The North-Northwest wind cut through the morning, making the 10°C air feel nearly half that as it gusted across the recreation ground. Undeterred by the 40 mph blasts, a dozen rooks claimed the football pitch for their breakfast, while jackdaws patrolled the cricket field.
   The walk through the cemetery was a botanical delight; the vibrant yellow of a Laburnum tree stood in stark contrast to the wild, weedy bank where the insects remained tucked away from the gale. Greater stitchwort and bird’s-eye trefoil dotted the grass, though the local corvids weren’t keen on sharing the view, taking flight as soon as a human silhouette appeared. A quick dash by a small bird and a lively Cockapoo provided the final flourishes to a brisk 56-minute trek.

The Stats
Distance: 2.56 miles
Duration: 56 minutes
Intensity: 25 Google Fit Heart Points
Air Temp: 9°C – 11°C
Wind Chill: 5°C – 6°C
Wind Speed: 30–40 mph (NNW)
Key Sightings: Rooks (12+), Jackdaws (7), Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeons (3), Laburnum, Greater Stitchwort, Bird’s-eye Trefoil.

Today, we had two incredibly rare visitors to our garden in the shape of a pair of partridges. This is the first time we have ever seen these beautiful birds in our garden. I took many photographs of them through the kitchen windows. We also saw a pair of collared doves and a pair of dunnocks. Quite a few goldfinches were coming and going to the sunflower seed feeders. Our resident wood pigeon was also around and several feral pigeons. I couldn’t help noticing that the partridges weren’t at all aggressive, like the feral pigeons. A few different species of birds were peacefully feeding at the same time. I took a photograph of the two partridges, the two collared doves and our resident wood pigeon searching for dropped seeds beneath the feeders at the same time.

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

Daily Nature Log: 9 May 2026

   The sun was out, but a 9 mph northeasterly wind kept things brisk, making the 13°C air feel more like 11°C. The walk began on a somber note with a fallen wood pigeon—a casualty of the road—but the natural world quickly picked up the pace.

   At the recreation ground, the thwack of a cricket match provided the backdrop for a lone rook’s flight toward the cemetery rookery.
  Inside the cemetery, the atmosphere was lively; rooks foraged on the grass while the colony overhead made a proper racket. The resident partridges kept their distance on those characteristically tiny legs. Further up, in the farmer’s field, a crowd of thirty rooks took to the sky at my approach, leaving the grass momentarily still.
  Inside the cemetery, the atmosphere was lively; rooks foraged on the grass while the colony overhead made a proper racket. The resident partridges kept their distance on those characteristically tiny legs. Further up, in the farmer’s field, a crowd of thirty rooks took to the sky at my approach, leaving the grass momentarily still.

  The highlight, however, was a flash of pink: a chaffinch darting into a hawthorn shrub, just after two brown moths finished their aerial dance. From greater stitchwort by the wayside to a majestic white Pyrenean sheepdog at the finish, it was a proper showcase of local life.

Daily Template
Weather: 13°C (11°C wind chill), sunny with moderate NE winds.
Wildlife Observations: Wood pigeons, rooks (colony active), partridges, brown moths, chaffinch, jackdaw, gulls, sparrows, and feral pigeons.
Botany: Greater stitchwort.
Distance: 2.05 miles.
Time: 44 minutes.
Activity Reward: 25 Heart Points.
 

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

The Narrative
   The air temperature hovered between 12°C and 13°C, though the moderate north-easterly breeze made it feel significantly cooler—somewhere between 7°C and 11°C. My walk began around the outskirts of the lake, where I captured a striking photograph of a chestnut tree’s upright, white “candle” flowers set against the water.

After checking in on a female swan sitting comfortably on her nest, I continued along the path, passing dozens of rabbits scampering through the sunshine. A jay made a brief appearance on the path ahead before darting off as I drew near.

   Further along, I encountered the cob swan resting on a grassy bank beneath a tree and managed to snap a lovely photo of him.

Reaching the end of the lake, I took a moment to photograph the sheer beauty of the water before leaving the woodland—which was currently blanketed in a carpet of wood anemones.

Gunton lake

I joined the public pathway towards Corton, paused to photograph a vocal robin on a fence post, and admired a massive cherry blossom tree looming over the trail. At the fork in the road, I turned away from Corton, heading back toward Gunton Hall. After a brief encounter with a yellow Labrador and its owner, I re-entered the grounds, spotting a squirrel by an oak tree and a pied wagtail in the field.

I finished the circuit by photographing the cob swan once more, now floating gracefully, and spending some time with the Egyptian geese and their remarkably fluffy goslings.

The Stats
Distance: 2.64 miles
Duration: 58 minutes
Heart Points: 16
Conditions: 12°C–13°C (Wind chill: 7°C–11°C)
Wind: North-easterly, 13–15 mph
Key Sightings: Egyptian geese (with goslings), cob and pen swans, jay, robin, pied wagtail, rabbits, and wood anemones.

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

A Wild Encounter
   The air held a crisp edge as I set out across a field toward the lakeside path. A rowdy congregation of twenty corvids claimed the grass, oblivious to the delicate wild primroses pushing through the rough weeds beneath them. Along the banks, a carpet of bluebells demanded attention; I couldn’t resist pausing to capture their vibrant hue. On the water, large gulls floated in a state of constant, noisy squabbling. Rabbits were everywhere; their bobtails disappeared into bushes and shrubs along the way.

   The highlight of my walk arrived abruptly: a male muntjac deer, antlers held high, blocked my path. We shared a silent moment before I managed a few photos, and then, with a flash of fur, he vanished into the shrubs. As I pressed on, grey squirrels spiralled up ancient trunks, and blackbirds darted beneath the heavy purple canopy of rhododendrons.

   Near a dense thicket of bulrushes, I found a female swan tucked away on her nest, while her mate, the cob, preened himself in solitary indifference further out. Before heading back, I spotted a moorhen guarding five fluffy chicks in a nearby pond. The finale came at the exit, where I met Margaret just in time to see an Egyptian goose parading two spirited goslings across the path.

Daily Stats
Metric Detail
Temperature 12°C–13°C (54°F–55°F)
Wind Speed 7–9 mph (11–14 km/h)
Distance 3.18 miles
Duration 1 hour 12 minutes
Heart Points 19

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

   The sun was out, but that 19 mph easterly wind had enough bite to turn a mild 14°C into a brisk 12°C. I stuck to the usual route, spotting a wood pigeon darting across the road before pausing to capture the red-blossom hawthorn nestled under the pines on Foxy Lane.

   A male blackbird provided the soundtrack near the play area, while the local rooks and a solitary magpie claimed the recreation ground. Even the neighbourhood’s “friendly” Pitbull was taking it easy, dozing in a sun-drenched corner. In the cemetery, the cherry blossoms were putting on their final show, carpeting the ground in a cycle of growth and decay. The highlight, however, was a muntjac deer grazing 100 yards off. I managed a few shots before it vanished behind a shed, only for it to reappear and trot toward the far fence as I headed for the gates—a charming sight, even if their taste for memorial flowers makes them a bit of a local nuisance. After a quick snap of some pink sorrel in the hedgerow, I passed the leisure centre where five feral pigeons were holding their regular rooftop meeting.

Daily Nature Log

Metric Details

Weather 14°C (Feels like 12°C), Sunny, 19 mph East wind

Distance 1.62 miles

Duration 33 minutes

Intensity 23 Heart Points

Flora

Red-blossom Hawthorn, Flowering Cherry, Pink Sorrel

Fauna

Wood Pigeon, Blackbird, Rooks (approx. 6+), Magpie, Pitbull Terrier, Muntjac Deer, Feral Pigeons (5)

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

The Narrative
   The mercury sat at 10°C, but a biting 19 mph northeasterly wind dropped the “feels like” temperature to a brisk 6°C. Despite the chill, the sun remained bright. I set off on my daily walk, immediately turning up my collar to shield myself from the gusty conditions. In Foxglove Lane, a pair of wood pigeons were busy foraging in the long grass beneath the pines, while a couple of large white butterflies fluttered through the borders as I circled the recreation ground.
   Passing the entrance to the cemetery road, I spotted the Pitbull stretched out, soaking up the sunshine in a deep sleep. Inside the cemetery, my presence disturbed several more wood pigeons on the grass, sending a flock of rooks into the air toward the farmer’s fields.

A flash of movement under a hedge caught my eye; a bold male pheasant sat tucked under a shrub, watching me calmly as I snapped a few photographs.
   As I neared the cemetery gates, a few sparrows darted into the hedgerows. The peace was briefly broken by the Pitbull, now wide awake and barking loudly at passers-by. My return journey toward the leisure centre saw a lone gull soaring over the golf course hill, with more sparrows dancing among the hawthorns opposite the care home.

The Stats
Metric Details
Distance 2.31 miles
Duration 51 minutes
Intensity 25 Google Fit Heart Points
Conditions 10°C (Feels like 6°C), Sunny, 19 mph NE wind
Sightings Wood pigeons, Large White butterflies, Pitbull Terrier, Rooks, Male Pheasant, Sparrows, Gull

Pitbull Terrier

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

Narrative: 

A Norfolk Wander

The air had a bit of a bite today, but the bluebells were out in full force to compensate.

A charming exchange of photography skills with a French Bulldog owner set the tone for a lovely visit to the hall. While Margaret took a well-earned rest, the local wildlife took centre stage—from the “in charge” greylag geese by the lake to a very busy pied wagtail on the front lawn. A classic English afternoon,complete with well-behaved hounds and a spot of tea.

Daily Nature Log: Blickling Hall

Conditions & Environment

Location: Blickling, Norfolk

Temperature: 9°C to 15°C (47°F – 59°F)

Weather: Light rain to cloudy; ENE winds (4–7 mph)

Flora: Bluebells in full bloom, trees coming into leaf, bulrushes.

Wildlife Observations

Birds: Greylag geese, jackdaws, rooks (active rookery), blackbirds, blue tits, pied wagtail.

Canines: French Bulldog, three black Retrievers, Border Collie.

Activity Details

Distance: 3.39 miles

Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes

Effort: 22 Google Fit Heart Points

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

The Narrative

   The air carried a sharp bite today. While the thermometer claimed 11°C, the 13 mph easterly wind dragged the “feels like” temperature down to a brisk 8°C. Under mostly cloudy skies, the wind chill made the afternoon feel considerably colder than the actual reading.

   My walk toward the recreation ground began with a fresh, chilly breeze and a sensory treat: the powerful scent of a Mexican Orange shrub drifting from a nearby garden. Its white, star-shaped flowers were so fragrant that I’ve made a mental note to find one for our own garden. Reaching the children’s playground, the atmosphere shifted from scent to sound as a male blackbird perched on a rooftop, pouring out a melodious territorial song.

    Nearby, the hawthorn shrubs were heavy with white blossoms. The air was thick with their intense aroma, attracting a frantic crowd of bees and insects darting for nectar. I skirted the recreation ground and, upon reaching the entrance to the cemetery road, spotted the “friendly” Pitbull Terrier dutifully barking at an unseen threat from his garden.

Daily Stats

Distance: 2.24 miles

Duration: 58 minutes

Heart Points: 24

Conditions: Mostly cloudy, 11°C (8°C wind chill)

Duration: 58 minutes

Heart Points: 24

Conditions: Mostly cloudy, 11°C

(8°C wind chill)

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