Catkins before Christmas

Brenda writes: “Despite the wind again this week, a couple dry days allowed me to do some gardening. Whilst some clearing and mowing has to be done (not to mention digging out of ragwort and dandelion from the grass) I am much more aware of leaving potential food sources or winter hideaways alone, and do …

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Still diving

Mid-afternoon today I went down to the beach at Wells again, and looked around the area of the outer harbour and lifeboat station. To my delight the juvenile red-throated diver was still around and I was able to get some reasonably close photos. It was pretty well high tide whilst I was there, and very …

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Quiet contemplation

With neither of us able to get out for a walk today, and with no moths in the moth trap, it was a bit of a wildlife non-event! But I was quietly contemplating today about how great it’s been – as we near the end of the year – to have a sustained period where …

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Fungi at Holkham

Today Brenda and I had a walk at Lady Anne’s Drive. Looking over the flooded field areas we saw a solitary great egret and a couple of red kites, plus the usual very large numbers of wigeon and teal. We headed for the beach and then straight out to the shoreline. There were sanderling skittering …

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Roundabout flowers

Brenda writes: “Having inspected the moth trap when I got up and found one December moth we were then off into London for a quartet rehearsal. The landscape has now taken on its winter look with the bare branches of trees along field margins showing their underlying forms. Of course, going through Thetford Forest there …

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Quiet turnstones, noisy gulls!

Our daughter Jennifer was visiting today and she and I had a walk in Wells, which took in the harbour. I was surprised to see some turnstones on the quay and also on the deck of a moored fishing boat, quietly searching for scraps of food. This was in stark contrast to the noisy herring …

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Too much rain

Brenda writes: “There was more heavy rain overnight and it was still raining as I left for a meeting in Dereham. There was a lot of water on the road and at one point it felt like I was driving through a river. The drainage ditch on the edge of a field was so full …

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A loon in the harbour

I went down to the beach at Wells again this morning, and the main bird activity was in the small marina near the new lifeboat station: There were four little grebes and a few mallards, but then I spotted a diver! Closer inspection showed it to be a juvenile red-throated diver, which was great to …

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An awkward moment

For once I went out in the morning today! It was calm and cold, with a breeze that was noticeable but not too annoying. I parked at the beach car park in Wells in order to look over the sea and the channels from the harbour. The tide was going out and it’s always amazing …

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