Five go to The Peaks!!!

Apologies for the lack of Blogs but I ve been on my hols!!to The Peak district, for a Norfolk girl used to very flat and wet marshes and not much climbing a bit traumatic, but very lovely, not strictly a Blog about Norfolk this one!!!From the highest Peaks to some very lovely caves we explored all over, saw some breath taking scenery and some lovely wildlife, from Dippers to a very surprising view of 4 Water Voles which was very exciting, We even disturbed some people who looked  bit Druidy, and were very put out that we came to look at some standing stones and a burial mound ,where they had settled down in their folding chairs to watch the sunset.

But the funniest thing was some gorgeous Lambs galloping around and around the circle in a little Lamb creche having a whale of a time!!!
We found a very pretty and very secluded little walk this was at Chee Dale, farther up from Mill Dale and Dove Dale, it was early evening  and there was a glorious golden light, this was where we saw the Water Voles, just large as life swimming and climbing about on the far bank infront of us we did do the touristy thing of Dove Dale , but this was much better for quiet seclusion.

The first cuckoo

Not strictly Norfolk, but close enough, set out for Carlton marshes, just through Oulton Broad, Suffolk, it is a Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve, never been before, the turning is off the A146 to Beccles, opposite The Warren School, the turning is Burnt Hill Lane, it is 153 acres, it is part of The Broads, and there are many paths that link Oulton Broad, the river Waveney, there are marshes, Fens and dykes and large reedbeds, there is also an education centre.
Sunday was lovely and sunny but the wind was still very cold, so it was good to find a lovely little path out of the wind that took you into a very marshy area wich on the pamflet map was called Sprats Water nature trail, walking to the end of this path, it becomes a little confusing so it would be probably best to take a landranger map with you.
We heard Cettis Warbler and a Cuckoo, the first of Spring, Woodpeckers, after taking part in a Tree ID course, trying my non existent skills out, we found a tree which we believed to be a Black Poplar.

A quote from the Dalai Lama.

All living beings have experience of pleasure and pain, and we are among them.What makes human beings different is that we have a powerful intelligence and a much greater ability to achieve happiness and avoid suffering.Real happiness and friendship come not from money or even knowledge, but from warm-heartedness.Once we recognise this we will be more inclined to cultivate it.

Searching Horsey Dunes.

Last Sunday was a bit of a disappointing day, even though the weather was fine, I couldnt get out into my lovely countryside, but it did get better later in the day, it was a lovely golden sunny evening, bit breezy and a bit of a chill in the air, popped up to Horsey, searching for a lovely little bird i had never seen let alone heard of!!It didnt look too promising there was nobody to be seen and for something like this I suspect there would be a few people about.We hunted about and checked directions and that we were in the right place, but it was nowhere to be seen, but we were not downhearted, wandering about we found a promising looking little scrubby copse in a deep dip in the dunes, and lo and behold there it was, robin sized lovely black eyes, great views of the Red Flanked Blue Tail, what a lovely little bird, I was so pleased, probably the rarest thing I had seen, personally.

Where has our Caister beach gone??

Went for walk today between the showers, along Caister Beach, i d heard that the Manor House Hotel which had fallen into the sea in the 1930 s, had been uncovered by the rough weather of late, the erosion of the sea had left a 6 foot or more drop the beach looked unrecogniseable, metal groins or sea defences were now uncovered, and you couldn t actually walk along the beach very far North because you would have to clamber over the metal posts.

So where did all our beach go, opinions are divided and there has been much said about various works which have been  going on recently and over the past 25 years, causing the erosion, who knows, or is this just a normal cycle of Easterlies taking it away and Westerlys bringing it back?

Springing into action

Been getting down to some serious gardening now that the weather has turned, poor garden, the sharp frost we had a little while back has scorched the leaves on all my poor plants honeysuckle, verbena, the fennel started to put out shoots and they have died down too, all my seedlings are ready and waiting on the bathroom windowsill, unsure whether to venture out into the big wild world, maybe under glass, we ll see, we are poised like a coiled spring!!!!

 The two pictures show the dyke I cleared at the bottom of my garden and how it changes from summer to winter,

NWT Free courses and days out.

Got some lovely news today I am all booked up on NWT free course and free day out to lovely reserve Upton marshes.Also havent booked up but coming up there is a talk all about Orchids at Gt Yarmouth Library with Simon Harrap, but no need to book on that one just turn up, Tuesday 16th April 2.00 pm.
Also hot bird news Goshawk seen on Winterton Dunes.