Anemones at Walberswick

Half term, traditional sunny day at Walberswick. Anemones on the concrete wreckage at low tide along side the southern harbour wall.

Walk to Three Gates Farm Woodland Trust wood

Aconites in the woodland where the Aldeby Rd crosses Landspring Beck. Lots of them...

Passing a rather nice Mistletoe on the way

And in to Three Gate Farm Wood

Just a few Hazel catkins out at the moment

But the rest is a little bare as you might expect from a young woodland in the middle of February, no matter how mild it has been

The garden in early February

After a very mild winter the daffs are about 6 weeks ahead of last year, and last year wasn't a hard Winter either!

Primroses are early

Late January and the Primroses just north of Beccles are getting started:

This was April last year:

Syleham Mill side channel

Lovely paddle last Monday in glorious sunshine, mild and no breeze. This is Syleham Mill side channel. It's a simple waterslide once you get under the chain above the slope and the drop at the end just about gets your hair wet. About 0.5m on the Billingford flow gauge and quite a lot of water going over the main fall, which is not at all practical...

Syleham back drop from Petro Dobromylskyj on Vimeo.

Chet bank snowdrops

Snowdrops are well ahead of last year on the bank of the Chet just upstream of Loddon

Just upstream of the woodland the weeds have been scoured out by the recent spate, much like the Blyth. Time to paddle is clearly going to be early Spring for these little streams...

Owl just upstream of Mells on the Blyth floodplain

This owl gave me the pleasure of about 5 minutes of careful hunting on the River Blyth marshes just upstream of Mells. Lovely. The kingfisher, egret, kestrel and heron didn't stay for long enough to get the camera working!

Summer weeds vs Winter cold on the Blyth

If you are thinking about paddling from Halesworth down to Blyford or beyond, the upper reaches might be easier after Winter floods than after Summer weed growth...

End of Summer:

And after a Winter flood:

Both looking upstream from the bridge at Mells. The Summer picture was absolute basal levels, the Winter one had about 0.6m showing for Billingford flow gauge on the Waveney.

There are a number of serious tree blockages between Halesworth and Blyford. Several might need a difficult portage around.

Short paddle from Bungay to Earsham Sluice

The drop at Roaring Arch Bridge:

The edge of the drop has quite a decent water cushion on the sill so the slide over is easy and, although the landing is on to flat concrete, that concrete is very smooth. An easy and fun shoot in a playboat.

Today's complete paddle was from Bungay above the Loop to the sluice at Earsham/Stow Fen. This will need a check of the depth for landing below the drop and some work to see how easy getting past the safety barrier above is going to be. And I guess a safety buddy/camera person would be a good idea too...

All in all a lovely morning, taking in the cut to Roaring Arch on the way back then really struggling on the upstream section through the Bungay gardens to the launch point. Lots of uphill pushing in shallow gravel runs. Still fun.

On the doorstep

Just love the colour of this random Nasturtium in the flowerbed by the doorstep while waiting for the children to be delivered by the school bus.

And may as well put the poppy seed head up here as well, complete with spider

View of some pines in woodland on Sisland Carr. Lying on my back of course!

Thorn Apples on Hales Green

Had a wander round Hales Green again, mostly looking to see where there might be an environment for Bee Orchids next Summer. Found a group of Thorn Apples in a rabbit disturbed nettle patch...

None of the flowers was in terribly good condition but this gives a general idea:

Walberswick surfing

Small waves but well formed and a good reintroduction for the kayak which has been down the garden for 4 years.

Pushbike to Bungay

The Teasel in the front garden is finally going to flower. Better late than never!

Then took the pushbike to Bungay, nice view of a backwater of the Waveney, Chainbridge Beck, from the bridge where it passes under Ditchingham Dam. Probably big enough to paddle...

Possibly Enchanters Nightshade?

Hike to Stanley Hills nr Beccles

Moth Mullein

Woundwort

Parasol Mushroom

Just setting out

Front lawn after rain

After a long dry summer we've had some rain. Front lawn exploded in to toadstools, as it tends to do...

Poppy (3)

The poppy opened fully overnight:

Passiflora

The first bud opened on the passiflora. Nice.

Poppy on the drive (2)

Some were more colourful than others

Poppy on the drive

We scattered some seeds last year. They came up.

Common Spotted Orchid on Hales Green

I went looking for Bee Orchids on Hales Green one drizzly Summer Sunday afternoon. None in flower yet but the occasional Common Spotted is in out, around the ponds at the edge of the Green.