A few years ago thrushes were commonplace along North Road and the front door step was used as an anvil.  I was pleased to see this one in the garden today but it looks very young to me.  Click on the image for more shots.

A large number of Barnacle Geese have been accompanied by 4 Red Breasted and about a dozen Brent.  The cold weather has also seen the return of a number of Lapwing. 

Temporary visitors to North Road include.
and also his bigger brother round the corner in Marlborough Road.
(Click on the lower snowman for more wintry scenes).

The scenes this morning were more like the Arctic.  Even though I braved the elements there were no Sunday papers to be had.  Click below for more images, the strong wind had blown the snow along the promenade into 3 ft drifts.

I found an interesting site for old maps:
http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/maps/

Here is part of the first Ordnance Survey map (1837)

There were a couple of dozen Gadwall on the boating lake yesterday, two pairs of Shoveller and a pair of Shelduck.  Nick Wood kindly gave me an image of a different kind of flier.

The temperature dipped well below zero over night.  Long tailed tits have been in and out of the garden again.  Still no sign of waxwings but I was told that there have been 40 or so in Reydon.  The beach levels are very low again.  The clear skies have meant that the sunrises have been good, click below for more pictures.

There are no bulbs out in the garden yet but on route to Wrentham yesterday I did see some daffodils.  Bumble bees are around and long tailed tits have been in and out of the garden.  I normally see the turnstones on the beach but they have been feeding on the cliff top as well.

The Germania has gone but there were a couple of other boats this morning presumably waiting to get into Felixstowe which was closed yesterday because of the high winds.  I has an email from one of the website readers with a request.  If anyone knows of any pictures and lets me know I will put them on the site.  His request was:

'Among the many postcards recording the life of the Southwold scene I have never seen one of a wherry in full sail on its way to Southwold. A picture of a wherry is to be found on the Wenhaston Archive site but it's waiting at a lock with the sail down. I think they also feature in some of the old harbour scenes. I spent my boyhood beside the river at Wenhaston and heard tales from the old folk of wherries and the old railway and I've always seen in my minds eye, the sails sticking up in the marshes as they still do on the broads.'

It has been very windy with torrential rain.  There are still cargo ships anchored off the coast with the Germania being the closest.

Happy New Year.  There have been several cargo boats anchored off the coast, the closest is the Germania.  The recent rain has added more to the boating lake levels.  Around 20 curlew flew over yesterday.  Last night the sky was very clear with good views of the moon and Jupiter.  What was most surprising was the night time temperature, despite the very clear skies it was over 11C.

Half a dozen brent geese with the barnacles this morning.  A very grey drizzly start to the day. Brightened up a bit later and the brent disappeared but 4 red breasted geese took their place.

Four red breasted geese this morning with the barnacle geese.  The crab apples have still not attracted any waxwings and the supply is gradually being diminished by the blackbirds.

I was surprised to see this little creature out and about in the garden last night.

A cold, wet and windy day but the inclement weather has brought with it half a dozen teal and four red breasted geese.

It was a very stormy night with driving rain.  This morning there was a superb rainbow over the fields.  Click below for more pictures.

Joy West kindly lent me some photos that she took in April 1997 when the Environment agency opened up some waterways in the marshes to encourage wildlife.  There are three more photos if you click below.

I only recently learnt of the sad news that 'Geordie' of North Road passed away.  I remember him from when my parents first bought the house in 1969, and what a character he was then and since.  He knew the fields and marshes like the back of his hand and he had many tales to tell about them, some scandalous......


I will miss seeing him wheel his fishing gear past the house and the lingering smell of the perfumed tobacco.

Two years ago I ran in the Adnams 10k race, once was enough for me.......
This year the race was run in superb sunny conditions.  Click below for more images.

Hilary Huckstep kindly sent me the images of this postcard from Easton Bavents.

It looked very grey first thing this morning but just before sunrise the sky over the sea was spectacular.  Click below for more images.

I found this postcard which was posted in 1959 but it must have been taken much earlier than that.

Last week I went to Benacre and was surprised to see eleven Egyptian geese in a field.  There were also some silver pheasant.  The turnstones are still on the beach darting between the foam which has been created as a result of the strong winds.  Yesterday The Suffolk Kite Fliers had a display at the boating lake, click below for more images.

Two brent geese have been around the model yacht pond over the past days.

The turnstone was on the sand this morning but it was very grey and drizzly.  No golden sky today but I did find some gold and the water droplets would not have been there without the drizzle.

The last couple of days have been very windy but quite mild.  The sky was golden this morning as you can see when I captured a fisherman on the pier.

The turnstones have returned from their summer holiday and were on the rocks today.

There are two red breasted geese in with the barnacles, the first time for a while that they have been here.

Hundreds of barnacle geese have appeared on the fields opposite.  A neighbour told me had recently seen a seal off the coast and Bill Eborn sent me an email saying that there were a pair of dolphins recently off Easton Bavents.  The seal below was in the North Sea but off North Norfolk.  More pictures from North Norfolk can be seen by clicking on the picture below.

There were two very large toads in the pond yesterday together with the resident frog.  The damp mornings have brought out lots of slugs and banded snails.  The mist was, again, very spectacular in the rising sun.  I have added a few more pictures today.  Click below for yesterday's and today's.

It was a beautiful autumn morning with the sun clearing the early mist.  Click on image below for more photographs.

The little egret looked very white when contrasted with the filed of rooks yesterday.  It is the start of the season of mists.

I haven't seen the grass snake for some time now but it did not catch all the frogs as one was by the pond today.

Beach art on the sea wall.

A couple of little egrets have been around.  The largest bird yesterday in the locality was the air ambulance which landed in a field just to the north of North Road.  Today's press said that the builder involved in the accident was discharged from hospital.  The helicopter did spook the geese.

I forgot to upload some pictures from the regatta in August, click on the image below for more pictures.

The canada geese are back today with one or two barnacle geese. 

A hitherto unknown fossil was seen on the promenade.

This weekend was the Reydon Scarecrow Trail. I think I found most of them.  Click on image below for more.

The final Barett Jenkins book is about Ghost Stories, Smuggling Stories and Poems connected with Southwold.  Click on image below for the PDF.

Barrett Jenkins diary (Ann Thornton's printer's proof copy) can be downloaded below.
Click on image.

Barrett Jenkins first book was about the Southwold Railway.  Click on image below for a PDF.

Barrett Jenkins second book 'A visit to Southwold' can now be downloaded as a PDF.  Click on image below.

Ann Thornton has kindly agreed for me to copy more of her father's books.  The photographic collection can be downloaded as a PDF (~12MB) on the image below.

I came back on the train yesterday and passed through Thetford forest.  The heather looked spectacular so this morning I went down to Dunwich.  Not many birds about but there were some deer in the distance.  Click here to see the photos.  There are far fewer swallows around although one or two were by Gun Hill this morning.

In the past I have written about bats.  This year I have seen very few.  Bill Eborn, a reader of my piece in The Organ, sent me some comments about bats in Southwold. He wrote 'Following that mention, I took my bat detector down to the boating lake at dusk but had no luck in hearing any bats.

This year my wife and I both saw a fairly large single bat from our veranda in North Parade, and just after 9 pm on both 10th and 11th August heard the distinctive click of a bat via the bat detector. This was unusual in that it was at 15.5 kHz, which is much lower than any bats in my reference books.
 
I contacted the Bat Conservation Trust who, having ruled out a bat blown off course from mainland Europe, concluded that it was most likely a Noctule bat using echo-location at a lower frequency than normal.'

The weather in August has not been good.  I have not see any swifts for a couple of weeks and there were very few swallows around this morning.  However someone on the beach appeared happy.

Ann Thornton kindly gave me permission to copy her father's book 'Reminisces of Southwold during the Two World Wars'. Ann would like to have any comments about the book.

Click on the image below for a PDF (~12MB).

John Verity kindly sent me a 1945 aerial image of Easton Bavents which is on Google Earth

I have had a question from one of the visitors to the website.  Any ideas?

I wonder if you could possibly assist me in a little of my local history.  According to one of your local magazines the paddle tug Pendennis was moved to Southwold from my village of Sutton Bridge around 1910 to tow boats in and out of Southwold harbour.  Do you have any information of this?

There were lots of swallows round the beach this morning and warblers can still be heard in the reedbeds. Railings have appeared on top of the sea wall (Health and Safety gone mad).  I used to enjoy walking north along the top of the sea wall with the distant view of Covehithe.  This is now largely obscured by the railings.  I have often commented that the beach used to be much higher.  When the groynes were not repaired and now replaced by much shorter ones the height has dropped considerably.  It would have been better to put in longer groynes than cap the seawall with railings.

The grass snake appears to be a regular visitor to the pond and it is amazing how well it can swim.  I met Stephen Curtis recently and he told me about the holidays that he used to spend at Easton Bavents in a house called Windyridge.  He remembers a group of cottages that were parallel to the cliff.  If anyone has a map showing them, or old photographs of them, I would like to put them on the website.

The grass snake has been back. Perhaps that is why the frogs have disappeared.  A hummingbird moth was in the garden a couple of days ago and the damsel flies are constantly present.

I have seen some strange flotsam and jetsam but this is a first.

I like the idea of a garden that attracts wildlife but I am not sure that I appreciate snakes.

David Horne has kindly given me some records concerning Easton Bavents.  One is his transcription of a document in Lambeth Palace library.  Click here to view.

I heard the cuckoo for the first time this year.  One was at the south end of the golf course.  A neighbour also said that he had heard one this morning towards the Bavents.  The avocets and orchids continue to be photogenic.  Click here for more.

Other visitors to the beach.

Plenty of sightings of the harrier today and the orchids are looking spectacular.  Click for more shots.

Rather a grey day today but still lots of avocets on the boating lake.  I took lots of images some better than others.  Click on the one below for more.

I have just received an email from Paul Cheall who has sent an extract from his father's war diaries (website: www.fightingthrough.co.uk) which are about to be published. His father was stationed at Southwold for a brief period in the lead up to D-Day.  The diaries quote

I haven't seen an avocet chase off a black headed gull before.  Click on picture for more.

A pair of avocets appeared on the boating lake a couple of days ago, but it will not be long before there is no water in it.  Also there were two little egrets yesterday evening, they have not been around for a while.  A mint moth has been in the garden, but not on the mint!

The orchids have appeared early this year.

The swifts have been around for a few days and also a pair of avocet on the boating lake which is increasingly drying out.  The marsh harrier also makes a regular visit.  The greylag have also bred successfully this year.

I cycled up to Easton Bavents this morning and took some photos, click on the image below to see the rest.

Very cold east wind today but I did see a dozen or so godwit on the boating lake.  They were around last summer until it totally dried out.  Still no sign of swifts or the cuckoo.

There must be a Southwold royal connection.  The planes usually appear over Southwold before making their way to Buckingham Palace.  These were overhead yesterday lunchtime before the fly past.

This picture of frogs in the pond reminds me of stargazy pie.

The cow parsley is well in flower as can be made out on the webcam.  A toad was in the pond yesterday together with several frogs and I have seen a number of Emperor moths.  Even though there are numerous warblers there is no indication of a cuckoo.

Many of the geese have departed and swallows and martins have appeared with the warmer weather.  It is very noisy in the reed beds (I would recommend a walk along the marsh wall to the north of North Road early in the morning).  There are numerous warblers, reed, sedge and the occasional grasshopper all singing away. There are still a few turnstones on the beach and a couple of pairs of shelduck on the boating lake.  The greylag have some goslings and there are some ducklings on the boating lake. 

My rain gauge has only registered 3.5 mm since February 26; it has been remarkably dry and it is not surprising that the boating lake water levels are already very low.  There is a regular marsh harrier over the fields and reed beds and it is good to see the re-appearance of the cows in the fields opposite.  Other creatures are also around with several frogs in the garden pond and a grass snake slithered in front of me whilst I was on the marsh wall.  There is also a manic blue tit in the garden, it goes inside a nesting box and hammers away as if it were a woodpecker.

I am very aware that I have been off line for some time.  During that time quite a lot has happened, the bungalow with the dormer windows on the cliff top has been demolished.  Nick Wood kindly sent this picture taken on April 4.

The pairs of oystercatchers, swans, greylag geese and Canada geese have been on the marsh and a pair of shelducks on the boating lake.  The pheasant has been particularly noisy and I think I heard a reed warbler the other morning.  It has been glorious weather and the very low tide meant that I could stand on the observer post.  This can be seen by clicking on the picture below.

David H wrote to me recently.

'I guess you have seen the piece in the EDP about the knocking down of the semi-detached houses at Easton Bavents. The house referred to in the story is the left hand (inland side). We used to stay at Weatherly (owned by Mr and Mrs Tony Westlake). From family photos, it would have been 80 yds to the cliff edge around 1970.

 

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/easton_bavents_cliff_top_house_to_be_knocked_down_1_834897

 

We were in Southwold in February and compared photos from 1970 to now.  The past is, as they say, a foreign country!'

It is good to see the daffodils and snowdrops on the marsh opposite.  I assume that they are there as a result of discarded garden waste.  The pair of oystercatchers have been around and yesterday there was a pair of greylag geese.  Maybe in May we will see some more goslings.  On Tuesday the Muntjac was on the marsh wall.


I met Frank Mortlock the other day and he commented on the Observer Post that is now in the sea.  He recollects how his father (Harold) who was one of six volunteers who manned the post during the war was injured.  He lost his lower leg in an explosion outside the building, possibly from a grenade.  This is reported in Tom King's "My Second World War Diaries in Southwold".  Tom King was a policeman and on March 10, 1944 wrote:

'Weather. Fog early and overcast, cleared a bit later, wind WNW moderate.  Spent the morning doing bits and pieces and had a sleep in the afternoon fairly quiet day, a few planes.  The Military made a good bit of noise on the common practising with smoke bombs and explosives, had a walk round in the evening, plenty of search lights up, otherwise quiet. Came on duty again at 21.30 fairly quiet night from planes, just getting a bit of a nap ay 04.00 when the Coastguards phoned to say Harold Mortlock had met with an accident while on duty at Easton Bavents look out and injured his foot.  I phoned for an ambulance and informed the hospital, later reports said his right foot was badly lacerated and they feared it would have to be amputated, he was transferred to Ipswich Hospital.  Had crowds of planes buzzing about from 06.00, came off duty 08.00.'


He also told me about the dangers of the Sten guns that were being used and that one had inadvertently gone off and a bullet passed through Mr Burrage's thigh.


Before the war c1936 there was a village of huts where the pier carpark is now (this can be seen in old postcards).  Will Goldsmith used to have 3 horses which he used for threepenny rides from the pier (where the toilets are now located) along North Road up to Marlborough Road.  The horses were Major, Tommy and Doodle.  The largest, Tommy, used to pull a landau for rides along the front.  The horses were stabled in what are now garages opposite the Nelson.

An oystercatcher has been a welcome regular visitor to the fields and this morning I watched half a dozen turnstones on the beach.  A long walk up the beach just before lunch showed more cliff fall and a lot of tree roots. There are a few shots of the glorious sunrise this morning. These can be seen by clicking on the image below.

A very wet morning but it has brought some Barnacle Geese back to the fields.  This morning they are accompanied by 3 Brent Geese.  The usual Gadwall and Teal are also present.

I am pleased to report some more shoveller ducks on the fields but very few geese, half a dozen barnacle.  A near neighbour told me that he has a resident blackcap in the garden and the other day had 20 - 30 waxwings in his malus tree.  Neither of these have been flown to my garden.  Another neighbour reported that he had heard skylarks up on the cliff tops towards 'The Low'.

Unfortunately the kids with shotguns have been back in the fields and the wildfowl have not been around.  Not much to report therefore on the ducks and geese.  However the sanderling are still on the foreshore.

I usually see oystercatchers on the fields to the north of North Road, however this morning there was one on the foreshore.  Also a kestrel and marsh harrier have been around the fields and boating lake.

The blackbirds are singing at dawn and yesterday saw an elusive song thrush at the top of a tree.  Lots of long-tailed tits flitting around and a pair of sanderling on the foreshore today.

Yesterday there were hundreds of barnacle geese.  Much fewer today but for the first time in a while there were 15 or so greylags around today.

It has been a good goose day. Plenty of Barnacle Geese, 1 White Fronted Goose and 5 Red Breasted Geese.  The only down side was that they are in the far field and difficult to photograph.

The geese have been back over the past three days, mainly barnacle but there was a white fronted goose on Saturday. Several turnstones have been on the foreshore.

I did get to see the meteor shower on Jan 4 (around 3.00 AM it was clear enough).  Unfortunately there was too much cloud cover to see the eclipse in the morning.  Last night was very clear and Jupiter could be seen with the crescent moon.

Even more cliff has eroded since I last went up to 'The Low'.

No geese around for a while and yesterday was so misty that nothing could be seen on the marsh.  Lots of tits about in the garden including some long tailed.

The recent north easterlies have brought in a lot of flotsam and jetsam.

I have been watching the wildfowl recently and before lunch noticed the arrival of a lot of geese.  I have just looked to see if there are any red breasted ones but unfortunately there are two kids with a shotgun.  They have been around for several days and do not appreciate the ban on shooting ducks.  The pair of Shovellers, which I have enjoyed watching, are no more.

Yesterday morning the temperature in the back garden dipped to -10C, the coldest that I have known it here.  Many of the usual birds around and one of my neighbours continues to tell me of waxwings and fieldfare.  Nothing yet in the garden here although all the usual species are around.  It has been difficult providing any water as it freezes as soon as it is put in the birdbath.

A couple of days ago I caught a glimpse of a bird disappearing across the road into the undergrowth.  I thought that it was a water rail but really did not get a good view.  Yesterday a neighbour sent me a text that there was a water rail in his North Road garden.  Surprisingly they are around, I have never seen one here before.

Five red breasted geese, some jack snipe, dunlin and an oystercatcher were with the gulls and barnacle geese today.  The geese were a long way off but it is possible to make them out.

Plenty of geese on the marsh today and a real bonus.  I have not seen the red breasted goose for some time and four are present today.  I have reported them to birdguides.com but they have recorded them as presumed escapes, not sure why as we have had a regular single visitor for some years now.  Still no sign of a waxwing in my garden but plenty of tits, I think I may have caught a glance of a marsh tit as there appeared to be no white streak on the back of the head.  They are getting through the bird feed at a rate of knots.

The recent high winds and associated rough seas have created a large amount of flotsam and jetsam on the foreshore.  Very few geese over on the marsh at the moment but a shoveller duck was present yesterday.  The goldfinches are finding the verbena seeds in the garden.

Mike T wrote to me and provided some more information on the mystery bird that I posted a few weeks back.

'It’s a female Black Redstart.  There are usually a few around the edges of town every Autumn – and a few on Spring migration.  I recall a week in late October back in the late 1990s when I saw well over a dozen spread out in the centre of Southwold.  They are traditionally associated in Britain with buildings (post caves?) and breed locally at Sizewell power stations & Hamilton Dock in Lowestoft.  In the latter half of the 1940s, they rapidly colonised bomb-sites in major cities.'

There was a low tide yesterday and the remains of the observation post that used to stand on the cliff top at Easton Bavents could be seen.  Click on the picture to see further evidence of the coastal erosion.

Some Bramblings appeared in the garden today and a near neighbour has had a Waxwing visit.  No such luck for me.  The picture below shows how strong the north easterly wind has been.  The drifting sand is covered with a thin layer of snow.

Although there has not been much snow, when it comes it is horizontal.  This morning it was imposible to walk along the promenade as the waves were hitting the sea wall and the high wind was blowing the spray onto the beach huts.  It was bleak towards Easton Bavents as the snow scene shows.

The cold weather has brought in lots of lapwings.  Yesterday morning there was quite a lot of snow.

A short while ago BBC Look East showed a piece on the plight of Easton Bavents. A reader of the website pointed out to me that this has been also reported in the Daily Mail. Click here for a PDF of the article.

More information is also available here .  There is another interesting plan for Easton Bavents here from Paul England et al.

The first snow of winter fell yesterday and overnight froze to leave North Road like a skating rink.

Saw some Turnstones on the beach this morning.  During the week there was a glorious sunrise and as I said I cannot resist taking pictures.  There are a few more from the week by clicking below.

Still lots of barnacle geese around and a flock of long tailed tits in the garden.  I walked up the beach the other day and found from where the septic tank had fallen.  The Town Farm Marsh webcam is proving somewhat problematic but I think the one on Reydon Corner is now running smoothly.  You can access that on the home page.

The first pair of teal that I have seen this autumn have arrived.  The heron is around quite a lot and was being mobbedby crows this morning.

There are regularly several hundred barnacle geese in the fields to the north of North Road, today they were accompanied by some greylags.  The grey heron and little egret have also been about. Halloween is more apparent in North Road this year.

I have seen some strange sites but a septic tank on the beach?

I was asked to accompany my university tutor and supervisor on a cruise to the western mediterranean, hence the inactivity on the website.  We visited Gibraltar, Palma, Mahon, Barcelona, Alicante and Malaga.  I have tried to capture the older elements of these places. They can be seen by clicking here.

What a fantastic autumn day!  Outward or homeward bound? Click on image for more of the sunrise pictures (I cannot resist taking them).

This bird looked like a robin but was grey with a red rump and wagged its tail. Any ideas?

Today started with a beautiful autumnal morning, 'the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness'.  There was a chill in the air and a low mist over Town Farm Marsh.  More pictures can be seen by clicking on the one below.

0.6 inches of rain fell in the 12 hour period from 10.00 AM yesterday.  This could be seen on the webcam overlooking Town Farm Marsh (access via home page or halcyon.camstreams.com). Not too many photos taken outside but I did experiment with some night shots. In order to enhance sensitivity I increased the ISO on the camera from the normal 200 to 3200, this gives the Michaelmas daisies (left) an interesting blue colour. I was surprised that the red berries on the sorbus showed up in the distance.

It felt very autumnal for the first time this year.  There are many more Barnacle geese around and I saw some Gadwall for the first time.  There appear to be Martins and Swallows about.  In Snape earlier today there were lots of Swallows swooping around the field which was being used as a car park for the Aldeburgh Food Festival.  Click here for a few pictures .  The sun through the clouds was good first thing this morning.

A new webcam from Reydon Corner overlooking the marshes to the sea can be found by clicking here.

Halcyon has been away in Chile for a few days.  Click here to see some pictures of Valparaiso, The Andes and Santiago.

What a week! Over 1.5 inches of rain in 48 hours.  At least the boating lake is filling.....I did get a picture of evidence of coastal erosion, see below.

Last night there was a lot of celestial activity, the barn owl was foraging, there were 4 or 5 house martins and as it became darker moths and bats were flying around.  There was also a superb view of the International Space Station as it went over.

The barn owl was out over the fields for some time last night. The scene on the horizon this morning looked like a view from 'War of the Worlds'.  Is it for drilling or sand dredging?

I had the opportunity to go up the church tower at Pakefield.  It felt like being a cross between Indiana Jones and David Attenborough.  I had to climb almost vertical old creaky ladders amidst the dust of centuries, pigeon dropping etc.  There was an acrid smell (bats?).  Right at the top, after passing through several trap doors, and past the bells, there was a lead covered one that when opened revealed welcome fresh air and sky.  I took a number of photos.  Click on the image for more.

I haven't seen the swifts around for several days and there are far fewer swallows.  However the barnacle geese are back in plenty and yesterday there was the rare appearance of a ruddy shelduck.  The old water tower was open yesterday and I took some photos from the top.  It was a pity that it wasn't a bit clearer.  Here is the one towards Easton Bavents.  The others can be seen by clicking on the image.

John Hutton has contacted me again about an incident in the war.  He recalls:

'On 5th may 1941, an unusual aircraft landed in a field in Easton Bavents / Covehithe. My pal Charlie Martin and I heard of this through the grapevine and hot footed it up that way. We were rewarded with a perfect view of this machine in Luftwaffe markings from about 50 yards. The armed guard prevented us getting any closer. My supposed skills in aircraft recognition were completely thrown by this strange twin boomed machine, but we heard later that it was a Fokker G1  fighter captured by the Germans from the Dutch Air Force.'  The picture provided by John, from a Fokker aircraft history book, tells the whole story. Click here for image.

 

A few swallows have reappeared on the power lines and last night there were no swifts to be seen although one or two bats made an appearance. This morning a significant number of barnacle geese arrived but no sign, as yet, of the red breasted goose.  Nick Wood has provided me some interesting pictures of the sea defences.  Click on image below for more.

I visited South Cove Church and saw a very impressive collection of old images of the area.  I borrowed some of John Allport's collection.  A small selection can be viewed by clicking on the image below which shows the local brickworks at South Cove.

I have just been up to the North Norfolk coast, largely to visit the RSPB reserve at Titchwell, however most of it is closed for renovation.  However I did manage a few photos whilst I was up there.  Click here to see them .

Some of the sunsets have been pretty good as well.  Click below for more.

In late July there was a spectacular sunrise with mist on The Town Farm Marshes.  More images can be seen by clicking on the picture below.

More sightings of the hawk moth.  To see more pictures click on image below.

I have had several sightings of a hummingbird hawk moth in the garden.  This is the first time I have seen them in Southwold.  They are little devils to photograph as can be seen below, almost ghost like.

More frogs have arrived at the new pond in the garden, I am still amazed how they find water in an enclosed garden.  The orchids near the boating lake have now gone to seed, but the picture below is a reminder of how they were a couple of weeks ago.  Despite an inch of rain falling during the week, the boating lake continues to dry.  The harrier with the very pale head is often to be seen searching for prey.  Whilst I was watching it through the binoculars a few minutes ago I saw it together with 5 little egrets and a grey heron.

Nearly all the water has gone from the boating lake and walking over the marsh wall this morning I was reminded that I took a picture in Helsinki last week that was apt.

This weekend the weather was far more like June.  The sea was calm and, unlike last weekend, I was able to walk up the beach.  The high seas had brought down more of the cliff and a shed on the cliff top has now met its maker.  Remaining is a post box - The Last Post? I wonder how long it will be there.

The boating lake continues to dry and it is now like it was towards the middle of August last year.  The marsh harrier continues to make regular visits and the barn owl has been about.  Little egrets can also be seen.  Yesterday morning I watched and listened to a grasshopper warbler.

Click on the picture for more shots of the cliff.

The Last Post.

The marsh harrier with the very pale head was over the reeds this morning and a couple of little egrets flew past.  On the marsh wall a couple of very small shrews scurried into the undergrowth as I walked past.  The sea was very high again and I was soaked by a wave as I walked along the promenade.

I received the postcard below recently.  It was posted from Southwold to Beccles in 1904.  When I saw it on ebay I thought that it may be of Southwold but I cannot recognise it.  Any suggestions welcome.  A higher definition picture can be seen by clicking on the image below.

I have seen high rough seas in midwinter but the middle of June? Today the waves are breaking, rushing up the slopes to the car park and coming over the top, especially the slope to the north end of the car park.  Click on picture below to see more views of the sea.

Last year I reported that the boating lake was beginning to dry out at the end of July and that this was the first time I had seen it.  This year the drying out has begun at the start of June.  This may attract some waders but why cannot it be filled, as it was in the past, by pumping in water.  I have a vivid memory of my father rowing me round the mere at Thorpeness when I was about 5 and telling me stories of pirates and excitement on the high seas.  People obviously enjoyed boating in Southwold and taking the small sailing boats onto the lake.  It is a pity that it is not possible any more; think what enjoyment it could give to children today.  Here is a reminder of yesteryear with a recent addition to the small collection of postcards.

Yesterday the Marsh Harrier was displaying well and although I have seen evidence of moles on the marsh walk I have never seen one.  However:

This time last year there was a profusion of orchids near North Road.  The first few have begun to show.

Last weekend I found a new view to the north and went up the tower of the Roman Catholic Church.  The views were spectacular, it was a pity that it was not a clear sunny day.  More views can be seen by clicking on the picture below.

At long last I heard the cuckoo yesterday evening.  Also the marsh harriers were swooping over the reeds late afternoon - early evening.  There is a new addition to the north of North Road, the Southwold sign.  An interesting design, for the choice of gull I would have selected a black headed gull as these are more prevalent.  Certainly in the past there were fewer herring or black backed gulls.  The fretwork under the 'Southwold' is interwoven fish and waves.  What is most strange is that the positioning of the sign means that most of the detail is lost against the trees.

Nick Wood has kindly given me a link to a collection of postcards of local interest.  Click here to see the collection.

Still no sign of the North Road cuckoo which is surprising given the large number of warblers that can be heard in the reed beds.  More old postcards have arrived and I am grateful to Hilary for a couple, one of which shows the 'fishing village' of huts on the North Beach.  Does anyone have any idea of the date?

The Canada Geese also have a number of goslings

I know that it has been arctic like this week.  Yesterday evening there seemed to be a visitor from the far north in the fields.  From a distance it looked like a snow goose but through a telescope the bill was too dark.  Still no sign of the North Road cuckoo.  The Oystercatchers are still on the nest and there appears to be a bumper number of Greylag goslings this year.

I have found a few more old postcards which I have added.  The Oystercatcher is still sitting on the nest.  I think that winter has returned, very cold wet and a strong north-easterly.

Hilary Huckstep has kindly sent me some more postcards, these are now on the 'old postcards' page.

May Day and I have seen the Greylag goslings for the first time.  Also the Swifts appeared yesterday and a pair of Partridge were in the fields.  I have not heard the cuckoo yet which I did on May 1 last year but I understand that it has been heard in Reydon.

After seeing Jeanette's old postcards I decided that I should look for some.  Here is the first from 1907.  Also Jeanette sent me an interesting document concerning Bramwell Booth which I will put on the history post 1900 page.  The oystercatcher is still on the nest and I had sight of the grasshopper warbler.

The daffodils are still putting on a good show.  To rival their yellow, the mimosa against the blue sky looks spectacular.

The swallows and martins are now back in abundance and a pair of oystercatchers appears to be nesting in the fields.  Shelducks are also around and the Marsh Harrier was being mobbed by gulls this afternoon.  The warmer evenings have brought out the bats.  Even so for the past few days (apart from this morning) there has been a frost on the ground.

I was asked to have a picture of the skate-board park.  You can compare the view with that in the 1936 postcard.  The house at the end of North Road can clearly can be seen to the left of the picture and, in the distance, the roof of the house with the dormer windows that is now on the cliff edge.

Last weekend I thought I heard a grasshopper warbler near the boating lake.  This was confirmed by a neighbour who has not heard them for some years.  I have also tried to get a picture of the view to the north to compare with the 1936 postcard.  It is not possible to get precisely the same angle but the contrast is marked.

I was told that the tents in the 1936 picture may be from the Boys Brigade as badges and so forth have been found as a result of metal detecting in that area.

I had a super response to my article in The Southwold Organ, 'A view to the north'.  Jeanette Carden kindly lent me some old postcards and I copied those that were relevant to the north end of Southwold (I will be posting these).  One that particularly struck me was a 1936 view of Easton Bavents.  It shows tennis courts where the current skate board park is located.  A building, long gone, next to the boating lakes and tents up towards and past Peter Boggis' property.  If anyone has ideas of what they were doing there or any other ideas of the view please let me know.  What is fascinating is the fact that there are houses that no longer exist and the extent (at least a field) of ground between the houses still at the Bavents and the cliff edge.

You can click on the picture to get a better resolution view.

A neighbour told me that there were sand martins over Easton Broad so I decided to try and find them yesterday afternoon.  I walked up the coast and was surprised by both the lack of people and also the amount of cliff that has come down close to the first dip.  There were lots of greylag geese near the broad and I watched a pair of Marsh Harriers fly over the reed beds.  Plenty of birdsong as well with lots of skylarks around.  However the martins eluded me.  This morning a Snipe was in the fields opposite preening itself with its long beak.  The sea was incredibly calm this morning and more like a lake with the water and sky merging together.

I usually write about a view to the north.  Today there was a noxious niff from the north.  I think that the pigs were being cleaned out.  Despite the smell it was warm enough to sit outside and have a beer.  Ladybirds and bumble bees in the garden together with the first wasp of the year.  To brighten the day I also took some pictures of the daffodils on the marsh which have come out to replace the snowdrops.  I think that the bulbs must have got there as a result of garden refuse but they put on a splendid show every year.

Up on the Scottish moors the black grouse have lecks.  The male pheasant in North Road is often seen 'strutting his stuff' on the footpath.  Peacocks and Brimstone butterflies been seen flying around in the Spring sun.

Bonfires are usually associated with autumn, here is a vernal bonfire in the late evening. The rooks are building in  preparation for warmer days.

The pair of oystercatchers are still feeding furiously.  Yesterday evening it was good to see the barn owl fly over the reeds.Only a couple of teal around but the gadwall are still present in numbers.  The daffodils on the marsh are now in full bloom.

I tried to jog up the beach the other day but even though the tide was ebbing and an hour or so past high tide it was impossible to get as far as Easton Broad.  However I did hear lots of skylarks and the piping of three oystercatchers as they flew over.  The pair is still on the fields to the north of North Road and today the little egret was present, it appeared very white in the Spring sun.  Nearby was a grey heron.  A neighbour told me he had seen a Muntjac deer earlier in the week and so I hope to get some more photos, clearer than the one I posted last summer.

I was also contacted by a neighbour in Hotson Road who spent time here in her childhood.  She recalls that  (in the early 50s) 'We were never allowed to go along that part of the beach as children because of all the barbed wire and unexploded mines and other debris left over from the war.  We were always afraid to go too far along from the pier.'

The Vernal Equinox when the sun crosses the equator and so far it has been a glorious Spring morning.  I don't expect to see game birds in the garden as it is very small and does not adjoin any open countryside. However this morning the garden was visited by a red-legged partridge.  I grabbed the camera to get a quick shot but unfortunately I had not reset it from taking some night shots of the moon.  However after a bit of digital magic it is possible to make out the partridge.  Maybe I should invest in a pear tree.

I have added a picture to the history post 1900 page. The photo was kindly given to me by Michael Rowan-Robinson and shows a historic photo of the Salvation Army Council arriving at 71 North Rd to ask Bramwell Booth to resign.

If you look at the comment on the post below, there is a link to a Google page which allows one to walk along North Road.  Big Brother is watching, the definition is scary.
Click here for the link

Over the past couple of days there have been about 8 Greylag geese appear.  There have been a few individuals over the winter and I think the latest influx must mean that they are going to breed again.  The past couple of years has seen several successful broods.  Also the Barn Owl and Marsh Harrier has been back.  Teal and Gadwall still around but still no wigeon.  Also the Barnacle Geese have been visiting less frequently but about a dozen Canada Geese are often on the marshes.

The weather has been awful and so outdoor pictures have not been worthwhile.  I did come across a pot the other day which is stamped Southwold Pottery.  I wonder if anyone knows more about this?  There was some information on the Southwold Museum website but I have been able to find little else.

Advice from my tonsorial experts, is this a number 1 or a number 2?

I walked under the pier yesterday at sunrise and was reminded of the Egyptian temples where passages were cut so that on one day of the year the sun would shine along their length.  Yesterday evening a Barn Owl quartered the reed beds, it is a pity that it does not come more regularly.

More pictures of the pier can be found by clicking on the image below

John Hutton sent me a recollection from the war, see entry on Miscellany 'History post 1900'

An icy wind was blowing down the coast this morning and the sun had difficulty finding its way through the grey clouds.  Moles seem to be very active at the moment on the marsh footpath and the fields to the north of North Road. Gadwall and Teal about and a lot of gulls which look like a snow storm when they take off and land in the fields. More sunrise pictures by clicking on photograph below.

What a difference a day makes.  Yesterday morning it was grey, pouring with rain, cold and windy.  This morning it was glorious with a frost on the beach.  The sun rising was spectacular and the pictures do not do full justice to it.  There are a few more if you click on the picture below.

The moon setting this morning was more spectacular.  Click on image below for more moon pictures and the sunrise this morning.

The Red Breasted Goose and a Brent Goose is present today together with a pair of Mute Swans, a Grey Heron and numerous Barnacle Geese. The Teal and Shoveller are also there with Gadwall and Mallards.  It is difficult to see the gulls against the snowy fields

Hilary Huckstep kindly lent me some old Ordnance Survey maps which I have tried to copy and are under the Maps and Gazeteer page.  The files can be downloaded so that they can be viewed in a bit more detail.  This is an example from the 1928 map.

This morning there was a covering of snow and it was very icy, the moon setting to the west was spectacular.  I have added more icy pictures, these together with the previous ones can be seen by clicking on the picture below.

The moon was so bright last night that I could not get Mars and the moon in the same shot.  However when it was clear seeing the two together was great.

Hopefully the sky will be clear tonight and there will be good views of the moon and Mars at 9.00 PM

One of my readers, John Hutton, recalls discovering of a colony of Purple Hairstreak butterflies, a few years back, in the gorse bushes near the boating lake. Has anyone else seen them in recent years? Picture below from http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=quercus

Another grey day but a few Barnacle Geese appeared together with a surprise, 3 Brent Geese.  Even more surprising, surprisingly, was an appearance in the garden of a thrush.  It must have been 5 or 6 years since I have seen one.  Before that they often used the front step as an anvil, where have they all gone?

I would like to find out more about the war defences to the north of Southwold.  There are clearly the anti-tank concrete blocks that the lichen like so much (see below) and there has been posting about the observation post that can only now be seen at very low tide. I learnt recently about the first world war airfield at Covehithe (the limit of the remit of this website).  Any information, pictures, maps most welcome.

The jetsam reminded me that almost a year ago Southwold beach was inundated with timber planks.  Remember this?  There are more images if you click on the picture.

The largest jetsam I have seen but what is it?

Here is an apt photo, even snowmen or should I say snowpersons have children, the latest denizens in North Road

Ken, here is another poser for you!

A few more arctic scenes added to the other wintry pictures.  This is the first time I have seen a snowman looking out to sea. Redwing in the garden for the first time.

Is the Yeti back? Click on photo for more snow scenes.

A hospital is marked on this 1937 map of Suffolk
The Vision of Britain site has some interesting historical maps.

A recent visitor to the site wrote to me about Easton Bavents and I have added a paragraph to the page.  It would be interesting to have more information about the Bavents and some old photos, if anyone has any. Also it would be interesting to confirm if the hospital was there at any stage or if it was a nursing home, or both.  Please email me (halcyon@southwold-northroad.com with any details if you have any.

It is difficult to see the gulls against the snow.  A shelduck has appeared for the first time in a while and also a flock of long tailed tits.

The church from Town Farm Marsh taken yesterday.

Red-breasted goose

Barnacle geese in full flight

First sight of the Red-Breasted Goose for a long time. Unfortunately it is in the far fields and difficult to photograph

Back in the 1980s when Waveney could be bothered to spend money on the upkeep of groynes the beach levels were high.  There was no need for the railings as the drop to the beach was seldom more than a few feet.  The replacement stone piers are clearly not adequate to prevent beach erosion and old timbers from the jetty (pre sea defences) have now been exposed.

Is this a picture from:

A: NASA

B: The South Pole

C: The roof of an Audi A3?

Sun at last and Barnacle Geese.

Happy New Year to all my readers.  Last night there was a partial eclipse of the moon. The clouds made it difficult to photograph.  I am still waiting for answers to the picture puzzle!

New Year's Eve and there is no let up to the grey skies.

It is cold, grey and drizzling with a wind from the north east, so here is a reminder of sunnier times.

Sometimes in winter there is some sun. However the coastal erosion continues, I wonder how much longer the house will remain? What will happen when the sea erodes the cliffs immediately north of the current sea defences, will Town Farm Marsh become Buss Creek again with tidal flow?

Plenty of Teal around, a few lapwing but no sign of the red-breasted goose.

Although there is now a complete covering of water in the boating lake the cold weather makes it appear solid again.  The teal are sliding on the ice.  A little egret is on the marsh and recently a heron perched on a neighbour's roof surveying the landscape, no doubt looking for goldfish.

No entry

Arctic conditions in North Road

I must go and invest some money!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/8410453.stm

I promised a 'how well do you know Southwold' brainteaser for the end of the year.  There are 10 pictures taken around Southwold.  I will give a prize of a bottle of fizz for the most correct answers emailed to halcyon@southwold-northroad.com by December 31st.  The ten pictures are below and also available at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/southwoldnorthroad/Puzzle#

Good luck!

Lots of Barnacle Geese around and a pair of Stonechat on the dried cow parsley outside the house.  Large number of huge tankers off the coast.

Plenty of Barnacle Geese but no sign of the Red Breasted Goose.  Earlier this week there were 8 Brent and the first Teal were in evidence today.

Is this the first sign of the flood, should we be building an ark?

The day the clocks went back and snowdrops out, what a strange microclimate.

Donald Sewell kindly lent me two aerial photos, I think they are c1910 and 1995.  Please let me know it you have more exact dates.  It is interesting to see the state of the boating lake and compare it with its current condition. They are posted on the post 1900 history page.

Last weekend there were some perfect sunrises and evidence of coastal erosion.

What a difference a week makes. Despite the heavy overnight rain the boating lake remains dry and cracked.

Have been having some formatting problems with the site, hence the loss of a few images. However the ever changing beach has provided an interesting view of the beach huts.  The red-breasted goose has made a return but in the fields too far away to be photographed.

There are still a few swallows around over South Green and the golf course.  This picture reminded me of a painting that I saw recently, all will be revealed in due course.

And for fun a picture taken on a very starry night of the moon and Jupiter and played around with digitally:

Tonight was very clear and a super full moon. In view of the recent lunar comments I thought I would try and capture it.  It was so bright this picture was taken at 1/1000 sec

Definitely colder this morning.  Very few swallows around although I think I saw some House Martins. Some of the anti-tank blocks from the war years provide an excellent surface for lichen.

There are various famous domes around the world, this is the dome of the sunrise coast.

The Times again makes reference to Southwold. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6816447.ece and the editorial refers to George Orwell (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article6816418.ece), I wonder if the Editor realises that Eric Blair lived in Southwold for many years? Does Rumbugga have any views on the possibility of a nudist beach in Southwold and should we be concerned about this type of activity up at the Bavents?

Ably assisted by my photographic assistant, Orchid, we went on the track of the Yeti.  We came across the following print which we believe is the genuine article.  Perhaps Rumbugga can verify?

This morning there was a beautiful blue sky but a decided chill in the air.  No spottings of Ursa Minor this morning but with the increased chill maybe I should be looking for Ursus maritimus.

On August 24, Rumbugga suggested that the sighting was a Yeti and that it should be reported in the Fortean Times.  The Times this morning gives us some clue.  Perhaps we should compare the picture below with the photographs taken earlier this week!

This is cheating a little as it is a bit further than a few hundred yards from North Road but I love the blue colours I got late evening in the harbour, almost Mediterranean.

I have added some more information that Frank Mortlock gave me on the history post 1900 page.  There will be more to follow.  It would be good to have some more old photos of North Road. Here is another shot of the pier from a choppy sea.

The boating lake continues to dry; but do I get a sighting of the yeti (aka Ursa Minor)?

Charybdis?

An interesting perspective of the pier. More photos of the trip on the Coastal Voyager and Nick Catling and Marcus Gladwell are on the websites page. Click on the picture on the websites page to get to the full set of pictures which have yet to be edited.

An intrepid explorer out on his daily trek. You will note that he is looking downwards to avoid the problems mentioned in the Forum.  I have posted some pictures from Dunwich and a lunchtime trip up the River Blyth.  These are on the websites and local haunts page.  More pictures to follow as I went for an evening trip up the river.

Starry starry night, but this is not a star, can you spot the moons?

Watched a Barn Owl over the marshes under a superb sunset yesterday evening. Despite the cloudless blue sky this morning there is a slight autumnal chill.  Looking at the boating lake I am beginning to wonder if it will dry out completely.

More wildlife in the garden

More vapour trails

The other day I mentioned Ethan, here is some evidence that he is a budding naturalist. Finds from the shoreline:

I came across this little garden resident whilst moving some slabs this morning

In transit; who will get there first?

The Admirals Cup comes to North Road

Last night whilst out admiring the view across the marsh I met a number of North Road denizens, some of whom were unaware of the website.  There were two graphic designers, one of whom I had helped earlier with my Broadband connection, the other has just received a 1st from Brighton (well done).  A number of tales of misdemeanour were also related from the 1940s, these will be reported later in the history section.

Also there were some visiting grandchildren (not mine)! (yet). I think one of them, Ethan, may also turn out ot be a graphic designer (see picture below of the village he has just made) or a David Attenborough (see rock pool below).

I have added some fantastic pictures of a grass snake (Fauna and Flora home page) that Joy West took.

Transport this morning was very green; it is powered by a very heavy rather aged motor with 1HP (1 halcyonpower). It's top speed is dead slow and it has a habit of throwing its owner into the sea.

I always wondered why seagulls are white, is it because they are camouflaged in the surf?

Geese are never co-operative.  The Red-breasted Goose has reappeared but it is rather too far away for a decent photo.  This is the best I can do until they get into a closer field.

A feeding frenzy

A very grey day, 13 swallows on the power line.  The levels in the Boating Lake continue to fall but the waders love this.  Godwit and Sandpipers (thanks Mike T for pointing these out) are still there as is the large Heron population.

Sunset last night and the sunrise around 5.30 AM were spectacular.

I have added a video clip to the Images page.  It is a large file and takes some time to download. It also takes up quite a lot of space.  Let me know if you would like it left there please.  Also the old photos of North Road are coming in and will be posted soon.  If anyone has any more please email them to me or give them to me and I will scan them.

The swallows and swifts may be getting ready to depart but the Red Breasted Goose has made a return with the Barnacle Geese (a couple of hundred of them).

Another balancing act or preparing for the long journey south?

Robinson Crusoe spotted off the beach.

Skeins of Barnacle Geese have been landing in the fields, no sign of the Little Egrets recently but the Godwit are still on the Boating Lake which is getting shallower and shallower.  Eight Swallows on the power line this morning, is this a sign that they are getting ready to depart south.  This garden resident was pootling around yesterday afternoon.

A lot fewer Swifts around this last week, the shore on the boating lake gets ever bigger and provides a good feeding ground for waders such as Godwit.  No avocet there recently though. Sunday's puzzle.  Any idea what the moths or caterpillars are?

I am concerned about the general increase in the number of Tardis in North Road, should we expect an invasion of daleks? Wandering through town yesterday afternoon I think that the invasion has already started.

Early morning walk.  I think that there are more spiders on the marsh than the inhabitants of the UK.  The Cormorants are enjoying the early morning sun.

A crepuscular view of the marsh

Just returned along the first marsh wall and stopped opposite the tall trees near St Edmunds Rd.  Plain as anything was the Grasshopper Warbler mentioned in the 'Forum'.

If any of the viewers would like to contribute recollections / pictures of North Road please email me or come and see me.  I can scan any pictures that you may have.  Also I am happy to add things to the website either attributed or not, as you please.  It will be more interesting if we can post other stories and older pictures of the road.

Only seen a deer once before on North Road.  Tried to get closer but it had disappeared into the reeds.

More evidence of Little Egrets, this time on the boating lake.  If Arthur Daley identifies himself I can show him that they are bona fide.

They used smoke signals in the Wild West are we in the Wild East?

Sorry but I could not resist

A balancing act on the front.  Only one little egret this morning, I doubt if yesterday's record is broken.  And, Bruno, that is a genuine photo untouched by Photoshop.

Must be an excellent year for Little Egrets.

Summer is back after the torrential rain last night, but there is a chill in the air first thing in the morning. The godwit are still feeding on the boating lake.  New to this year are the many large boats moored on the horizon, are they a permanent feature.  I understand that they are waiting out there to be cleaned, at night they look like large illuminated Christmas decorations, not very green using up all that power.  Ten little egrets in fields to north of North Road and a gaggle of about 20 Barnacle Geese which have not been here for a while.

The low levels in the boating lake make ideal feeding ground for waders such as godwit. Not so good for paddle-boats. Six little egret in fields to the north.

This picture shows the erosion to the north of Southwold.  When I first visited here there was a clear promontory not a bay.  Met Bruno Senior again this morning, apparently Bruno Junior was further up the beach, jogging or swimming, can you spot him?

Sometimes the visitors to North Road can be exotic.

The beach at the west end of the boating lake gets bigger, a chill in the air this morning but met Bruno Senior and Junior during their consitutionals.  The boating lake appears to be Heron Heaven, a Little Egret is to the left

Storm Brewing

First thing this morning there were more people on the marsh wall than I have seen for a while.  The boating lake is getting very low with a 'beach' forming at the west end.  Some waders, redshank I think, were feeding on it.  The herons and little egrets were there in plenty. Beautiful blue sky today had also brought out lots of joggers. However the red tables remind me of the lull before the storm:

Storms outside, wayward aircraft presumably making their way to the Lowestoft airshow are flying over.  The Canada Geese, Herons and cattle seem very unperturbed.

Barnacle, Greylag and Canada Geese feeding on the marsh whilst a Grey Heron fishes. Godwits on the boating lake. Tardis in the distance, in the process of being painted.

I have seen stone pillars built like this in Vancouver several years ago but not on Southwold beach before. Any similarities to art in a local gallery?

Even old Routemasters get to North Road!

Halcyone (Herbert James Draper, 1915)
 

As I went to "The Clement Atlee Comprehensive for Underprivileged Children", we were not taught Ovid.  However Walt Whitman wrote:

Not from successful love alone,
Nor wealth, nor honor'd middle age, nor victories of politics or war;
But as life wanes, and all the turbulent passions calm,
As gorgeous, vapory, silent hues cover the evening sky,
As softness, fulness, rest, suffuse the frame, like freshier, balmier air,
As the days take on a mellower light, and the apple at last hangs
really finish'd and indolent-ripe on the tree,
Then for the teeming quietest, happiest days of all!
The brooding and blissful halcyon days!

An expensive space I am told.  Close to £100,000!!!  Has the Tardis dematerialized?

The little egret still at the boating lake but I don't think that the heavy overnight rain has done much for the level.  No boating in the immediate future.  The harrier is still displaying well, maybe checking out Marc's tardis.

Very large grey heron on marshes and swifts screeching around.  Pair of avocets still on west end of boating lake.  The water levels are very low this year.  Barn owl plus catch flew past near the new sports pavilion.

Avocets asleep

Deserted beach

Avocets return to The Boating Lake

Something from the deep, taken earlier this morning!  Marsh Harrier and Little Egret active early this morning.

I thought that ducks liked swimming not surveying the marshes from rooftops.

Marsh Harrier quartered the reed beds. Grey Heron flew over and Cormorant preened itself by the water.

Sultry day again. Four little egrets in fields.  Testing my lens to the limit they look like ghosts

Rose on marsh in full bloom I think it probably resulted from some garden clippings thrown onto the marsh some 20 years ago.  Lots of damsel flies around.

Little egret present as well PM

Not a flaming June day.  Sea mist appeared mid morning. Oystercatcher feeding and the usual swallows, sand martins and swifts. This was taken on a better day.