Blog

I blog about nature in the Norfolk countryside and about my wildlife garden. My blog blends digital photos with an analogue nature journal.

Nature journalling blends nature observation and citizen science with a written diariy or art journal to build a deeper connection with nature and cultivate curiosity, creativity and flow.

Brimstone Butterflies

I book a trip to Norwich today. It was unseasonably warm and beautifully sunny- the first really lovely springtime day. Along the way I saw not one but 7 Brimstone butterflies! Brimstones have quite large, leaf-shaped wings and hibernate over winter. The males have bright lemon colored wings and the females greenish white-cream wings. Larvae feed on Buckthom and Alder Buckthorn. They always rest with their wings closed. They are widespread as Buckthorn is found on calcareous soils and Alder Buckthorn on moist acid soils. Therefore they are rated as being of “Least Concern" on the GB Red List (2022). From 1976-2019 they've become 22% more abundant but -3% less widely distributed. One possible origin for the word "butterfly" comes from the colour of the male brimstone butterfly.

Roe Deer

John had an incredible sight of a small group of young Roe deer on his dog walk with Rosa. There were 5 deer altogether: 3 male and 2 females. "Capreolus capreolus” have grey-brown winter fur with a white rump & short antlers. Bucks form territory overlapping females and breed in July/August & uses delayed gestation to time birth for May/June vegetation peak.

Tenby Daffodils

Narassus obvallaris

Our Tenby daffodils stole a march on spriring as the first were already open at the end of February. They are so bright and cheery they really lift the spirits as winter draws to a close. It tolerates shade well und grows in damp woods and grassland. It is also known as the Lent Lily or Easter Lily and in the language of flowers it symbalises hope, folly and unrequited love. Thought to be native in Wales although this is disputed, and it may be an escapee. Named in 1786 and first recorded in the wild in 1829.

Winter Hellebores

Helleborus niger or "Christmas rose"

  • A non-native, winter-flowering, evergreen perennial.

  • Large, leathery dark green leaves.

  • Large single white flowers with a mass of golden anthers.

  • Wildlife gardening value - H. niger will attract pollinating insects. Ours are planted alongside fragrant Sarcococca.

First Snowdrops

The sight of this little harbinger of spring is always so uplifting after the ten longest, darkest weeks surrounding the winter solstice. John spotted the first in flower on the 26th when walking Rosa and the cluster under the Sweet Chestnut is well in bloom in the sunshine today.

Likely first introduced to gardens in the 1500s, they had naturalised by the 1770s, and were then further spread by soldiers returning from the Crimean War.

Their long history means they hold a deep enduring place in our psyche symbolising both death and renewal in our folklore, in particular through their association with the return of Perserhone from Hades.

A New Weather Station And Weather Wheel January 2026

With our 5 year old Davis weather-station failing, it was time to splash out on a new weatherstation. I was excited to find a Bresser "Meteochamp 9-in-1" so I can now also measure light and cloud cover ars well as getting wind measurements again. I discovered "AWEKAS" weather server too - a fun retro data visualisation site based in Austria. It will be interesting to see if there is much difference, though we can't run them side by side to calibrate.

Winter Skies Challenge

A very cold start to 2026 led to some amazing skies and light snowfall, soon followed by Storm Goretti who brought snow in E. of the British Isles but only sleet and rain here. some very low night time temperatures...

Bullfinch and Thrush Visit In Cold Snap

A very cold snap from 4th to 6th January brought a lot of visitor birds into the garden foraging for food, including this song thrush on 5th that I watched work his way along the hedgerow.

On 6th I had my best ever sighting of a male Bullfirich who perched on the hedgrow for some time, occasionally taking a blackberry or ivy fruit or seeds. Overnight on 5th we recorded -8.7°c ! That's the coldest temperature since we first got the weather station in December 2020.

December Robin and Solstice

On the 3rd a sunny start to the month led to some lovely sightings of a pair of Robins at the bird bath.

13.12.25

The earliest sunset of the year happens quite a few days before the winter solstice, which occurs on 21st December. This is because the moming sunrise continues to draw in even after the evening sunsets start to get later again. On 13th daylength is 7:40:29 and on 21st it is 7:36:42. By the 31st over a minute is gained each day and daylength is 7:42:18 (+1:03) as the latest sunrise is 29th/30th. Source: timeanddate.com

The definition of "Solstice" comes from sol for sun (latin) and sistere meaning to stand still.

It is the moment the sup appears to stand still, directly above the tropic of Capricorn, the most southerly latitude it reaches each year. This is because the earth is titted by 23.5° on its axis. Solstice dates vary because it does not take an exact year to revolve around the sun but c. 365.24 days. It slips by c. 6 hours each year then reverts after corrective leap years. Orbit variations and a wobble on its axis caused by its rotation also impact the precise timing of solstice.

Woodpeckers and Leaf Fall

November Nature Diary

2/11/25 Wonderful sighting of a pair of Green Woodpeckers on the ant mounds in the back garden foraging for ants?

6/11/25 A still, mild day. Beautiful autumn foliage colours. Cute little Wren foraging amongst the lavender stalks.

16/11/25 Storm Claudia augured leaf fall finally. After a mild first half of the month it turned much colder.

19/11/25 Early snow showers and ice overnight. Very cold for the time of year. makes me wonder what sort of winter we will have this year?

21/11/25 Pigeons with beautiful salmon chest markings perching on the swing.

26/11/25 A hazy blue sky at sunset.

29/11/25 The flower buds, pistachio green, on the Winter Cherry are just beginning to burst.

Weather Wheel August 2025

Another exceptionally dry month seemed to lead to an early Autumn, with trees and bushes fruiting and dropping their leaves earlier than usual. Rosa sampled the ripe black-berries on 22nd and I spotted sloes on 25th.

After another short hot spell, the second half of the month wars however markedly cooler, with wet weather arriving in the last few days of the month.

Comma Butterfly

Polygonia c-album - Comma

  • A regular visitor to my garden

  • Caterpillars will feed on Hops and Nettles, but also Currants, Elms and Willows

  • Scalloped wings conceal it amongst dead leaves

  • Larvae look like bird droppings

  • Flexible life cycle allows it to capitalise on favourable weather

Verbena bonariensis - Purple Top

  • Non-native

  • South American

  • Tall herbaceous perennial

  • Erect branching stems up to 2m high

  • Numerous clusters of Small, Lilac-purple flowers

  • Flowers Summer into Autumn

  • Excellent for pollinators

Red Kite

Coincidentally, the longest day also proved to be the hottest of the year so far, peaking at 33.8°c!

We sat outside as the stifling heat began to ease and watched peacefully as the light falling upon the high, dappled clouds gradually transitioned from piercing white to a soft, luminous, lemon-yellow. Barely had we sat down, when the Red Kite graced the scene, cruising effortlessly along our hedgerow. This, the third show in a week, made us wonder if they have set up home nearby?

As we skygazed, a family of House Martins swirled in great arcs up high, hunting for insects. We rejoiced when John spotted our Linnets flying down to drink at our wildlife pond. They have been here since we first moved in. Our hearts were lifted by the sweet peeping calls of a flock of Long-tailed Tits drifting loosely across the garden shrubbery.

The balmy breeze slowly stilled as the evening progressed. I breathed out a slow sigh, feeling present in that very moment and at peace with the world on this, the longest day of the year.

 

© Kiri Stuart-Clarke 2008-2026
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