Nature diaries

There is never a danger of switching onto autopilot when visiting Strumpshaw Fen. From my first steps onto the woodland trail, very little is the same between visits - save for a particularly vocal Reed Warbler who routinely serenades me at a particular spot on Lackford Run.

Grounding usually elicits one of two responses when I bring it up in conversation. One is a look of very mild but polite ridicule, akin to looks when I rave about the benefits I've experienced from acupuncture. The other is usually from a total convert to the practice - the 'oh, yes!' exclamation and a beaming smile. Today was my turn to experiment.

What a difference two months makes. It's sometimes hard to notice significant changes in the landscape when you see them day to day. I photographed Mulbarton Common in Norfolk on the 1st of April and again this morning. The landscape around the large pond, beautiful brittle golden reeds have been replaced by lush vegetation. The reeds intertwine and lean into each other in the wind as pond skaters dance about on the surface.