Railway carriage houses, birds and wildlife at Winchelsea Beach and Rye Harbour nature reserve - 17th April 2026

I arrived in Winchelsea Beach at lunchtime, dropped off my luggage and went for a walk in Rye Harbour nature reserve

I was fascinated by a couple of houses along the lane - the first one obviously started life as an old railway carriage that seemed to have had a modern building added above it

The second house seemed to be formed from several carriages

I walked along the road at the edge of the coast and came across the old Mary Stanford Lifeboat House

I sat on a bench by the Lifeboat House for lunch and was joined by a Cranefly

Then I saw a Peacock butterfly resting on the ground

A Common Whitethroat perched at the top of a tree

An Oystercatcher was wading in shallow water at the Salt Pool

Pair of Avocets enjoying themselves at the Salt Pool

Pretty pink blossom on the path at the edge of the Salt Pool

Beautiful Irises in a garden on the lane leading back to Winchelsea Beach

Male Linnet sitting near the top of a bare branched tree at the edge of the lane

Modern church at Winchelsea Beach, which I gather is being converted into a private house

Rabbits on the recreation ground at Winchelsea Beach

 

Irises, Peonies and other lovely flowers in Alnwick Castle Gardens on 12th June 2025

It was much too windy for a trip to the coast on Thursday, 12th June, so I went to Alnwick instead

View of Alnwick Castle as I tried to find the entrance to the gardens.  I had gone to the wrong place and had to walk along the road on the outside of the castle until I came to the garden entrance.

Green archway at the side of the famous central fountains with steps up to the flower garden at the top of the hill.  This photo was taken from the top of the steps.

Pretty white and mauve planting near the entrance to the flower garden

The flower garden was full of dramatic colourful plants:

Bright blue Delphinium

Coral frilly Poppies

Beautiful white Iris

Magnificent blowsy cerise Peonies

Impressive clipped hedges forming the entrances to the steps on each side of the fountains

Delicate Allium head in the wild flower planting area in the Cherry orchard

Sloping Cherry tree orchard with plenty of wooden swings for tired garden viewers!

I then came across a wedding group posing for photographs in front of the central fountains

View of the fountain in between showers

The fountains go through a series of water displays - this was one of them

Large urn in the rose garden, decorated with monkeys round the lower edge and a fox on the top

I went back up to the flower garden on the top of the hill in order to admire some wonderful Irises again

plus a pretty mauve Lupin

and I found a male Blackbird under a Strawberry plant

Close-up of the white/mauve planting at the top of the hill, near the entrance to the flower garden - with a rogue blue Iris in the centre!

and I couldn't resist another photograph of the impressive green entrance at the top of the leafy tunnel containing steps along the side of the grand fountain cascade

 

Flowers in Gertrude Jekyll garden and wildlife seen during morning visit to Holy Island/Lindisfarne, plus birds in Berwick-upon-Tweed in the afternoon - 11th June 2025

There were lots of beautiful white Irises at the entrance to the Gertrude Jekyll garden on Holy Island

and plenty of Poppies and Sweet Peas

Stone plaque on the wall as memorial to Gertrude Jekyll

View of Lindisfarne Castle from the Gertrude Jekyll garden

Female Roe deer on the dunes near a footpath going across the island

Meadow Pipit perching on barbed wire fence

Very fuzzy hairy caterpillar

Pretty wild Orchid growing amongst tall grass

Skylark on the footpath

Poles marking Pilgrim's Way from Holy Island to the mainland at low tide

I don't drive, so had travelled to Holy Island on the bus in the morning.  Unfortunately, the only return trip back to Berwick-upon-Tweed was at 13.00 - so I had lunch back in the mobile home and then went for an afternoon walk along the cliffs.  It was windy and a kite surfer was having fun near the harbour.

Berwick-upon-Tweed lighthouse viewed from the cliff path

Reed Buntiing hiding in the reeds

Chirping Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit pointing out the No Parking sign!