Daily Nature Log ✍️

A Walk Among Dogs, Corvids, and a Fleeting Muntjac

    A fine walk today, starting in mild conditions around 19°C–20°C with just enough of a breeze to bring the “feels like” temperature down to a fresh 17°C–18°C. The local canines were out in full force—a young man with a black mongrel-type dog, a lady chatting with a couple while her black greyhound paused for a welcome pat, and later, a lady walking another small mongrel near the new houses by the care home. The ‘friendly’ PitBull terrier patrolled its garden as I passed, keeping a watchful eye on the neighborhood.

    The birdlife was equally active. A solitary jackdaw surveyed the scene from high on a rooftop, while overhead a flock of corvids drifted towards the rookery. Entering the cemetery, a sparrow-sized bird darted swiftly across my path. Continuing up to the field at the top, I stopped to admire and photograph a striking carpet of yellow toadflax spreading through the new woodland.

    Nature had another surprise in store upon my return to the cemetery: a female muntjac deer suddenly darted into view, bounding along the pathways toward the far boundary. Shortly after, a pair of blackbirds swooped across the path, and near the cemetery gates, a sudden rustle betrayed a creature vanishing beneath a shrub—whether bird or small rodent remained a mystery.
    Turning towards the main road via the wildflower garden shortcut, I made my way into the leisure centre road. Looking up, I counted 18 feral pigeons neatly lined up along the ridge of the rooftop, while two gulls claimed the roof ridge of a nearby house. Out on the playing field, a mixed foraging party—two corvids, a gull, and a wood pigeon—pecked contentedly at the grass.

Daily Walk Statistics
Distance Covered: 1.97 miles
Duration: 42 minutes
Google Fit Heart Points: 25

Observed Flora & Fauna:
Birds: Jackdaw, Corvids (Rookery-bound), Blackbirds (pair), Feral Pigeons (18), Gulls (3 total), Wood Pigeon, Unidentified sparrow-sized bird
Mammals: Muntjac deer (female), Unidentified small creature (bird or rodent)
Dogs Encountered: Black mongrel-type dog, Black greyhound, Pit bull terrier, Small mongrel-type dog
Wildflowers: Yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

Daily Nature Log —
   A fresh route around the lake today brought a congregation of waterfowl—four Egyptian geese strolling along, and the entire swan family lounging en masse by the water’s edge. Mid-air, a pair of dragonflies zipped past in tandem, while gulls and corvids actively probed the turf.

    Under the canopy of ancient oaks, sycamores, chestnuts, and plane trees, squirrels darted for cover across the path, and a startled crow launched upward into the boughs.

   Striking out past the hotel perimeter, I followed a narrow public footpath wedged between two commercial properties, where drifts of crisp, last year’s leaf litter still lined the track—clearly an unresolved maintenance debate between landowners and the local council. Overhanging branches held thick, green summer foliage just beginning to turn brown for autumn, fringed below by scattered yellow ragwort.

    At the main road, a smallholding pony posed in a full face mask (a handy fly and UV shield, as a quick check confirmed). Rounding off the loop back through the grounds, the small duck pond stood dry-rimmed and empty—a quiet casualty of the recent dry spell, with no sign of last year’s resident moorhens.

Stats
Distance: 2.72 miles
Duration: 1 hour 1 min
Heart Points: 31 (Google Fit)

~~~~~

A poem describing my daily walk today.

Beside the lake where quiet waters lie,
The swans rest still, the dragonflies dart high.
Through aged trees and fading summer green,
A masked horse waits, observing all the scene.
The duck pond dries beneath a sunlit crown,
As autumn whispers, turning green to brown.

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
    Stepping out into a breezy 20°C (feeling more like 18°C), I spotted two elderly ladies walking a pair of sleek black greyhounds under the pines by the recreation ground. Above them, the rookery was in full, raspy throat, its racket carrying for miles.

    Turning into the rec ground  I spooked a pair of blackbirds straight into the hedge, while a duo of gulls grazed peacefully in the centre. At Cemetery Drive, I paused to snap a picture of the usual ‘friendly’ Pitbull lounging out back. The loud, indignant squawks of a juvenile herring gull drew my eyes back to the field just in time to catch its parent taking flight—no doubt having touched down while my camera was trained on the dog.

    Inside the cemetery, a handful of sparrow-sized birds darted into the border shrubs before my approach sent a dark cloud of around 30 rooks airborne. Half headed for the top field, the rest rejoined the noisy, swirling flock above the trees, completely unfazed by a lone wood pigeon cruising past in the opposite direction. Stepping into the field triggered yet another black-feathered exodus, this time to the local telegraph wires.

   Leaving the cemetery, another wood pigeon watched on from a nearby ledge, while a youngster rested in the roadside weeds below—learning the hard way that fledgling life is tough work. Passing the leisure centre, a flock of roughly 20 feral pigeons fluttered and perched along the roofline, and a woman walking a yellow Lab did a sudden U-turn, presumably having left something behind.

Today’s Stats:
Distance: 2.27 miles
Time: 52 minutes
Heart Points: 20

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
    Another cracking afternoon walk in the books, complete with full-throated avian drama, noble bulldogs keeping their cool under pressure, and a cameo from Dolly Parton herself!
     I set off into a fresh breeze at 5:00 pm, greeted almost immediately by a friendly local and her terrier. The rooks were putting on a proper air show over the treetops today—first a scattered squadron on the horizon, then a swirling vortex of 50 noisy birds as I entered the cemetery grounds.

The local canine contingent provided plenty of excitement near Cemetery Drive. While the neighborhood dogs—including the resident ‘friendly’ pitbull—erupted into a chaotic chorus, the three leads-in-hand bulldogs strolled past without so much as batting an eye. Absolute class acts.
    Along the rest of the route, the local wildlife kept me company: a blackbird darting into the underbrush, many feral pigeons holding court on the leisure centre roof, and a quiet spot of bright yellow evening primrose brightening up the cricket club perimeter.

Daily Stats
Distance: 1.63 miles
Duration: 34 minutes
Heart Points: 24 Heart Points (Google Fit)
Temperature: 17°C (63°F), Fresh Breeze
Key Sightings: 50+ Rooks, 3 Bulldogs, 1 Blackbird, 40 Feral Pigeons, Dolly Parton (the cat), Evening Primrose

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
    Stepped out into a 22.5°C breeze blowing in from the west.
    I gave a passing bull terrier a wide berth—it has a reputation for snapping first and asking questions later. Down at the football pitch, twenty gulls were busy foraging, with a couple of herring gulls joining the feast.

    Along the perimeter towards Cemetery Road, hardy patches of yarrow, ragwort, and mallow are still standing tall, somehow defying the recent extreme weather. Even the neighbourhood’s usually lively Pitbull Terrier barely raised an eyebrow from its spot in the garden, giving me little more than a sleepy glance as I passed.
    The real highlight was inside the cemetery: an immediate face-to-face encounter with a male muntjac deer. Expecting it to bolt the moment I raised my camera, I started snapping furiously. Instead, the bold little chap barely blinked, calmly eyeing me up before getting right back to grazing.
    Further along, a solitary magpie worked the grassy verges while a noisy chorus of at least forty rooks circled above the trees. Six wood pigeons suddenly scattered from the grass in all directions, and over at the leisure centre, seven feral pigeons kept watch from the rooftop edge. To top off the walk, a brilliant clump of yellow evening primroses has suddenly burst into bloom near the cricket pavilion.
Walk Statistics
Distance: 2.27 miles
Time: 57 minutes
Heart Points: 25 Heart Points

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

   A dark, brooding sky and a brisk 17 mph wind set the scene for a loop around the grounds of Felbrigg Hall today. Sheep grazed nonchalantly right up to the edge of the drive as we arrived, forcing a cautious crawl into the car park. Brolly in hand, I set off into the grounds.

It was a busy afternoon for dog spotters—and sheep spotters alike! Alongside the usual well-behaved canines, a sprightly young bull terrier gave its owner a proper workout, vigorously tugging at its short lead while being firmly reined back in. A handsome pair of brown labradoodles strolled by on separate leads, and later, a magnificent, large white Tatra shepherd dog made quite the impression.

  . Nature put on a grand display as well. A sudden flutter sent ten wood pigeons erupting from the long grass, while four jackdaws quartered the air beneath a canopy of ancient trees and thick green ferns. Deep in the woods, the deep water pool looked wonderfully revived after recent rains, framed by unruly bracken and host to a busy flock of small birds flitting between the oak leaves. Between snapping photos of artist’s bracket fungi, mushrooms under a hawthorn, and the stark skeleton of a dead tree standing before a grove, I even spotted a couple of grey squirrels darting up and down the trunks.

     After a friendly greeting from a fellow walker and her mongrel, I turned back to meet Margaret for a well-earned pause at the Squire’s Pantry.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 2.79 miles

Duration: 1 hour 2 minutes

Google Fit Heart Points: 21

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️

    A brisk start at 23°C saw herring gulls and wood pigeons claiming the recreation ground, while the local ‘friendly’ Pitbull gave his customary single bark from behind the garden fence.

     Entering the cemetery, I flushed a crowd of forty corvids feeding on the verges. Most scattered toward the top field, where I managed to photograph a pair of rooks taking flight.

    Crossing into the field scattered them further—some to the young woodland, others over distant farmland, and a row onto the telegraph wires.

    A quick approach for a snapshot sent the wire-dwellers packing too, leaving me to admire a splash of roadside color in the yellow lady’s bedstraw and bright Californian poppies.

     Passing an Alsatian cross along Cemetery Drive, I cut through the wildflower garden and scored the highlight of the walk: a muntjac deer strolled casually right across my path before slipping out the entrance. Transfixed, I just stood there clicking away. A noisy finale at the leisure centre saw dozens of feral pigeons and a squawking trio of gulls locked in a roof-top dispute.

Walking Statistics
Distance: 2.57 miles
Duration: 1 hour
Google Fit Heart Points: 19

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

Daily Nature Log ✍️
A Late-August Railway & Rooftop Stroll

    Off at 11:30 am into a brisk, refreshing breeze that knocked the 19.3°C ambient temperature down to a comfortable “feels like” 20°C. The drought-affected turf under the pine trees by the rec is staging a dramatic post-rain comeback—though a cheeky fast-growing weed seems eager to crash the party and outcompete the local grass. Definitely one to monitor!

    The local corvid contingent was out in force today: nervous jackdaws fluttering close by on the rec, a noisy chorus of twenty rooks swirling the cemetery canopy as I walked in, and a hungry flock of ten feeding on the lush green turf of the town football ground.

    Meanwhile, Cabbage Whites danced along the hedgerows and care home privet, and a lone red poppy popped up amongst the roadside Welsh poppies.

    Capping off the local color was a steam train rolling down the track packed with holidaymakers squeezing out the last drops of summer, and a territorial wood pigeon delivering a booming rooftop speech to wrap up the trek.

Daily Stats
Distance: 1.65 miles
Time: 35 minutes
Google Fit: 23 Heart Points

Notable Flora: Musk stork’s-bill, field mallow, yarrow, Welsh poppy, red poppy, crab-apple windfalls
Bird Count: 2 Jackdaws, ~20 Rooks (rookery) + 10 Corvids (football pitch), 1 Male Blackbird, 2 Feral Pigeons, 1 Wood Pigeon

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

Daily Nature Log

Felbrigg Stroll & Sun-Baked Sheep

    A bright outing to the Felbrigg estate today! After parking the Kuga, a helpful young man snapped a splendid photo of Margaret and me standing before the grand hall.

    Margaret pulled off what was likely her longest trek since her knee operation—a magnificent effort! On our loop back to the Squire’s Pantry, we passed a couple with two energetic Cockapoos and a gent walking a sleek black Labrador.

     Once Margaret was comfortably settled at a table with a cheese scone and hot drinks, I set off to log the rest of my daily trek. Canine highlights included an impressive grey Schnauzer, a couple of fiery Chihuahuas, a handsome pair of black Labradors, and a striking red Irish Setter. Along the main drive, sheep were squeezed tightly into every available inch of shade beneath the trees, desperate for respite from the dry spell.

Over the bank by a ‘Deep Water’ warning sign, I found only a thick patch of mud—though any moisture at all was a shock after this recent drought! Two rabbits hopped around its murky edge before diving into the undergrowth, while a pair of magpies scattered into nearby branches.
    A wonderful round trip before heading back to join Margaret.

Walk Statistics
Distance: 2.64 miles
Duration: 1 hour
Google Fit Points: 17 Heart Points

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