What a perfect day!!

Im forgetting all the great days out ive had recently,last Thursday was Holt, to get my bins mended,and while waiting for them we went to Morston Quay, walked way out on the marshes, tide was low, bit muddy but lots of lovely birds ,Oyster catchers  whistling overhead, saw a few Brent Geese, one looked a bit ill, it was sat on the mud and didnt move all the time we walked out on the marsh and back, we got to a grassy emabankment and walked along, from there we could see Blakeny point lifeboat shed, we lay on the grassy bank in the sunshine and looked up at the blue sky, nd listened to the Oyster catchers, what a perfect day.

On Sunday went out to How Hill, and Buttle marsh, heard a Cettis Warbler so close yet so far, flitting about in a little nearby bush, then two walkers passed us and frightened it away.oh well.

The Stone Angels

Nearly forgot to mention, Saturday night was our helping at The Stone Angel gig, it was at St Lawrences church at South Walsham, the lovely church is an Arts centre, it is a beautiful place and the acoustics are amazing, we helped with the wine and nibblys, the music was great, Ken and Joan entertained wonderfully as did the other members of the band, their music is described as acid folk, they have a web site if you fancy having a nose, they have a few CD s out, Circle of leaves, East of the sun, and Lonely waters, mostly about our area of Norfolk and local stories and characters, they play an amazing array of instruments  but check it out yourselves.

Lovely Thurne boat ride!

Well Monday was a lovely day, we had a nice change for a task today we had a lovely long boat trip up the Thurne and into Hickling to pick up some buoys,bit mucky but a great day out, and good fun with the boat handling bit, we started off at Ludham fieldbase, the day was a bit overcast and hardly any wind, we travelled through Potter Heigham under the old and new bridge, had a nose in all the little chalets by the side of the river on the way, went by Martham boats and turned off to Hickling, the Broad looked amazing dead calm, not one other single boat in sight, had the whole of Hickling to ourselves, i couldnt believe it, did all our work ,lifting muddy buoys into the boat and taking them to a little staithe and offloading , then another couple of trips and all done then a nice leisurely journey back to Ludham,

Today Thursday, had a lovely day out to Caistor St. Edmund, had a look around the ruins, walked along the huge ditch which was full of beautiful yellow flowers, then saw a Comma butterfly, then back to the car park and over the road to Chris Skinners, High Ash Farm , what a lovely place, loads of walks every where, rolling countryside, beautiful, then found the Boudica Way walk, that will probably be our next walk, looking forward to that.

The clearing of the Rhodis

The task today was an easy affair,the woods at the back of Ormesby waterworks have been recently cleared of that horrible monstrosity of a plant the rhodedendron or Rhodis!!,the transformation is amazing, there used to be bank upon bank of the detested plant, drowning out every living thing just about, and now we have a wonderful glade a,woodland fiull of snowdrops and we have yet to see what else will appear now there is light and space, some people moan at us "Nature people"cutting down pretty plants, if you'd seen the before and after, you would be amazed aswell, and glad they have gone
All we had to do today is clear a few sycamores, easy peasy compared to the dreaded Rhodi.

The Great Dyke clearing extravaganza!!!!

Well I dont know what came over me, a great feeling of energy,I dont think!!11th March 2011, the great dyke clearing day, a lovely sunny day, I dragged the garden incinerator out of rusty storage and fired it up!!A great tangle of Bramble old cuttings, brash from cut down bushes,and nettles greeted me, and whilst leaning over the fence to collect this rubbish there was an almighty CRACK, the fence gave way, and I ended up in a heap on top of it, laughing at myself like a mad woman!!So there was my excuse to remove the fence.It took me from 7.30 in the morning until 3.30 that afternoon and I cleared it all,cut and burn thats what us nature people love!!

The next plan was to profile the edge, so I have made a gentle slope down to the water, and have planted a couple of water plants which are allowed, I have checked with my conservation officer.Next step is to source various plants ie. cuckoo flower, Hemp Agrimoney, Purple Loosestrife, Wild Campion etc, Photos will be coming soon!! Im so excited, it looks so much better.