Thetford Forest is not a uniform place, but a mosaic of habitats. From blocks of broadleaf trees in recreation areas or as buffers along roads, to areas of open grassy heathland, to patches of the commercial pine plantations. Even within those commercial blocks no two patch is the same, with areas recently felled, those with … More A walk in the Forest
In the dark bedroom the alarm went off, waking me with a jolt. I rolled over and stopped it, thinking what on earth am I doing setting it for this hour. It was early. Too early. Baby had been sleeping through the night for the last couple months, so why was my alarm going off … More Start of the season
Despite the rather murky morning, spring had definitely arrived and the garden was a riot of colour. Crocuses ranging from brilliant white through to various shades of purple, from deep violet to pale lilac, cyclamens in shades of pink, brilliant yellow daffodils and pure white snowdrops. The calls of birds in the garden had changed … More Springs Arrival
The paddocks were shrouded in thick fog. Beyond the fences the shadows of a small copse of trees were just about visible. The horses in the paddocks look up, curious, as the unusual threesome start setting up nets in the garden beyond their fence line. They wander over, a little cautious, but mainly curious of … More Foggy Comforts
The New Year dawned slowly and drearily in North Wales. Low cloud and rain obscured the view from the hill side, rivulets of rain drops ran like miniature rivers down the window so it was almost impossible to see out. It was not the kind of morning you wanted to head outside, but rather one … More The New Year
The baby alarm clock had gone off early. So early it was still dark, although that is not difficult at this time of the year. While mummy dealt with crumpets in bed, daddy was out like a shot to the garden to set up nets. With reinforcements waking to take care of the crumpet-eater I … More Mysterious birds
The big, wide sky that stretched overhead looked like a water colour painting. Layers of cloud ranging from various shades of grey to bluish purple. Swirling and billowing, streaky and smooth all at once. Over the horizon a curtain of dark purple swept past where rain deluged the scrub and dunes of the North Norfolk … More Eastern Promise
The pale golden light of dawn was stealing across the sky from the eastern horizon, the trees below still dark from the night. In the west clouds were building, bluish grey in the morning light, while the leading edge of the front gleamed golden. The wind rustled the leaves of the trees and the hedgerows … More Hang on just a Linnet
Autumn had arrived. The blistering heat of the previous week had been replaced by more seasonal temperatures, although it was still warm and a little muggy with the cloud cover. At Cranwich the monotonous grey sky, occasionally broke to reveal patches of pastel blue and the occasional ray of pale gold sunshine. The smell of … More Roosting in the reeds
It was the end of a hot September day, one of the hottest in over 100 years in fact. The brilliant blue sky overhead became gradually more washed out as the sun sank behind trees and houses, tinging the wisps of white cloud golden yellow. Under this sky a small group of people head across … More September Owlets
Wild Barley 