It feels like March has flown by and while last year we were in the grasp of the Beast from the East, this year the warm weather of February has continued. In March 2018 we were building snowmen, walking on squeaky snow and braving sub-zero temperatures, while the natural world seemed only to be just … More March Nests
We had returned to the house from a bygone era where only a few weeks ago we had been delighted with a family of barn owls. On that day, once we had finished processing and ringing the owls, we had wandered over to check a number of other bird boxes erected in the surrounding trees. … More A kestrel surprise
Despite the blanket of grey white cloud overhead, soft green light filtered through the forest canopy. Among the dark crinkly leaves and branches of the forest floor the occasional green fronds of new bracken growth had begun to unfurl. It had only been a few weeks but we were back in Thetford Forest checking our … More Forest Rounds
It had been a glorious May Bank Holiday with bright blue, cloudless skies and soaring temperatures. An extended weekend of hours in the paddling pool, ice creams and for us yes a little bit of ringing, with the welcome return of many warblers to our reed bed site. Topping it all off was the return … More Adorable peewits
The Forest was bursting into life, shaking off the muted and quiet shades of winter and blooming in celebration of Spring. Across all the trees and bushes leaves were unfolding in a multitude of shades of green, adding lighter shades to the deeper evergreens of the pines. Set against this green is the skeleton of … More Spring in the Forest
From bird and insect watching to simply admiring wild flowers here is the story of my 30 Days Wild. 30 Days Wild is a campaign run by the Wildlife Trusts to encourage people to connect with nature and do something wild each day during the month of June. Now I like to think I am … More 30 Days Wild
It was a gorgeous, balmy, sunny evening. The bright blue sky clear above the sparkling greens of the forest. Everything seemed to glow in the long rays of sunshine as the sun headed for the horizon. Bright yellows of broom and gorse added a brilliant splash of colour to the palette of greens and browns … More Having a Hoot in the Forest
During the winter of 2015 / 2016 we spent some time setting nest boxes up in a couple of areas of Thetford Forest. The boxes were tall with a wide square opening at the top, and a little perch sticking out at a right angle. They were attached high up on selected trees, always in … More Nest Box Surprise
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
Finally a dry, sunny, warm Sunday morning. Through a bright blue sky with only a few white fluffy clouds soar numerous, small, dark pointy winged birds with forked tails. As they twist and turn against the sky a brilliant white belly and rump flash against the dark back and wings. Their calls fill the air. … More The House Martins
