Well, it seems like summer has returned! July so far has been a little dull, with localised thunderous downpours the only exciting weather; there's been little in the way of hot sunshine in our corner of the county, until this weekend. From an average temperature the past few weeks of just 16*c, today Sussex is …
My Weedy Eden – Allotment Nature Diaries
The Cutty Garden has always been as much about the wildlife that I share the allotment plot with, as it has been about filling plates or vases. My own patch of nature reserve where I can observe, and maybe even help support, wild things and their intricate lives. Late spring is always a busy time …
The Tale of Mr. Tod
January is the month of the fox. As we head back to work in the new year, despite the passing of the winter solstice last month days are still short we often find ourselves commuting in the dark. A flash of movement in the headlights, a brief encounter on the evening dog-walk or trip to …
Pond-tastic!
I love ponds; I can stare into them for hours. I have very fond memories of pond dipping events with visiting school groups or families when I worked at an RSPB reserve, and before that of being one of the school kids myself; eager and curious. A pond of my own has been a dream …
The wood is brightest in the darkest time of year.
I went for a walk in my lunch break, to try and decide if it is winter yet. The rains of October are draining here, leaving clodgy paths and ditches running thick with the flow of leaves. Elsewhere it floods. November nights start early, chivvying and harrying us as we finish the working day. I …
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4 Reasons why UK Nature Watching does it for me.
Underrated, overlooked, and fabulous. If your yearly activities revolve around planning your next foreign escape to sun and sand, you might view growing up in a family without the fancy or finance for holidays abroad, as a disadvantage. Rather than a sun tan from Portugal or Spain, I would return from the school holidays clutching …
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What to Look for in Nature – October & November
After the Autumn Equinox at the end of September, all lingering echoes of summer finally fade. In my mind, October is the truest month of autumn. This is the time when the paint pallet changes its hues from greens to russets and deep gold, and nature’s full bounty can be enjoyed. November brings the frosts …
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What to Look For in Nature: September
September. The month that brings new school shoes, squalls and storms, the sense of a new season, and… the return of the ‘What to Look for’ blog series! As we feel our way back from summer holidays and settle into fresh yet comfortingly familiar routines, it can become suddenly startling how fast the year has …
Local Patch: jumpers at dawn, fairy street-lamps by the ditch.
13th August, and already it feels more like September. I am certain that the year, in the rush to escape the last grasping clutches of the summer's heatwave, has over run and got a whole month ahead of where it should be. Not that I'm complaining however; this is my favourite time of the year, …
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Pine needles radiate childhood picnics
May was a frantic month; the peak of the busy season at work and at the allotment. June will be no different by the looks of my diary. I decided to take a walk in some local woods, to calm my soul ahead of another wave of commitments. It is amazing to see, thanks …
