Daily Nature Log
   I began my daily walk at 5:00 PM today; the air temperature was 21°C (about 70°–71°F) with steady northwest winds around 18 mph and gusts peaking up to roughly 32 mph. The strong wind was blowing straight towards me, almost knocking me off my feet!

     When I began walking around the outskirts of the recreation ground, I photographed a healthy-looking milk thistle growing well despite the recent drought. I also snapped a spread of yarrow flowers standing out in the centre of the sun-scorched brown grass.
   Reaching the entrance to the cemetery road, I spotted a holly blue butterfly settled on some brambles — a real stroke of luck to capture a photo of such an active little creature. Nearby, the usually prolific blackberry bushes were covered in dried-up fruit, another stark casualty of the dry spell.

   The gusty wind howling through the leaves of the holm oaks sounded just like waves rolling onto the seashore.

   As I entered the cemetery, several wood pigeons scattered into the air. Beside the allotment site, a row of pine trees was shaken so fiercely by the gale it felt like an audience’s ripple of applause swelling to a crescendo at the end of a performance. Above, five screaming gulls were effortlessly gliding on the wind with wings outstretched.
    Rounding off the walk, I passed the leisure centre where a solitary feral pigeon held court on the edge of the rooftop, while a black-headed gull pecked at the dry turf on the rec. Over on the town football ground, a large sprayer was blasting a powerful jet of water across the green grass, shared by three corvids, a wood pigeon, and another gull getting their evening meal.
Finally, I noticed the adopted Leisure Centre cat, ‘Dolly Parton’,  comfortable in a patch of long grass.

  Daily Stats
Start Time 5:00 PM
Distance 2.12 miles
Duration 46 minutes
Temperature 21°C (70°–71°F)
Wind NW 18 mph (Gusts to ~32 mph)
Heart Points 17 (Google Fit)
Key Wildlife
Holly blue butterfly, wood pigeons, corvids, black-headed gulls, feral pigeon
Flora Highlights
Milk thistle, yarrow, dried-up blackberry bushes, holm oaks, pine trees.

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

Daily Nature Log

The Narrative

   A warm 24°C–27°C afternoon with a gentle breeze made for pleasant walk conditions starting at 4:00 pm. The rich, honeyed scent of a garden buddleia greeted the start of the stroll, accompanied by a noisy rook complaining loudly from its perch atop a lamppost.

    Around the recreation ground borders, Large and Small Cabbage Whites fluttered about, while a nimble Comma butterfly darted around brambles by the cemetery road entrance. Another rook posed nicely at the treetop along Cemetery Road. Inside the cemetery, butterflies kept up a busy, non-stop flight path. Up towards the top end, the mini-woodland planted a couple of years ago in the neighbouring field is establishing itself brilliantly, with young trees making strong progress. Between the rows, a few small partridges scrambled along the ground.

   The heatwave’s touch was clear in the sun-burnt, dried grass, but resilience shone through in patches of bright yellow bird’s-foot trefoil and red clover still flowering in spite of the heat. Heading back past the allotments, a wood pigeon ducked swiftly into the hedge, and a white Labradoodle went by on a leash. The wildflower garden may have looked largely brown and spent, but hardy thistles showed off vivid purple blooms alongside straggly mallow peeking through dry dock seeds. Near the leisure centre, a brilliant flash of blue marked a tiny, elusive butterfly dancing along the care home’s privet hedge—far too quick for a photo! Overhead, 40 feral pigeons circled in two distinct flocks, while 15 more lined up neatly along the leisure centre roof.

Start Time. 4:00 pm

Conditions.  Warm, gentle breeze, heatwave conditions

Distance. 2.4 miles

Duration. 55 minutes

Heart Points 19  (Google Fit)

Key Sightings

Large & Small Cabbage Whites, Comma butterfly, unidentified blue butterfly, Rooks, Wood Pigeon, Partridges, Feral Pigeons (35+), Buddleia, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Red Clover, Thistles, Mallow

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