
   Before stepping into the cemetery, I snapped a photo of some purple-flowered shrubs in the hedge, which Google Lens later identified as Lycium barbarum (Goji berry). Inside, another pair of dunnocks bolted for cover, and a trio of magpies played a frantic game of chase through a thick hedge. The local rookery itself was entirely deserted; the rooks have evidently decamped to the surrounding farmers’ fields.

  On the way out, a lone wood pigeon watched from a concrete ledge. I strolled down the cemetery road towards the leisure centre, pausing only to photograph a vibrant cluster of pavement wildflowers. Arriving at the leisure centre, eight feral pigeons held court on the rooftop, while back at the football ground, another rook fed against a backdrop of screeching gulls. A final, single magpie under the pine trees rounded out a highly productive avian tally.

Daily Stats
Distance: 2.05 miles
Time: 40 minutes
Google Fit: 25 heart points
Weather: 21°C air temp (Feels like 19°C–24°C), gentle 10–15 mph winds
Notable Flora: Lycium barbarum hedge, colourful roadside wildflowers
Avian Tally: 8 rooks, 6 corvids, 10 gulls, 3 dunnocks, 4 magpies, 1 wood pigeon, 8 feral pigeons.

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

The Narrative
   Setting off in a bright 21°C with a gentle easterly breeze, the coastal air felt absolutely perfect. On the way to the recreation ground, a painted lady butterfly fluttered through the pine-shaded wildflowers, while a crow perched aloft, voicing its usual rasping disapproval.

   Circling the rec, small whites danced along the hedgerows before I reached the cemetery road. There, my usual ‘friend’—the local Pitbull Terrier—was pacing and barking up a storm. Inside the cemetery, the drama continued with two wood pigeons loudly flapping and fighting in a thick hedge, though the peace was kept by passing small whites and comma butterflies.

   Up at the empty field’s wildflower bank, I hit the jackpot: a painted lady settled on the ground, joined by another for a spectacular, fluttering territorial dance. Turning back through the gate, a pheasant caught my eye, scuttling under the thick shrubs.

   Back on the road, I crossed paths with an impressive Husky-Malamute cross. As I chatted with the owner, the Husky began doing laps around the Pitbull’s garden perimeter, sparking an immediate, furious barking match from behind the glass. The owner just smiled: “Happens every single time.”
   Heading towards the leisure centre, the scent of white privet flowers filled the air. At the centre itself, the local bird contingent was out in force—six feral pigeons and a jackdaw on the roof, five gulls cruising overhead, and a sparrow darting into the shrubs. A gorgeous red admiral briefly teased me on some wild plants, but vanished before I could snap a photo.
The Stats
Distance: 1.91 miles
Time: 49 minutes
Google Fit: 25 Heart Points

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

A Breezy Town Trek
   With Margaret off to her gym mobility session, I stepped out at 11:30 am for an optician’s appointment in town. It was a bright 24°C, though a 15 mph easterly breeze dropped the ‘feels like’ temperature to a comfortable 19°C—ideal conditions to complete my daily active wild nature walk.
   The blazing sun was busy heating the concrete as I stuck to the shady side of the street. Along the main road, a lone magpie pecked at the grass beneath the pine trees. Further on, a splash of beautiful flowers caught my eye; they looked like Michaelmas daisies, but a post-walk Google search rightly corrected me to Fleabane (Erigeron). Just as I hit the corner to town, a wood pigeon dashed rapidly across my path.

   The local dogs were out in full force today. I passed a family with a yellow Labrador, followed shortly by a pair of large black and white sheepdogs. Over the car park, a single gull drifted lazily through the cloudless sky, whilst a Cavapoo and a poodle trotted along on their afternoon excursions. Before heading to my appointment, I paused to photograph an abandoned railway carriage completely flanked by shrubs—one choked with morning glory bindweed, the other buried in hedge bindweed.

Business concluded, I crossed the main road for the return leg. Overhead, two gulls pulled off a perfect mid-air crossover, while a third sat proudly on a chimney pot. Given the spectacular amount of guano painting the roof tiles below it, I have no doubt there is a nest established there!
   The pavements were teeming with resilience, sporting wildflowers cracked into the concrete, walls, and fences. One overgrown garage driveway was a delightful tangle of daisies, dandelions, and mallow. I also snapped a blue, bell-shaped specimen that Google Lens later identified as a Campanula, before capturing a genuinely magnificent, towering, aged tree that turned out to be a Monterey Cypress.
Walk Statistics
Distance: 2.0 miles
Duration: 42 minutes
Google Fit: 28 Heart Points.

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

DAILY Nature walk
   The North Sea breeze gave the 14°C–20°C air a distinct 11°C–17°C chill, but the bright sunshine made for a pleasant start.
   A wood pigeon dashed across the road—clearly on a mission for food or romance—while a pair of magpies played rooftop tag. At the recreation ground, a dunnock bolted into the hedgerow, while the cemetery rookery sat entirely silent. With the breeding season wrapping up, the rooks have staged a mass exodus to the surrounding fields. However, a pair of wood pigeons canoodling on a nearby ledge proved that local romance isn’t quite dead yet, even if a six-strong flock of magpies was busy causing chaos in the hedges nearby.

   The top farmer’s field was utterly deserted, but the wildflower bank was alive. I managed a great photo of a small cabbage white butterfly, watching it and a pair of dancing meadow browns flutter through the grass. Near the gates, a much larger cabbage white was enjoying the purple lavender.

  Heading back, the resident Pitbull was joyfully barking with his young owner, another dunnock crossed my path, and a lone magpie chattered its way into a Holm Oak. I finished up at the Leisure Centre, where six feral pigeons claimed the roof and the local gull colony made their usual raucous racket.
Daily Stats
Distance: 2.49 miles
Time: 55 minutes
Google Fit: 25 Heart Points

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

  The sun was blazing but the breeze kept things a comfortable 20°C (feeling like 19°C) as I stepped out. A neighbouring garden showed off a brilliant yellow Brachyglottis, whilst a massive bank of Norfolk lavender was absolutely buzzing with bees. Down by the football ground, a pair of corvids pecked at the grass, and a few meadow brown butterflies danced along the outskirts of the playing field.

   Nearing the cemetery road, another meadow brown fluttered amongst the purple mallow and brambles, right under the watchful eye of the local Pitbull, who threw a sudden warning bark my way. Inside the quiet cemetery, two wood pigeons kept watch from separate ledges and a thrush sang from the allotment hedge. Remarkably, the local rookery was completely deserted today, save for a few passing gulls.
   Heading back via the leisure centre, ten feral pigeons sat in a perfect, silent line on the roof. The same couldn’t be said for the gulls on the abandoned factory roof—their colony was a wall of screeching sound.
Activity Stats
Distance: 1.57 miles
Time: 33 minutes
Google Fit: 23 heart points.

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.

Daily Nature Log: 20 June 2026
  The walk began under a threatening sky, with the air temperature at 22°C but feeling a muggy 24°C.
   Setting off down Foxy Lane, a wood pigeon warbled from a rooftop, but the real star was a male blackbird. He was perched on the highest branch of a pine tree, singing a territorial melody—truly the lord of all he surveyed.
   At the recreation ground, a cricket match was in full swing while youngsters kicked a football nearby. The cemetery pathways themselves were completely devoid of birds, but near the exit, another blackbird was actively defending his patch with a beautiful, melodic warning. From behind a nearby fence, the local Pitbull barked loudly at the intrusion.
  Heading along Cemetery Road, a pair of magpies swooped over the hedge into the allotments. I cut through the wildflower garden towards the leisure centre just as the threatened rain began to fall. On the centre’s roof, four feral pigeons sat lined up in a defensive posture, while a flock of sparrows flitted securely within the fresh leaves of a hawthorn hedge.
   After a quick sight of a lone wood pigeon foraging beneath the pine trees, the heavens truly opened, forcing a very swift march for home.
Stats
Distance: 1.95 miles
Duration: 43 minutes
Activity: 25 Google Fit heart points

 

Copyright ©️ Text, photographs and videos Written by John Yeo – All rights reserved.