Daily Nature Log. 6th January 2026

Posted on Jan 6, 2026 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Early daffodils A clear sign of Spring

Wild Walk .🥾
The residual snow from yesterday was frozen after a heavy frost last night. The temperature felt colder due to the wind; conditions were around 3–4°C, but felt like -2°C to -1°C. There was a fresh breeze (around 18–20 mph), making it feel significantly colder.
I chose to walk mainly on the road, as the pavements were covered with slippery, frozen snow. When I turned into Cowslip Lane, I noticed a male blackbird scrabbling around beneath a shrub in a front garden. A magpie flew up to a nearby rooftop, prompting the blackbird to take off speedily.
As I walked towards Foxglove Lane, a solitary wood pigeon was hopping around on a drive just along the road. I turned into the recreation ground and began to walk around the outskirts. I noticed the white, frozen snow on the blades of green grass looked quite wintry and crunched under my shoes as I walked.
I left the recreation ground and entered the cemetery, where at least six wood pigeons flew away in different directions. Several small finches and dunnocks were flying around the trees and shrubs along the pathways. I noticed a male blackbird searching for food in the long, ice-covered grass under the hedgerow adjoining the playing field.
Leaving the cemetery, I began walking along the cemetery road, where I photographed some early daffodil flower buds and leaves pushing through the soil on the borders. I walked a little further and simply had to take a picture of a row of fresh, black, soil-topped molehills.
A large white herring gull was gently taking advantage of the fresh wind currents by gliding sedately high in the sky. I passed two ladies walking together with a couple of small, mongrel-type dogs.
Today I walked for 2.24 miles in 48 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 20 heart points.

Daily Nature Log. 5th January 2026

Posted on Jan 5, 2026 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Wild Walk .🥾
A heavily wrapped-up lady wearing a hoodie and walking a black greyhound went by as I began my daily walk.
The earlier snowfall had mostly melted away, although the roads were still somewhat slippery with a residue of icy slush. The temperature was around 1°C, but the “feels-like” temperature was dropping to -1°C or lower due to the fresh north-westerly winds (around 18–26 mph). These winds brought light snow showers, making it feel much colder than the actual air temperature.
I noticed that the hungry garden birds had practically stripped the berries from a pyracantha shrub and a nearby holly bush in Cowslip Lane. I also heard the unique sound of a magpie chattering away from the safe shelter of a rooftop, tucked away from the cold wind.
I walked towards the recreation ground, where I saw a man walking a Golden Retriever along the pathway past the cricket pavilion. I couldn’t help noticing quite a few new molehills along the borders of the ground, conspicuous by the heaps of fresh soil which stood in sharp contrast to the white residue of snow still visible on the green grass.
In the cemetery, I noticed another beautiful, fiery sunset through the rookery trees and stopped to take a few photographs. As I left and made my way along the cemetery road, I could hear the familiar, deep-throated bark of the Pitbull Terrier in his garden.
A young couple walking two large, black, Alsatian-type dogs passed by. When I spoke to the young lady, she mentioned they were crossed with Huskies. They were extremely friendly, and she said they got on happily with everyone, including her children, likely because they lived together in the same home.
I took another couple of beautiful photographs of the sunset and the cloud formations from the playing field before heading home.

Today I walked for 2.27 miles in 48 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 23 heart points.

Daily Nature Log 3rd January 2026

Posted on Jan 5, 2026 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Snowfall today

Daily Nature Log
Date: 3 January 2026
Location: Sheringham, England

Weather & Conditions
The morning’s light snow showers had settled on the ground, leaving a slippery surface. The temperature was 3°C, but there was a strong, cold wind chill making it feel much colder—potentially near -4°C—with winds blowing around 16–19 mph. The surface was quite slippery, and I had to walk with care.

Observations
The Hebe shrubs along our front hedge were covered in purple flowers, bringing a splash of colour to the wintry afternoon. As I made my way along Cowslip Lane, I watched a Magpie sheltering from the vicious gusts on the leeward side of a rooftop. On Foxglove Lane, I passed a man with a mongrel-type dog, both well wrapped up against the wind.
Near the abandoned factory, I spotted approximately 20 Feral Pigeons flying around the rooftop they use as a colony. Walking along the outskirts of the recreation ground, I noticed 15 Gulls sitting on the grass with their feathers tucked in against the wind—an effective survival strategy in these harsh conditions. A single Crow flew down to join them.
Inside the cemetery, another Magpie flew into a tree bordering the allotment site. I walked past several small trees, including a couple of Crab Apples that surprisingly still held a few sparse fruits. Above the rookery, a small parliament of Rooks circled the treetops.

Reflections
The wind was whistling through the trees along the cemetery road, sounding like a strange, arboreal orchestra. Different tones emanated from different varieties of trees, depending on the shapes and sizes of the evergreen leaves. Near the cricket pavilion, I saw a man with two large dogs—a chocolate Labrador and a Golden Retriever.
The wind played a ghostly tune against the metal links of the fence by the five-a-side pitch. I was tempted to record the sound on my phone, but it was far too cold to take my hands out of my pockets. Finally, I noticed a family with a Cockerpoo-type dog on the grass beneath the pine trees.
Activity Summary
Today I walked for 1.6 miles in 32 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 24 heart points.

Daily Nature Log 4th January 2026

Posted on Jan 4, 2026 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Daily Nature Log
Date: 4 January 2026
Location: Sheringham, England

Yesterday’s light snow showers had melted away in Sheringham, but with strong winds from the northwest around 20–26 mph and temperatures near 3–4°C today, the “feels like” temperature dropped significantly to about -2°C to -5°C. This made it feel much colder due to the wind chill. The ground underfoot was slippery in places, and I had to walk with care.
A familiar man, walking his two Cairn Terriers, greeted me as I passed him along Cowslip Lane. Two crows flew up from the corner of the recreation ground as I entered and began to walk around the outskirts of the playing field.
As I entered the cemetery gates, I noticed the afternoon sun was shining brightly through the rookery trees. About 40 rooks were perched on and flying around the treetops, cawing loudly to each other with their guttural, rough, sandpaper-like calls.

Six small, brown dunnocks were flying around, chasing each other through a leafless rowan tree.
I noticed the grey sea in the distance was covered in ever-moving, white-topped waves.

A wood pigeon flew along the hedgerow adjoining the recreation ground, and I could hear the familiar five-note cooing sound of another wood pigeon perched inside a dense shrub along the hedge.
I left the cemetery and noticed three herring gulls gliding high over the golf course, enjoying effortless flight.

When I passed the leisure centre, I noticed a single feral pigeon perched on the rooftop.
I turned into Foxglove Lane, two crows were perched high on the top of the pine trees growing along the grassy area adjacent to the playing field. I stopped, quickly pulled out my mobile phone, and photographed them.

A pair of jackdaws flew over the rooftops as I completed my daily walk.

Stats:
Distance: 1.66 miles
Duration: 33 minutes
Google Fit: 25 Heart Points

Daily Nature Log 1st January 2026

Posted on Jan 3, 2026 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Daily Nature Log
Date: Thursday, 1st January 2026
Conditions: Bitterly cold with a piercing, gusty west wind.
🕊️ Avian Observations
Species Spotted: Wood pigeons, male blackbird, magpie, crows, and a large flock of gulls.
Notable Behaviours: A wood pigeon stood as a sentinel on a rooftop viewpoint; a blackbird darted into the sanctuary of a pyracantha shrub to feast; gulls were wheeling and drifting effortlessly over the golf course hill.
The Soundscape: The relentless whistle of the wind; the rustle of birds retreating into the safety of the hedgerows.
🌳 The Landscape
Flora & Foliage: Thick, orange, berry-covered pyracantha foliage; rows of stately pines near the cemetery; blades of grass bowed low by the power of the gale.
Atmosphere: A harsh, wintry afternoon where the cold felt aggressive enough to penetrate woollen layers.
🥾 Route & Reflections
Path Taken: From the house, past the recreation ground, through the cemetery pathways, and back via the leisure centre.
Personal Note: The wind was particularly punishing today, causing genuine concern for my freezing fingers. Despite the chill, the sight of the “avian survivors” made the trek worthwhile.

📈 Activity Stats (via Google Fit)Today, I walked 1.79 miles in 37 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 26 heart points.

Daily Nature Log 2nd January 2026

Posted on Jan 3, 2026 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

🌿 Daily Nature Log
Date: 2 January 2026 Location: Sheringham, North Norfolk

🌤️ Environmental Conditions

• Weather: Fabulous sunset with snow forecast; currently 3°C (feels like -2°C)
• I noticed the beautiful red sunset, framed by the trees and lighting up the rookery.

• Temperature: High 4°C / Low 2°C

• Wind/Air: Powerful gusts up to 37 mph from the West-North-West; 72% humidity
—
🐾 Observations & Sightings
• Fauna: A male pheasant scuttling along the road. A wood pigeon noisily flew away.
• A Pitbull Terrier barking in the background.
• A white Pug dog.

• Flora: Hawthorn hedges. Pine trees. Holm Oak trees.
—
🧘 Reflections & Sensory Details

• Sounds: the powerful, gusty wind was singing and whistling loudly through the metal links of the fence surrounding the five-a-side football pitch.
• The distinctive whirring sound of the pine needles and the harsh crashing of the Holm Oak leaves. I noticed a branch of the pines had been wrenched off by the wind

• Colours: Vivid reds and oranges from the “Shepherd’s Warning” sunset against slate-grey winter fields

• Personal Note: The old proverb ‘Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight’ is turned on its head with snow forecast. Love 💕 and Peace 🕊️ from John and Margaret.

Today I walked for 1.69 miles in 33 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 22 Heart Points.

Wild Walk 30th November 2025 – A Wandering Muntjac Deer.

Posted on Nov 30, 2025 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

I was walking along one of the quieter roads in the locality on my daily walk today when I saw six magpies in the branches of a medium sized leafless Oak tree. I quickly raised my mobile phone to take a picture. Suddenly there was a movement of another creature right in front of me, I saw a brown four-legged creature walking slowly from behind a nearby tree. My first thought was what breed of dog is that? I realised it was a muntjac deer and promptly snapped a few photographs. The deer hopped over a low wall and raced off along the hedgerow into a nearby field. I never did get my photo of the magpies.

Wild Walk – Friday 28th November 2025 – A hovering, hunting hawk

Posted on Nov 28, 2025 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

I began to walk along the clifftop path when, to my surprise and delight, a single medium-sized bird flew overhead. I was unsure what kind of bird it was until it suddenly started hovering over a patch of brambles.
I quickly snapped a couple of photographs and a short video. Google Lens later identified it as either a peregrine falcon or a sparrowhawk. Sadly, I’m sure it was probably the latter, as I have seen a lot of sparrows or dunnocks flying around these brambles.
I continued walking along the pathway and I noticed several gulls flying overhead and above the beach. I photographed a line of gulls perched on a line of posts, obviously part of a breakwater, showing above the waves.

I saw quite a few sparrows flying around in and out of the hebe shrubs on the promenade gardens. I was happy the predatory hawk I photographed earlier had disappeared, although sadly nature has ways and means of feeding the hungry.
Today, I walked for 2.57 miles in 55 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 35 heart points.

Wild Walk Wednesday 26th November 2025 Frost on the clifftop

Posted on Nov 26, 2025 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Some beautiful, strong gold sunshine was swiftly melting a slight early morning frost.
A flock of about 30 feral pigeons was flying around the rooftops of the industrial estate across the busy main road.
Several corvids were feeding on the golf course grass, many of them jackdaws mingled with a few rooks.
A lady passed by, walking a lively Pekinese-type dog, and I also passed a young woman with a brown poodle-type dog around the outskirts of the golf course.
A single gull flew down onto the boating lake as I reached the clifftop viewpoint.
I shot a short, dramatic video of the waves crashing into the seashore. The sound of the seawater dragging some small pebbles around on the beach was surreal. I also took a couple of still photographs of the white-topped waves rolling into the shore.
A man walking a Golden Retriever walked along the clifftop path.
I couldn’t resist taking a couple of photographs of some frost-covered tree mallow shrubs. In fact, the whole row of these shrubs alongside the clifftop pathway drooped and looked sorry for themselves.
A lady walking a Jack Russell terrier wandered along the promenade with many other people, enjoying the cool, pleasant morning sunshine.
Several hedge sparrows were flying around the hebe shrubs growing on the promenade gardens.
Two men with two retrievers were laughing and watching their dogs barking loudly at each other. I’m sure dogs often symbolise and take on many of their owners’ characteristics. A lady with a well-behaved retriever-type dog ordered her dog to sit and wait while the barking was happening.
A robin was perched on a twig at the edge of a shrub; the sunlight was shining on him, lighting up his vivid red breast.
The people living in the bird-friendly house near the golf club entrance had just provided some food for the birds. About 10 gulls suddenly flew around, calling loudly to one another. A large flock of feral pigeons began circling around, and I noticed several jackdaws perched along the ridge of the rooftop.
There were several corvids in the treetops growing along both sides of the main road towards the leisure centre, where I met up with Margaret.
Today I walked for 2.25 miles in 46 minutes.
Google Fit awarded me 28 heart points.

Wild Walk Following the Path, Following the Birds Monday 24th November 2025

Posted on Nov 25, 2025 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Although the sun was shining powerfully, there was quite a stiff breeze blowing when I left the house to commence my daily walk.

The rooks were loudly calling in the trees above the rookery as I walked along Foxy Lane. I began to walk around the outskirts of the recreation ground where a small group of about 10 rooks were feeding on the grass. As I approached, five of them flew over the hedgerow into the cemetery; the rest continued feeding slightly further away.
A few dunnocks were flying back and forth into the shrubs that made up the hedgerow. It felt quiet without my friendly Pit Bull Terrier, who was sadly missing today, but the smaller dogs in a house not far away soon began yapping loudly.
I entered the cemetery and began to make my way along the pathways. The powerful rays of the sun lit up the branches of a tree growing over the rookery. I took a couple of photographs of some rooks perched in the branches of a leafless tree growing above the rookery. A couple of small sparrow-like birds and a male and female blackbird flew off as I approached the entrance.
I walked along Wey Road towards the leisure centre where I could see a small flock of feral pigeons sheltering from the wind on a factory rooftop in the industrial estate. I noticed a young lady walking with a Yorkshire Terrier by the cricket pavilion.
My total distance for today was 2.66 miles in 58 minutes. Google Fit awarded me 25 heart points.

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