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.

The sun was baking at 30°C earlier, but by 7:00 pm, a gentle breeze made the 26°C air quite pleasant. Right at the start, a herring gull on a nearby rooftop was making a loud fuss—no doubt claiming ownership over some back garden scraps.

   Strolling down Foxglove Lane, I spotted a pair of wood pigeons under the pine trees and a large cabbage white butterfly dancing over the clover. The real surprise, though, was the recreation ground: nearly 100 corvids were feasting on the grass, scattering in all directions as I rounded the playing field. Nearby, a small cabbage white and a meadow brown darted around the daisies and purple mallow.

   At the cemetery road, the “friendly” Pitbull Terrier was flat out in his garden. Not a single warning or welcoming bark today; the poor chap was clearly beaten by the heat. Moving past the allotments, the familiar cooing of a wood pigeon echoed from the Holm Oaks.

   I took a shortcut through the new wildflower area—disturbing a few more butterflies—before hitting the main road. Suddenly, my bare arms were covered in tiny black midges, likely shaken from the care home’s privet hedge, though they brushed off easily enough. Turning onto the leisure centre road, I counted seven feral pigeons on the roof, whilst two more woodpigeons and a sparrow bolted as I approached the cricket pavilion.

The Stats

Distance: 1.92 miles

Time: 43 minutes

Google Fit: 25 Heart Points.

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

Daily Nature Log: Felbrigg Hall

   Leaving Margaret happily settled in the Squire’s Pantry with a pot of tea and a cheese scone, I set off into the impressive National Trust grounds. The outdoor seating area was lively; a large Poodle strolled past, while a flock of bold jackdaws hopped between the tables scavenging for scraps—a cheeky role usually reserved for feral pigeons.
   I struck out across the great open field toward Felbrigg Lake, walking through a vibrant carpet of millions of yellow buttercups and purple clover. The livestock were absent, though they had left plenty of dried reminders behind. Seeing a fellow walker stoop to clean up after his brown spaniel, I thought to myself: ‘Ingrained habits are hard to resist.’

   My phone camera got a proper workout. I captured a fine patch of purple musk thistles by a stand of trees, a distant herd of sheep, and a solitary swan on the far side of the lake near a bed of bulrushes. I stood transfixed watching beautiful, shimmering blue damselflies skimming the water—later research identified them as male demoiselles. Amidst the nettles, large bird’s-foot-trefoil and blue speedwell grew in abundance, attracting a wonderful flurry of butterflies and moths. Loop complete, I headed back to the hall to rejoin Margaret at the pantry.
Activity Stats
Distance: 2.28 mil
Duration: 52 minutes
Google Fit: 22 Heart Points

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

Wild Walk 🥾
   When I started out on my walk today, the actual air temperature was around 19°C to 22°C, but the “feels-like” temperature (or wind chill) made it feel closer to 16°C to 18°C due to the breezy conditions.
   I made my way to the recreation ground and began to walk around the outskirts of the sports field.
    I noticed a Meadow Brown butterfly settled on some purple comfrey flowers and I took a quick photograph. The comfrey plants were surrounded by many white field bindweed flowers.

  There was a single rook pecking at the grass on the playing field. I continued along my way to the cemetery road entrance, where I noticed a beautiful Red Admiral butterfly settled on a patch of nettles. I reached for my mobile phone camera to take a picture but sadly the butterfly quickly flew away.
   Several corvids and wood pigeons were scattered around on the grass verges in the cemetery when I walked through.
   I entered the field at the top end of the cemetery, which appeared to be empty of birdlife.
   Many corvids were settled and feeding around the young trees planted by the farmer in the next field. This is planned to become a natural wood in a few years’ time.

On my way to the cemetery exit I noticed quite a few small Comma butterflies flying around and settled on some lavender plants in full flower.
   As I walked along the cemetery road towards the leisure centre, I noticed the privet hedges were covered in large white bindweed flowers and some wild dog roses.
   A single gull and several feral pigeons were perched on the leisure centre rooftop.
   A sparrow dived for cover into the hawthorn hedge adjoining the care home and two more sparrows were settled on the top of a garden fence.
Today I walked for 2.43 miles in 53 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 24 heart points.

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