Oxburgh Hall, stopover on the way home last Friday. Owned by the Bedingfelds, with an interesting history as a catholic family who managed to stay in favour with Protestant monarchs #OxburghHall #Norfolk #Moat #BedingfeldFamily #TudorHistory #EnglishCivilWar #HistoricHouse #Oxborough #NationalTrust

I'd love to understand why this beautiful 0.3km stretch of Old Carr Stream, a potentially prime #Norfolk #chalkstream, has so few fish - saw no sticklebacks, 1 Bullhead, 1 shy Brown Trout - but also healthy looking parr (maybe 2, or 2nd could have been a bullhead).
#Oxborough #Wissey #Breckland 7/7

The lake was, in patches, teeming in Daphnia despite water c5°C & I spotted my 1st ever Phantom Midges (Chaeoborus) wriggling amongst them. Also strange, lurid green globs of gelatinous Ophrydium (colonial Loricate Peritrich Protoza). Delighted to find extensive patch of Water Violet. #Oxborough 6/6

In Old Carr Stream the fresh reed growth was shooting up from the chalky riverbed, which was littered (as is this stream all the way up, with spent gun cartridges).
Suddenly as I tried to return downstream, I found myself in a beautiful lake and reed bed system.
#Oxborough #Breckland #Norfolk
4/6

Dense beds of Lesser Water-Parsnip (Berula erecta), emerge from the less shaded stretches of Old Carr Stream, with an underlay of Fool's Watercress (Helosciadium nodiflorum). All still in flower, including Water Mint (Mentha aquatica). #Chalkstreams #Oxborough #WestNorfolk 4/6

Bliss to be back in the River Gadder; 1st time this month. Privilege to spend quality time with this big, beautiful lady (concave anal fin), >60cm long. At least 3 of these giants in this stretch of #chalkstream, & a 30cm individual. #BrownTrout. #MySwim #Oxborough #Norfolk 1/11

I found the skull when swam up Lode Dike (20.6°C) after #TestingTheWater for @TheBrecksLP at White Bridge #Boughton #Oxborough. Phosphate only <0.02 ppm but Nitrogen 1-2 ppm. River silty & murky. A few big fish lurked on the bottom - mostly Pike I assume but visibility poor.
3/5

Suppose it was only a matter of time before I found human remains... Still, quite a shock when swimming up Lode Dike at Boughton Fen, alone on a sultry evening to come across a skull on the silty river bed #MySwim #BoughtonFen #Boughton #Oxborough #WestNorfolk #Norfolk #skull 1/5

At its confluence with the River Wissey, the narrow little chalk stream the River Gadder, projects a lovely tongue of clean sand out into the sadly murky waters of the River Wissey.
#RiverWissey #Wissey #chalkstreams #Norfolk #Breckland #Oxborough #EarthDay #EarthDay2022
4/5

Bugle (Ajuga reptans) in bloom on the edge of Caldecote Fen where it was quite dry, but inside still good and wet.

Apparently the first Hobby has arrived at Boughton Fen.

#Oxborough #Norfolk #OurWorldIsWorthSaving 5/5

Apple (and Bird Cherry) blossom at Caldecote Fen along with a noisy, restless flock of Fieldfares.

#Oxborough #Norfolk #OurWorldIsWorthSaving 4/5

Had to pause #MyWalk for a bit to allow Mama Greylag, up ahead of me on the track, to march her 5 goslings, at their own pace, half a mile to where she wanted to take them (the nearest reservoir), while her mate kept anxious sentinel from the wings.
#Oxborough #GreylagGoose 2/5

Glossy, fresh Beech leaves in the brisk #Norfolk breeze, still from the East.
Horse Chestnut candles almost good to go.
Bugloss, the more subdued spring equivalent of that joy of late summer, Vipers Bugloss.
#MyWalk #Oxborough #Beech #NaturesCalendar #OurWorldIsWorthSaving 1/5