Welcome To The Kingfisher Wildlife Diaries – John Bailey
May 18th 2010
Poppyland
For you nature lovers, the spring and early summer is a great time to come to Kingfishers. There are more and more birds to be seen...cuckoos can be watched here and not just heard and they're fascinating creatures in every way. Also, the longer dusks give you far more opportunity to watch the beautiful owls that we have up and down the valley. To see a barn owl glide through the lengthen shadows is a beautiful sight indeed.
Soon, we'll have mayfly hatching out on the river and what a joy they are to watch. The damselflies aren't far away either if recent good weather forecasts are to be believed.
There's blossom everywhere and the green of the willows is staggeringly fresh, vivacious and beautiful. And if lambs are your thing, they're absolutely everywhere!
But for me, the best thought is that the poppies will soon be on their way. It's not for nothing that Norfolk is often referred to as Poppyland and even in these days of high-intensity agriculture, you will see whole armies of these beautiful flowers along the roadside verges,
around the meadows and in the many fields that are designated for set-aside. It won't be long before the Wensum valley is a riot of red.
There just isn't a more beautiful place to be at this time of the year!