🦅 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.

The Evening Patrol

   Started out at 6:30 pm into a brisk North Sea breeze—23°C on paper, but a fresher 18°C in reality. A wood pigeon warbled contentedly from a leafy silver birch, keeping watch over the playground as I skirted the recreation ground. Overhead, a half-dozen corvids high-tailed it toward the distant woods, while up above the cemetery, a pair of herring gulls effortlessly wheeled and glided through the air.

   Passing the cemetery road, my regular Pitbull ‘friend’ stood at attention in his garden, silently tracking my progress before deciding I wasn’t a threat and settling back into the grass.

 Cutting through the wildflower garden to the main road, I noticed the blossoms had already tucked themselves in for the night, though the surrounding viburnum hedge was still putting on a brilliant show of white flowers. I turned down toward the leisure centre, where nine feral pigeons and a duo of sparrows had claimed the rooftop. Another lone sparrow dashed into a hawthorn hedge for cover as I neared.

  Right near the finish line, two wood pigeons held absolute formation on separate rooftops—sentinels clearly warning off any feathered interlopers. Just as the boots stopped moving, a male blackbird touched down on a neighbouring lawn to welcome me home.

Nature Log Stats

Distance: 2.24 miles

Duration: 50 minutes

Google Fit: 24 Heart Points.

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

Morning Patrol Nature Log 

   Out early at 06:00 am to beat the heatwave, though a brisk wind dropped the real feel well below the actual 15°C. The morning belonged to the birds and butterflies. Wood pigeons filled the air with sound from the moment I stepped outside, later scattering in numbers as I entered the cemetery.

   A lone rook held court on the town football ground, while ten corvids and a gathering of four jackdaws claimed the playing fields. Sparrows darted from the hawthorns and care home hedges in lively little flocks, and noisy gulls circled their abandoned factory colony.

 . The local dog walkers are clearly adapting to the rising mercury—passed a muzzled white Poodle and a black greyhound out early to protect them from the heat. On the insect front, a cabbage white fluttered by the playground, a brilliant red admiral zipped past the privet hedge too quickly for a photo, and a comma butterfly provided the perfect finale, whizzing around the garden as I arrived home.

Daily Stats

Distance: 1.69 miles

Duration: 36 minutes

Google Fit: 20 heart points.

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

Daily Log Narrative
    6:00 am: Out early to beat the heatwave. The streets were completely deserted, save for a few sporadic drops of early rain. A fresh breeze (12–16 mph) took the edge off the mugginess, making the 24°C forecast feel like a comfortable 18°C.
   As I headed towards the recreation ground, the resonant cooing of wood pigeons filled the air while noisy gulls called out from their distant rooftop colony. Near the playing field, a lone blackbird darted swiftly into a thick hedge.

   Reaching the cemetery road gates, I was greeted by a brilliant, large cluster of poppies in full bloom. Inside, a single corvid hopped along the verges, completely unbothered by a muntjac deer slipping quietly into the empty field at the top end. Out on the water, the offshore response vessel sat brilliantly lit against the silhouetted morning sky—naturally, I had to snap a quick photo.

Heading back past the leisure centre, three feral pigeons kept watch from the roof. Near the five-a-side pitch, a tabby cat sauntered past, likely wrapping up a successful nightly prowl, while a large white butterfly fluttered along the wire fence.

In Foxy Lane, local dog owners were clearly out early to protect their pets from the impending, oppressive heat. I passed a lady with a black Greyhound on a lead, and a man keeping pace with an impressive Schnauzer tearing freely across the grass. One final wood pigeon on a rooftop marked the end of today’s trek.

Today’s Stats
Distance: 1.74 miles
Time: 36 minutes
Google Fit: 24 heart points

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

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.