Winter Weather

Well it has been the coldest start to winter for 30 years according to the Met Office and after days of gloom the sun has finally come out. The heavy rain last Saturday has affected our work as we have had to cancel a joint operation with the Broads Authority to clear Floating Pennywort from the upper stretches of the River Waveney. This invasive weed from North America has spread downstream from Diss and the worry is that if it gets into the Broads it will clog up the system with a dense carpet of floating vegetation - a disaster for our local wildlife and holiday boats. We have postponed this work until early spring because of high water levels.

Here is a Christmas quiz to keep the brain cells active over the festive season. It is taken from our recent Wildlife Quiz at Thornham. The answers are all birds that nest in this country.

1. Architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
2. Presenter of first TV series of ‘Coast’.
3. Film character played by Jodie Foster in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.
4. Booker Prize winning author whose works include ‘Last Orders’ and ‘Waterland’.
5. Rolls Royce engine that powered the Spitfire.
6. Was worn by a judge when announcing the death sentence.
7. British steam locomotive with world speed record.
8. Author Ian Fleming’s house in Jamaica.
9. ITV children’s programme that was a rival to ‘Blue Peter’ in the 1970s.
10. 1980s band from Hull – members went on to form ‘The Beautiful South’ and perform as Fatboy Slim.

Answers next time.

The cold weather has produced some beautiful ice crystals:

A merry Christmas to you all

The Scole Dragon

We manage a small picnic site by the River Waveney just off the A140/A143 roundabout at Scole. The old Roman road to Norwich runs by the site and it is on the Dragon ley-line. About eight years ago we commissioned a sculpture to mark the ley-line and the Scole Dragon has become a local celebrity.

As well as the Dragon there are surfaced footpaths down to the river where there are wheelchair accessible fishing platforms, benches and picnic tables. Otters have been seen in the river from the platforms and kingfishers can be spotted most days. The river is also used by groups of youngsters for canoeing practice during the summer months.

Our volunteers help keep the picnic site in good condition and over the last few years the wildlife has increased. This year Bee Orchids appeared for the first time and there are many colourful waterside plants in the summer months. At this time of year there is a good crop of berries for the birds to feed on.

And finally the answers to last weeks' butterfly anagrams quiz:

TINGLER...............RINGLET

COKE CAP..............PEACOCK

BULLY HOLE...........HOLLY BLUE
MINOR BEST...........BRIMSTONE
WE ARE LIGHT........LARGE WHITE
I PRANG TOE...........ORANGETIP
LARDER MAID..........RED ADMIRAL
A WOMB WONDER.....MEADOW BROWN
WEE DOLLY COULD....CLOUDED YELLOW
A TINY PADDLE.........PAINTED LADY

Well the weather has turned colder and snow is forecast for this weekend so it looks as if winter has arrived.