The landing place at the homestead on the other side of the river
BURNHAM OVERY STAITHE
25 Ā· VIII Ā· 2026
Burnham Overy Staithe
25th August 2026
I'm making the most of this little staycation. Memories of the recent heatwaves are fading and at this time of year who knows how many gloriously sunny, warm days we have left?
Not usually keen on
Side eye at Sheringham
FieldĀ Notes
No. 07
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
23rd August 2026
At a glance
SpeciesLesser Black-Backed Gull
Latin nameLarus fuscus
FamilyLaridae
Size52ā64cm, wingspan 135ā150cm
HabitatCoasts, estuaries, farmland, increasingly urban rooftops
Key facts
* Dark grey to black back distinguishes it from the paler Herring Gull
* Yellow legs are
A little trip to Sheringham
SHERINGHAM
23 Ā· VIII Ā· 2026
Sheringham
23rd August 2026
A little trip to Sheringham
Everyone had told us that we should go to Sheringham. It has a little train, apparently, but we didn't go on that. A walk for Fergus in Pretty Corner Woods, which apparently include the highest
Picking our own sunflowers
Saturday
22 August 2026
An enterprising 15-year old started up a summer holiday venture in our village. In a field that usually contains very friendly pigs, he planted some sunflower seeds and advertised the PYO on the village FB page. We went along this afternoon and picked our own.
New Year's Eve at Brancaster beach
FieldĀ Notes
No. 06
Burrowing Sand Anemone and Common Starfish
31st December 2025
You can probably tell that I'm only now catching up with my blog after what has been a full-on year. I can't hope to capture all of my thoughts but I wanted
Busy Saturday in the ward
Saturday 15th August 2026
It started at 9 when I met fellow ward Councillor Steven Jefferies to film a segment for our little video supporting the Beckenham Public Hall, which is up for sale again. Sadly left unmaintained for decades, it's now reached the point where repairs are
Breaking new ground
Thursday 13th August 2026
I'd been looking forward to attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Phase 2 of Calverley Close. It's one of my leaflet delivery routes and I'm starting to feel quite maternal towards the residents I meet, whose estate is being demolished and
And look who came inside for a visit
FieldĀ Notes
No. 04
Southern Hawker
12th August 2026
And another new spot
At a glance
SpeciesSouthern Hawker
Latin nameAeshna cyanea
FamilyAeshnidae
SizeBody to 7cm, wingspan up to 11cm
HabitatPonds, lakes and canals, often near woodland; frequent visitor to garden ponds
Key facts
* One of the largest UK dragonflies, on
An amphibian arrives in the new pond
FieldĀ Notes
No. 03
Common smooth newt
12th August 2026
Look who's arrived in our pond!
At a glance
SpeciesCommon Smooth Newt
Latin nameLissotriton vulgaris
FamilySalamandridae
Size7ā11cm
HabitatGarden ponds, grassland and woodland; UK's most common newt species
Key facts
* Breeds in water in spring and
A surprise
FieldĀ Notes
No. 02
12th August 2026
Heron
Walking early in Chislehurst woods to avoid the coming heat, this was a surprise. Motionless and with a fixated gaze, I initially thought this was a sculpture. But then the sculpture moved. In hindsight I should have aimed lower to include the
On the Thornham shore this morning
FieldĀ Notes
No. 01
Poor little crab
10 August 2026
At a glance
SpeciesPennant's Swimming Crab
Latin namePortumnus latipes
FamilyCarcinidae
SizeCarapace up to 20mm across
HabitatBurrows in wet sand on sheltered sandy beaches, especially at low tide
Key facts
* Also known as the Slender Swimcrab
* Its back legs
A thing happened and it has broken my heart a bit
I need to write about what happened in order to file it away for posterity. There will eventually be a separate blog post of leadership lessons or somesuch but this is about the core of what happened and how I feel now. I am sad and angry.
You'll