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Saturday 28 January 2023

The Best-Laid Plans...

Earlier in the week my brother Les and I visited Lynford Hall and its arboretum. We've been there before, of course, but we were tempted by the forecast of better weather in that part of Norfolk.



The Hall, which is now a hotel, is set in the Breckland, an area of sandy soils that is largely given over to forestry these days, though the area around the Hall has a variety of habitats - a small lake, the mixed trees in the arboretum and the gardens, a few meadows, a bit of surviving heathland. The sandy soils mean a lot less mud to tramp through at this time of year.



The beautiful, untouched landscape above looks a true haven for wildlife. You can't go there however; it's a military training area and the sound of gunfire rattled away in the distance. Despite this - and the rumble of tanks and low-flying helicopters - nature much prefers this area to what would seem more peaceful places.



These Mallards were as wary of slipping on the ice as I am these days. They were not the birds we had come to see however.



Those Hawfinches are back again this year (allegedly) but we failed to find them this time. We've seen them a couple of times before, which is a reasonable strike-rate for this elusive species. (Incidentally, I've recently begun putting links on birds I mention, for those of you who want to know what they look like - remind me if I forget).



Luckily neither Les or I are the kind of bird-watchers who get upset if we fail to make contact with the birds we seek. There are always things to enjoy about even quite familiar birds like Yellowhammers, Marsh Tits and Siskins, which were all much easier to locate.



The weather did not play fair with us this time and, although we had occasional splashes of sunshine, showers became increasingly heavy and frequent. As we sat in the car eating our sandwiches the rain lashed down on the windscreen, we could only reminisce about the times we'd visited in the past:

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When swans cruised among the lily-pads....



....sunlight beat down on the forest tracks.....



....baby Highland cows grazed in the meadow....



....and flowers bloomed.



In Autumn the Arboretum is so colourful....


....fungi appear beneath the trees....



....the low sun angles through the branches...



....and a Nuthatch grabs some of the food left on the parapet of the old bridge.



Till we start to approach winter once more.


Take care.


36 comments:

  1. 'Never mind the weather
    As long as we're together...'
    Your posts manage to turn every day out into a good one.
    There are Hawfinches down here in Haldon Forest, Devon but they are very elusive.

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  2. A lovely place in all seasons. Yellow hamers and Marsh tits sound as rare a sight to me as Hawfinches. Love the photo of the swan:)

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  3. It looks beautiful in every season but the rain was discouraging for sure. I like the second and fourth shots especially.

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  4. The military sure has picked a lovely spot for their exercises. Too bad. Such fun to scroll through the seasons while the rain was pouring outside.

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  5. There is some beauty in the rain but not when you're getting wet, cold and can't see for the water coming down. I look forward to your return there in finer weather.

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  6. You have certainly captured the year-round beauty of that arboretum. Too bad about the rain but it will make you look forward to future walks in better weather! Thanks for sharing this loveliness with us, John!

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  7. Lucky you two to have ever seen a hawfinch - I used to have a stuffed one in a glass case but it really gpt too moth-eaten to keep.

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  8. Such a tranquil place. Lovely photos of the trees.

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  9. You showed us this place in beauty at all times of the year, John.

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  10. These are all such beautiful photos, John. I love seeing Mallards and their reflection on the ice. The light there, the sheep, the nuthatch, the fungi... the true beauty of life here on earth.

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  11. It's good to be cautious on ice whether bird or man, but the birds have a whole lot less distance to fall. A few years ago while skating with my grandchildren I tripped and hit the ice hard. I was sore for a week. After that incident I discreetly hung up my skates. Broken bones I don't need!

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  12. Thank you for the links. How I hope that our own baby arboretum matures into such beauty.

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  13. Thanks for sharing all the beauty of your day. Incredible photography!

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  14. Thankyou for the links . It is good to be reminded of how they look

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  15. What a beautiful place to visit, so peaceful. Never seen a nuthatch, my wife keeps looking. We did have a couple of blackcaps in our garden (male & female), I caught them on the wildlife camera

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  16. bel endroit cet arboretum et l'hiver a l'air d'y être rude cet année ! le "grosbec cassenoyaux " n'était pas rare ici autrefois mais nous ne le voyons plus ?...

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  17. You captured some awesome photos. I have to say the swan is my favorite, simply because of you composition. I would love to walk in the lanes.

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  18. Photos 1 & 2 totally captivated me! Funny how military property can sometimes be the most pristine. Rumor has it that San Clemente Island off the CA coast (owned and operated by the US Navy for many years) is the most pristine shoreline in all of CA, with abundant lobsters, abalone and other intertidal species that are almost totally gone from beaches with public access.

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  19. Beautiful shots. That young cow was quite cooperative.

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  20. Your photographic finesse is outstanding! The light through the woods is most terrific !

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  21. I was enjoying your 'wintery walk'. Such a shame about the rain but we, your readers, benefitted from the following magical images of the spring past and soon to come.

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  22. Some stunning pictures tonight John!

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  23. I like visiting a good arboretum. I don't like rain though.

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  24. Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing your walk with us.

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  25. No me extraña, que regreses a él, el lugar es precioso y has hecho unas buenas fotografías.

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  26. I never comment on blogs. However I am blown away by yours. Your pictures are wonderful and my heart is full with the life you reveal. Keep it up!

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  27. Too bad the weather didn’t play nice, John, and curtailed your walk. I agree with the mallards and you on treading carefully on ice. The images from days of better weather were nice to see, especially the young highland cow and the lone red poppy.

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  28. A home run again, John, with this look back through the seasons!

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  29. Hi John - your part of the world has so many stunning natural areas. Thanks for sharing the back story for each of the shots - gorgeous photography ... cheers Hilary

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  30. Wonderful photos as always. Thank you.

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  31. Lynford Hall and its arboretum looks like a perfect place to be tune with nature. Old photos, each of which is a piece of artwork, were so helpful to let us taste the place well. Wish you moderate weather next time.

    Yoko

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  32. You always manage to make a super post even when the weather is not good. Love all the photos even those in the poor weather. Lots of English bloggers have mentioned mud this week. We have humid and hot but no rain, which we need.

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  33. Just looking at the photos relaxes my shoulders. Thank you.

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  34. Beautiful mushroom, and I just want to hug that furry calf!

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  35. The images are gorgeous! You are really talented!

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  36. Thanks for the bird links, and of course for the glorious photos. (Good narrative too, as usual.)

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