Friday 28th August, 2026
I've always been embarrasingly scared of butterflies! Yes, they're beautiful, but they're also big-eyed, flappy creeps!
However, we recently purchased a new camera lens which lets me see these creepy critters from a safe distance. It's incredible just how intricate and beautiful their patterns are, and so fluffy! And so has started a new love of the teeny tiny world around us. Watch this space for more bugs!
Friday 21st August, 2026
In a conversation with a friend recently they joked that they could see me becoming an avid bird watcher, I heartily declined, laughed and moved on.
The following week on an evening walk with Mr Like The Forest we saw a bright flash of a blue tail, and after a quick confused google found that it might have been a Kingfisher, which I didn't even know you could find in East Yorkshire.
And so was born a week long mission to photograph a Kingfisher... We went back to the same spot a couple of times with no luck seeing it again, so we started to look for other places. After a bit of research we found Tophill Low Nature Reserve, a nature reserve owned by Yorkshire Water and well known for their diverse bird visitors, including the Kingfisher! So off we went, camera and packed dinner in hand.
The reserve is vast and beautifully maintained, with forested areas, a huge resevoir and multiple marshland areas. We had a lovely evening walk, spotted many water birds, and found a quiet spot to hunker down where we'd been told we could potentially spot a Kingfisher. After a good wait this gorgeous little bird appeared right in front of us, and graciously stayed long enough for me to excitedly get my camera in place. Maybe my friend was right...
Anyway, I hear that there are also otters in the reserve, so that's the next mission!
Sunday 16th August, 2026
What better way to spend a slightly soggy summer morning than chasing a toddler around a sunflower field?
We learned new words (flower, Kayleigh, nubbin...), practiced walking backwards and indulged in icecream for breakfast!
We had been to Sandy Bottom Farm last year for their wonderful Pumpkin Picking event, so were really excited to go back in the summer for an explore in the sun. I don't think I was prepared for the sheer number of sunflowers planted, with mazes and lots of winding paths throughout the field, it was great fun picking just the right flowers and spotting bees (and fairies) along the way.
The provisions on site were amazing, coffee, pizza and icecream stalls were on the go as soon as the site opened in the morning, with a bouncy castle, huge sandpit and tractor rides for the little ones, we could have stayed all day.
Thanks Jack (and Gemma) for the lovely company, and Sandy Bottom Farm for the fun!