Daily Walk & Nature Log
    Shortly before setting off, a dramatic summer storm delivered a furious downpour of thunder, lightning, and desperately needed rain. The moisture-starved ground could barely absorb it at first, leaving wide puddles sitting atop the rock-solid earth.  Passing the children’s playground where sparrows ducked into cover, I reached the recreation ground just in time to see three imposing herring gulls muscle in on four feeding corvids, scattering them instantly while leaving a lone common gull behind.

    The quiet cemetery offered its usual peaceful respite—save for a couple of wood pigeons perched stoically on nearby protuberances and a Small White butterfly fluttering high into the exit shrubs. Across the distant fields, three tractors were making quick work of the softened soil, flanked by eager gulls swooping in for a feast. The air by the care home was rich with the rain-sweetened fragrance of blooming privet, leading the way to the leisure centre where 15 feral pigeons and a corvid stood like sentinels along the roofline. A stubborn Peacock butterfly led me on a wild goose chase through the nettles, refusing to rest for a picture, but I did manage to capture a lovely contrast of traditional and modern life: two jackdaws perched right on a TV aerial beside an old chimney pot.

Walk & Environmental Metrics
Distance: 2.37 miles
Duration: 52 minutes
Google Fit Points: 27 Heart Points
Temperature: 16°C to 17°C (61°F to 63°F) | Feels like: 24°C (75°F)
Wind: Westerly at 7–18 mph
Notable Wildlife: Corvids, common gull, herring gulls, wood pigeons, sparrows, feral pigeons, jackdaws, Small White butterfly, Peacock butterfly.
 

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
    I started my daily walk in humid, 16°C to 17°C warmth—feeling more like 24°C—with a westerly breeze picking up.
    Passing a lady exercising her Cockapoo under the pines, I spotted a pair of corvids foraging on the football pitch. Bright mallow and yarrow blooms still defied the dried-up grass along the rec’s edge, all under the threat of rain later today.

Further along, the goji berry hedge was positively buzzing with bees and a couple of Small White butterflies. The local ‘friendly’ Pitbull gave a low-key greeting bark before posing atop his garden trampoline for a quick photo session.

   Over at the cemetery field, a wood pigeon was busy feasting on vibrant hawthorn berries, and a neat row of rooks lined the nearby telephone wires. Near the gates, a sparrow and a blue tit played leapfrog between the shrubs, before the rooks suddenly erupted into a noisy, swirling parliament—clearly rattled by an unseen intruder.
    Finishing up past the leisure centre, where 15 feral pigeons sat lined up like clockwork on the roof, I grabbed one last shot of a solitary sparrow on a shed.

Stats:
Distance: 2.01 miles
Duration: 44 minutes
Google Fit: 25 heart points.

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
    A humid 17°C late afternoon, feeling closer to 24°C in the soft westerly breeze.
    At the town football ground, fifteen corvids were busy feeding on the immaculate, velvety green pitch—a fine testament to the groundsman’s painstaking care. Rounding the recreation ground, I bumped into my old friend Jonathan. His daily routine has been noticeably quieter since losing his faithful Border Collie, Jack, back in April; his search for a new Labrador companion has so far proven fruitless.
    I took the quiet pathways through the cemetery, where wood pigeons fluttered between the gravestones. Wild common purple mallow and bright white yarrow flared in vibrant patches along the path, though the wild blackberries nearby look tiny and stunted—a stark casualty of the recent dry spell.
  Over the leisure centre, a lone gull glided overhead before a large, roving corvid swept in low, sending a flock of feral pigeons scattering to the four winds. A young lady ambled past with a spirited little brown Cockapoo, rounding out a peaceful circuit.

Daily Stats
Distance: 2.2 miles
Duration: 43 minutes
Heart Points: 25 Google Fit points

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
    The air temperature hovered around 20–21°C (68–70°F) with a light breeze as I set off on my daily walk at 5pm. A woman was exercising her Bull Terrier by the playground, while unseen gulls called raucously across the distance.

    Reaching the cemetery, I snapped a wood pigeon on the fence before spotting a crab apple tree laden with fruit. A sparrow darted into the hedgerow just ahead, leading me straight to a resident muntjac posed beside a magnificent weeping cherry. I managed a few quiet shots before following him discreetly, though he ultimately slipped away.

   Near the rookery, the air filled with the familiar, guttural cawing of rooks in flight—a welcome sight that earned another few photos. Over by the leisure centre, three feral pigeons kept watch from the roof edge, while further off, gulls commandeered a nearby factory rooftop. 

Wrapping up the walk, I passed a Yorkie trotting past the football pitches and a cheerful Cockapoo taking its evening stroll.
Today I walked for 2.5 miles in 57 minutes
Google Fit awarded me 18 heart points.

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
    The sun was out in full force today—20°C to 22°C on the thermometer, but feeling closer to 25°C in the heat.
    Small white butterflies fluttered through the grass beneath the pine trees, while a solitary gull flapped purposefully overhead. Turning onto Cemetery Drive, my eye was caught by the local ‘friendly’ Pitbull Terrier lying unnaturally still in his garden. It gave me a moment’s pause and genuine concern, making a mental note to check on him on the return leg.

    Further along, the Goji berry hedge by the cemetery border was a vibrant carpet of purple blossoms, surrounded by a swirling ballet of a dozen or more white butterflies dancing between the branches. The heat was mounting rapidly along the cemetery paths, making me thoroughly glad I had brought a bottle of water.
    Passing the Pitbull’s garden once more, I was relieved to find the lawn empty.
    At the leisure centre, ten feral pigeons stood like a firing line along the roof’s edge, while another gull soared overhead towards the golf course, calling loudly into the blue. Over on the recreation ground, a single corvid picked through the parched, yellowed grass.

    A young lady leading a pair of Schnoodles crossed my path ahead—just long enough for me to snap a quick photo of one—and shortly after, an old friend walked by with his Pekinese-type dog, exchanging a few cheerful words about the summer heat as we passed.

Stats
Distance: 2.01 miles
Duration: 45 minutes
Google Fit: 17 Heart Points.

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

Daily Nature Log
   Setting out in a warm 22°C breeze, armed with a cold water bottle, I passed a pair of dogs—a black Lab and a Yorkie—before heading toward the recreation ground. Cabbage white butterflies fluttered through the hedgerows, and a groundsman was busy prepping the pitch for tomorrow’s match under the watchful eye of a man walking his light brown Cockapoo.

    By the cemetery’s Goji berry hedge, a dozen more cabbage whites danced through the branches. I picked up the pace along the cemetery paths, catching sight of six feral pigeons soaring overhead, a wood pigeon darting off toward distant fields, and a solitary blue tit darting high into the canopy.
    At the leisure centre, fifty feral pigeons held court on the roof, while a single corvid grazed on the lush, freshly watered football pitch—joining two others that had settled on the recreation ground. I managed to snap a quick photo of Dolly Parton, the stray cat, perfectly camouflaged in the bramble shade, before spotting five jackdaws lining the roadside turf to mark the end of my stroll.

Clean Stats
Distance Walked: 1.73 miles
Time Elapsed: 37 minutes
Google Fit: 28 Heart Points.

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

Daily Nature Log
    The afternoon warmth reached 24°C under a light southeasterly breeze as I set off at 3:00 pm. Wildlife was busy seeking shade and shelter: a magpie darted into the cool pine branches, a wood pigeon burst from the long grass, and the resident ‘friendly’ Pitbull Terrier lay flat out in his sunny garden, clearly feeling the heat. White yarrow was already turning brown across the recreation ground, while fluttering Cabbage Whites filled the air.
    At the cemetery, blue tits darted through the treetops alongside a flurry of butterflies. Reaching the leisure centre, a 30-strong flock of feral pigeons suddenly erupted into the air, wheeling over the cricket field before splitting off—leaving a quiet dozen resting on the roof as I wrapped up today’s excursion.

Activity Stats
Distance: 2.13 miles
Duration: 48 minutes
Google Fit: 16 Heart Points

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️

   It was a scorching afternoon when I set off at 5:00 pm. The temperature hovered around 24°C, with a moderate south-east wind doing little to cut the heat. Along the way, a couple of dog owners took refuge beneath the pine trees—much to the relief of their black Labrador and Yorkshire Terrier!
    At the entrance to Cemetery Drive, Cabbage White butterflies fluttered around the Goji berry hedge, while the local gull colony put on a raucous performance. Above, four swifts sliced through the sky, vacuuming up insects on the wing, and eight feral pigeons took a brief lap off the leisure centre roof before settling back down.
    Further along, a black-headed gull held court on its usual rooftop, a woodpigeon kept watch from a wooden fence, and a single gull scavenged across the football pitch. I even managed to snap a photo of Dolly Parton, the leisure centre’s resident stray cat, lounging peacefully in the bramble shade.

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