🦅 High Drama & Summer Wings

The Narrative:
   Started today’s loop under a gorgeous sun, brushed by a moderate breeze that took the edge off the 22°C heat. Near the pine trees, a raucous congregation of jackdaws filled the sky, likely amassing for their nightly roost, while a few fed on the sun-parched grass below. Passed a chap with a yellow Labrador, rounded the recreation ground—where small brown butterflies darted beneath hedges tangled with white field bindweed—and braved a trademark warning bark from my ‘friend’ the Pitbull.

   The undisputed highlight awaited in the empty field past the cemetery. After a green woodpecker made its distinctive, swooping escape, I walked right into a territorial showdown: two male muntjac deer fiercely head-butting and jumping at one another. I captured the action on camera before one threw in the towel and bolted. The victor began strolling casually in my direction, totally oblivious to me, letting me snap a few more close-up shots before he finally clocked my presence and coolly vanished through a gap in the hedge.

   Cut back through the cemetery, passing a pair of courting wood pigeons—the male performing a splendid routine of bowing and cooing—whilst a noisy canopy of rooks swirled above the rookery. The butterfly tally grew on the return stretch: two magnificent Red Admirals along the road, followed by a couple of Commas fluttering through the wildflower garden. Wrapped up the trek by the leisure centre, where five feral pigeons and a lone corvid stood sentinel on the roof, soundtracked by the usual spectacular racket from the nearby factory gull colony.

The Stats:
Distance: 1.76 miles
Time: 37 minutes
Heart Points: 20
Key Sightings: 2x Male Muntjac deer (fighting), 1x Green Woodpecker, 2x Red Admiral butterflies, 2x Comma butterflies, courting Wood Pigeons, and a swirling flock of Rooks.

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

   The temperature was sitting at a humid 22°C (feeling more like 24°C) with a brisk 13 mph northwest wind as I set out. Along the roadside, a small white butterfly danced past.

   Down at the recreation ground, a cricket match was in full swing. I paused for a quick, pleasant chat with a spectator and his lovely yellow Labrador-Springer cross. Overhead, six corvids coasted across the field in a loose, near-perfect formation.

   Reaching the cemetery road entrance, a meadow brown butterfly caught my eye in the overgrown corner. Inside the gates, a pair of wood pigeons were busy foraging on the grass verges, while a lone crow took flight into a plane tree at my approach. The garden borders were alive with movement—several small whites and two commas zooming amongst the blooms.

    Leaving the cemetery, I passed two more wood pigeons and cut through the wildflower garden to the main road, setting a course for the leisure centre. En route, a stunning peacock butterfly fluttered by, darting from place to place far too quickly for a photograph.

    Up on the leisure centre roof, a committee of nine feral pigeons lined the edge, sharing space with a single large corvid intently inspecting the guttering. Across from the care home, a lone sparrow ducked into a hawthorn shrub—though a lively chorus of invisible tweets and whistles suggested plenty of company inside. To round off the walk, a few more small whites drifted over the purple mallow beneath the pine trees.

Clean Stats

Distance: 2.6 miles

Time: 56 minutes

Google Fit: 29 heart points

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

River Wensum Wander
   A grey but warm 23°C along the River Wensum today, with a 7 mph westerly breeze pushing the real-feel up to a balmy 25°C.
   Setting off along the riverside towpath, the wildlife immediately put on a show. A small blue butterfly danced through the bramble flowers, and an impressive pied wagtail swooped past—a rare treat to see one mid-flight rather than strutting on the turf. A pair of elegant swans sailed serenely by, contrasting sharply with the chaotic feral pigeons perched on every available structure.

   As a few small powerboats hummed along the water, I paused to photograph a family of nearly fully grown geese. Moments later, an unusual coffee-bike appeared, the vendor pedalling his large, box-shaped stall and offering a wide grin for the camera. White butterflies fluttered thickly through the riverbank wildflowers, and a parade of local dogs trotted past—first a unique Jack Russell crossbreed, followed later by a purebred pup whose owner was entirely glued to his mobile phone.

  Reaching the Lady Julian Bridge, the pigeon population exploded, undoubtedly drawn by the scraps from the nearby riverside restaurants. On the path, a massive herring gull was actively bullying the local pigeons, wielding a terrifyingly hooked beak. I ducked into the welcome, cooling shade of a row of weeping willows, watching hundreds more noisy gulls wheeling around the town centre tower blocks in the distance. Rounding the final bend, I reached the Norwich Football Club ground and snapped a quick picture of the stadium before turning back to meet Margaret, drinking in the gorgeous river panorama all over again.

Clean Stats
Distance: 2.51 miles
Duration: 54 minutes
Google Fit: 26 heart points

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

Daily Wild Nature Log
    A balmy 21°C evening feel—bumped up to a humid 23°C by a gentle breeze—made for a lively walk. Straight out of the gate, three large herring gulls soared overhead, calling out loudly, whilst a lady with a yellow Labrador offered a friendly greeting.
   At the recreation ground, a pair of large white butterflies danced near the entrance, and another herring gull coasted lazily towards the golf course on patrol. Nearby, a woodpigeon kept watch from the five-a-side football pitch fence. A flash of translucent brown caught my eye as a tiny butterfly landed briefly on the soil—gone too fast for a photo, though Google Lens later flagged it as a likely Small Skipper.
   Moving into the cemetery, I snapped a stunning blue hydrangea shrub in full bloom, quickly joined by another large white butterfly flitting between blossoms. Further up, a solitary corvid fed near the top field, while two small whites spiralled over the wild bank by the allotments. Re-entering the grounds, I spotted a single woodpigeon resting on a concrete ledge and watched a crow retreat into the roadside pines.

The butterfly count kept rising along the cemetery road, with two small whites fluttering around the Birds-foot Trefoil. After a stroll through the wildflower garden, I hit the main road, pausing to photograph a woodpigeon claiming a wooden bench for itself. Arriving at the leisure centre, a lineup of seven feral pigeons and a lone crow held the cemetery rooftop, before a final pair of Meadow Browns rounded out the evening near the cricket pavilion.

Clean Stats
Distance: 2.21 miles
Duration: 48 minutes
Heart Points: 20

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