Nature through the eyes of my camera

  Last Frost of 2020 This morning we woke to a bright and very frosty morning.  This inspired us to rise a little earlier than normal and try to get some frosty images.   Looking across the fields to Layham village A lone tree with the mist lifting We walked as far as Shelly and then back across the fields to Layham.  It felt magical standing in the field, surrounded by whiteness and stillness.    Field from Shelly to Layham This tree stands at the end of the field before crossing over the bridleway to join some more fields.From here we were homeward bound passing Layham mill on the way. Return to Index

Walton Today was bright and sunny with a gentle breeze so we decided to go to Walton for a few hours as we hadn't been out for ages.  We wanted to see and take more photos of the damaged caused to the cliffs by the latest storms. The beach we had walked on and built sandcastles on with our Grandaughter in the summer had gone.  In its place were huge mounds that had fallen from the cliffs and the beach was just cover in stones and clay.  It won't take too many more storms before the cafe is lost to the sea. Having had some lunch we wandered along the beach towards the pier.  The bright colours of the beach huts are always good for a photo. There were several Turnstones resting on the walls and then taking off to see what morsel they could find from the incoming tide. Return to Index

Flooding in and around Layham Life has been a bit quiet this last month due to another lock down and some cold and rather dull weather. This week brought some very heavy rain and some snow.  This accumulated in floods around the area on Saturday.  The River Brett flooded in Hadleigh and along into Layham. Fields flooded at Benton End Flooding along the side of Toppesfield Bridge Water Lane in Layham Entrance/exit to Layham Playing Field Return to Index

 Thursday 5th November Chantry Park Chantry Park covers an area of 124 acres and is the largest park in Ipswich.  The area was designated a Conservation Area in 2005 an dis a County Wildlife Site.                                                                                There are a variety of habitats including ponds, grassland, native and non-native plants and woodland including some veteran trees.  There are a variety of mammals and reptiles as well as birds. The Sri Chimnoy  (Peace Mile) Autumnal colours Atlas Cedar Return to Index

 Saturday 30th October Staverton Thicks Staverton Thicks is a site of Special Scientific Interest, a Nature Conservation Review site and a Special Area of Conservation.  It is in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Thicks is a dense woodland with mature pollarded oaks and some of the tallest holly trees in the country. Two holly trees stunting the growth of an oak due to their proximity The Thicks has been unmanaged for a number of years making it a wonderful place to wander.  There is a variety of lichen and flora and varies invertebrates including some rare species. Return to Index

 Wednesday 7th October Rendlesham Forest Rendlesham is a forest of tall pine trees and well mark paths and cycle trails.  It is an ideal spot for the naturalist with plenty of birds and insects including damselflies and dragonflies.  If your lucky you might spot deer and squirrels. The forest is a great place in autumn for fungi foraging. Just some of the many pine trees Stinkhorn Leafy Brain Hairy Curtain Crust A small collection of fungi  Return to Index

 Wednesday 14th October Holywells Park, Ipswich Holywells Park dates back to medieval times. It is a County Wildlife Site and a Conservation Area with two listed buildings - The Stable Block and the Conservatory. It has also been designated a Regionally Important Geodiversity Site. It is a beautiful site with stunning trees, ponds and green areas etc. There is an abundance of wildlife with mammals, insects and birds. Moorhen One of the ponds surrounded by autumn foliage. A few of the trees that adorn the park Return to Index

 Wednesday 30th September Flatford  A dry day after several days of strong winds and rain meant we were able to go out for a few hours.  I had a new lens that I wanted to try on my camera.  Flatford is close by and so we headed for there. Flatford is a small hamlet well known for Flatford Mill, Willie Lott's cottage and Bridge cottage which were made famous from paintings by John Constable. Flatford also has a great little cafe whose flavour of scones changes monthly. During John Constable's boyhood, the family living in Bridge Cottage were tenants of the Constable family. Family members collected tolls from the lighters passing through Flatford Lock and may have provided a rest area, beer house and eating place for the families who operated the commercial barge route along the River Stour between Sudbury and Mistley Warf. They cooked their meals on a large central fireplace which can still be seen inside Bridge Cottage today. Bridge Cottage was constructed as a single dwellin

  Monday 21st September Snape Snape was once a thriving port. Barley was malted at the maltings and then shipped to London and across Europe on Thames barges. Barges on the river Alde The maltings has now been converted into a music venue where the Aldeburgh music festival is held.  There are also several bespoke shops around the site and a cafe and restaurant. Snape maltings and complex Snape maltings from the other side of the Alde Snape Warren is a reserve owned by the RSPB.  It is an important habitat for birds and these can be spotted while walking through the heathland and woodland. Heathland Puffball seen in the woods Return to Index

Monday 21st September Captain's Wood Captain's Wood is an ancient woodland owed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. The woodland has many wild plants and a mix of natural habitats for a wide range of wildlife. The wood is an excellent place to find bluebells in the spring. End of summer at Captain's Wood There is a large area of coppiced hazel as well as oak and sweet chestnut in the wood.  These create an abundance of food for wild life such as squirrels, woodpeckers, jays, nuthatches and other small mammals. Coppiced hazel Although fallow deer were spotted I was too slow to get a photo.  There were several dragonflies about and also some butterflies. Common Darter Common Darter Speckled Wood Buff-tipped caterpillar Return to Index