No Time To Blog.

What happened to summer?
I can remember the Easter holiday quite clearly that is when I planted my potatoes. Elated by the thought that spring had arrived and the whole English summer stretched out before me.
 Next thing I know it is October and our British winter is beckoning.
There is nothing wrong with winter for it brings - fantastic brittle light -   sunlight on frost covered trees and winter visitors on the wing.   This is all very well but what of my missing summer.  For the most part my time was devoted to the North Walsham and Dilham canal and "Hathor's" restoration programme.  Both these major projects kept me occupied for three or four days most weeks.

Springtime on the canal - Brrrr.

Hathor's restoration took precedence over all the other current film projects as the June deadline loomed.  The closing stages, the work became so intense there were occasions when I put the camera down and helped out with some of the more unskilled tasks.  There are small parts of  "Hathor's" varnished interior that allows me to puff out my little chest and proudly say "I did that bit."

Hathor was on the slipway for eight months while her hull was restored then a further ten months in the wet shed for interior renovation.
All things considered the double DVD set  covers the wherry's restoration fairly comprehensively.
From "Hauling out", steaming planks, constructing the new rudder and restoring her interior cabins.

The production opens with a brief history of the vessel's design and ends with the re-launch and blessing at How Hill, "Hathor's" spiritual home. 

Although I am reasonably satisfied with the final result I was quite relieved when the project was completed.  Although probably not as relieved as the staff at Wherry Yacht Charter who had spent two years with my camera in their faces.

Repairing "Hathor's" Hull

The DVDs are now on sale, they can be purchased in Norwich from the City Bookshop, in Davey Place.   Or via http://bigskyuk.weebly.com/dvds-for-sale.html       All profits will go toward maintaining "Hathor."

Swan Song

Day old chicks

Last summer (2014) a pair of young swans settled on the upper reaches of the North Walsham and Dilham canal and raised their very first brood.
From the day the chicks were born and took to the water I have filmed their progress and watched them grow and thrive.

Amusing little characters

Swans are common on most stretches of water and are taken for granted when compared to the more exotic species of wildlife, but these little characters kept me fascinated and amused on my twice weekly visits to the canal.  During those long summer days it was a delight to see them paddle "line astern" between mum and dad.  With butterflies fluttering overhead and dragonflies darting low over the water as they patrolled the tranquil waters between Spa Common and Ebridge lock.

The youngsters grew at an alarming rate in no small thanks to the hoppers of grain and bread left out for them.   In just a few weeks they morphed from fluffy little chicks with enormous feet and two   useless, stubby, wings, into scaled down images of their parents.

By mid July the youngsters had eased into the daily routine of eating, sleeping and preening.
Some nights they returned to the old nest at Bacton Wood which became almost submerged under their combined weight when they all clambered aboard, oblivious of Mum's valiant efforts to maintain the overcrowded nest.

Issued under Creative Commons (author unknown)

As August gave way to September stubby little wings had been replaced with an almost, adult wingspan.  Although still not powerful enough to get the young swans airbourne they frequently practised flying with their feet remaining firmly anchored to the rond.

Summer drifted into Autumn and the youngsters overall grey plumage was showing traces of white as they matured.  The family no longer travelled "line astern" between Mum and Dad, now they would spread out and move as a flock as they patrolled the waterway. 

Courtesey of Roymartinlindman

The family group had become a unit. Demonstrating their ability to defend themselves when
a young Otter working its way along the canal was spotted by one of the cygnets.  The juvenile raised the alarm and the entire family turned and hissed in the direction of the Otter.  The collective show of aggression was enough to deter any would-be predator.  The Otter left a stream of bubbles in its wake as it swiftly retreated downstream.

Young wings were now fully developed and airworthy,  strong enough to lift the young swans into the air.  By the turn of the year the cob began to harass his offspring.  He would chase them, often grabbing their tail feathers.   The cygnets could not understand this show of aggression toward them from the parent who had protected them for all of their short young lives.   Gradually the cygnets detached themselves from their parents and moved a mile or so downstream.

On a cold February morning the cob flew into the Ebridge pound and attacked the youngsters without mercy.  After a  furious period of flapping, splashing and anguished cries.  Wings slapped the surface of the canal and the younsters took to the air and flew off into the mist never to return.    The cycle of life had turned full circle.  On days when I look out across the canal reed beds I wonder where those youngsters are now and how they are coping on their own.  I guess I will never know.

Courtesey Adrian Pingstone.

The Ebridge Project.

The old mill at Ebridge, on the North Walsham and Dilham canal, has lain dormant for many years.  Apart from becoming a spacious loft for a flock of feral pigeons, the only conversion that took place was from flour mill to rumour mill.  Various projects were put forward from several quarters but none ever reached fruition.  Every failed application generated more rumours and precious few facts.  That was until Barn Owl Conversions took over and got things moving.

Ebridge was owned by Cubitt and Walker from 1883 until 1998 when it was sold to W. L. Duffield and son of Saxlingham.   In its time the mill has been powered by water, steam and finally electricity.
Wherries served the mill via the North Walsham and Dilham canal until the 1930s when waterborne trade was superseded by road transport.

Over the last few months work has begun clearing the site and renovating the mill buildings.  It is only fitting that the old mill is beginning a new career in the form of residential properties and not suffering the same fate as Briggate mill, her near neighbour a few miles downstream.
 

For a full history of Ebridge mill please see Norfolk mills site

http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/ebridge.html

A Busy Ol' Summer.

With frosty mornings and icy winds to look forward to this seems a good time to look back over the last six months.  As far as summer's go this year has been one to remember.
It seemed to stretch endlessly into infinity,  reminiscent of my school holidays from long ago, when those precious school-free weeks ran out long before those wonderful summer days.

If I ever had a busier summer with a camera than this one I really don't remember it, and with seven projects in progress the cameras have been in constant use almost every day since early spring.  But if there is a better way to spend my time I can't imagine what it is.

Hathor's Restoration.
One of my regular weekly visits is the Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust's yard at Wroxham.  Here the pleasure wherry "Hathor" has been under-going major restoration.

"Hathor" was winched onto the slipway over twelve months ago.
On February 19th, with her hull fully restored, she was re-floated and work began immediately on her topside and interior. First stage was to repair the plankways and cabin sides.  Then her decks were lined with plywood and covered with hard wearing lino.  Work has recently begun refurbishing the cabins and saloon.

Each stage of "Hathor's" restoration has, and is being recorded.  As the summer finally faded away this grand old lady was beginning to look her best once again.

Lining "Hathors" foredeck with plywood.

Fitting the Hawk benches.

"Sam" enthusiastically watches proceedings..

The  North Walsham and Dilham Canal.
On the North Walsham and Dilham Canal the restoration continues apace.  The banks of the dry section between Spa Common and Royston Bridge are well on the way to being reconstructed.  This is due to the extended dry spell from June to August which allowed a fleet of tipper trucks  to haul in tons of high grade subsoil.  Day after day they emerged through the dust creating some wonderful shots for the camera.  On the North side of Royston Bridge the progress has been equally impressive as the reconstruction heads unerringly toward Swafield.

Tippers bring in high grade subsoil.

Trucks emerge through the dust

A section of restored banking.

In late summer, with the help of a friend using his "Phantom" drone, with a GoPro camera on board, we were able to shoot some stunning arial footage of the reconstructed banks.

A magnificent distraction on the canal was the brood of Swans that hatched near Spa Common.   They have been high on the filming agenda on my regular, weekly visits to the canal. We have a record of the day they hatched to the present when they are now almost full grown.
They were the subject of an earlier blog.  If you would like to see the brood click on the links below.

http://bigskyproductions-jonno.blogspot.co.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SczVJ2UJf1Y


On September 26th as the summer was drawing to a close,  Doug Hamilton Cox, a retired Royal Engineer, walked the canal from Swafield to Tonnage Bridge.  We filmed the event which is intended to raise funds for the "Help For Heroes" charity.  Doug plans to walk every canal in the UK and raise £100,000.00. 

"Help for Heroes" Canal walk at Swafield lock.

Mist On The Marsh.
My labour of love continues to move toward completion, albeit very slowly.  All the documentary sequences are complete and most of the dramatised folklore is safely " in the can".   My undying appreciation for the cast, who with unswerving loyalty, have stuck with me and the project through some very trying times.  An extra special effort to complete this epic is scheduled for early 2015.

A clip from "Mist On The Marsh".

M&GN Dray.
While all this was going on, the M&GN  horse drawn dray was undergoing overhaul which I filmed whenever possible.  The film started at Banningham, where the hundred year old cart was renovated.

Dray off to Weyborne works.

This included the metal tyres being heated and fitted to the wheels.  From there the dray was taken to the sheds at Weybourne where the overhaul was completed.  Finally the dray was filmed arriving  at Holt station drawn by a magnificent shire horse.

Dray in the carpenters workshop.

Fitting the metal tyres.

The Dray arriving at Holt station.

Slipping "Albion"
On October 9th, in the dying weeks of our wonderful Indian summer "Albion" was being hauled out at Oulton Broad.  We arrived at Excelsior's yard to record the wherry being winched onto the slipway.
A brisk south-westerly rippled across Lake Lothing as "Albion" was secured to the cradle and hauled out of the water.

"Albion" almost out of the water.

Secured in the cradle.

On November 24th "Albion" was re-floated after her routine maintenance was completed.  Once again we made our way to Oulton Broad in time for "High water".  The wherry was smoothly lowered down the tracks and into the water.  With the tender standing by, the bilges were checked for leaks before we set off for the lock.  The traffic was stopped as "Albion"  slipped under the road bridge and into Mutford lock.  The summer was finally behind us on this shoot, but even at this late date the sun followed us into the yacht station to round the year off nicely.

The skipper checking tide times.

The tender standing by.

Stopping the traffic.

Inside Mutford Lock.

I hope the above demonstrates why the blogs have been few and far between in recent weeks.  We will try harder in 2015.
Merry Christmas  and a Happy New Year!

Jonno.

Cygnets Take to the Water.

In mid May a pair of young swans built a nest on one of Norfolk's more remote waterways.  For six weeks the Pen sat on the nest including a scorching hot spell in June.  Along with several others I kept watch over the pair in the hope there might be youngsters.  As the pen is a young bird there were no gaurantees there would be a sucessful outcome - it was simply watch and wait.

The Swans nest on the canal.

On my twice weekly visits to the area my first stop was always the swan's nest in the hope there would be something to film.   Several weeks went by without any significant change apart from the cob letting me know he had his eye on me. This was demonstrated from time to time with some slightly menacing hisses followed by some extravagant wing flapping.

On Monday June 23rd I made an extra trip to the nest site - Surprise! Surprise! there was a group of five fluffy little chicks inspecting the nest. 

 

Five chicks and one egg.

Mum gently turned the one remaining egg while the five cygnets squeaked continuously as they surveyed  the strange world they found themselves in.  It was sheer luck that I had arrived when I did, even better I was just in time to film the chicks entering the water for the first time. 

At the time of writing the chicks are just two weeks old and seem to be doing okay.  There are dangerous times ahead for them. An RSPB survey states that only half the cygnets born reach maturity, predators and pollution account for most of the fatalities. The chicks are on a secluded, private stretch of water and I believe they are relatively safe from human interference. Even so I have chosen not to disclose their exact location as I have long since lost my faith in many kinds of human behaviour. 

"Vaya con dios" little fellows.

To see a video of the cygnets please click the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SczVJ2UJf1Y

I Shot The Band.

A few days ago we travelled with a local Norfolk band to the Welsh border to film one of their gigs.
Looking For Mango are a talented Norfolk five piece band who were signed up for the Ebstock Music Festival along with other bands from Cardiff and Liverpool.

We stayed overnight in a B and B in the pretty village of Whittington, a few miles from the event, and awoke  to the smell of bacon and eggs and the sound of torrential rain.
 

Whittington Castle, the view from our Band B

 We arrived at the Ebnal Hall venue where everyone was wearing wellies and carrying umbrellas.  Looking For Mango were booked to do two sets, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

By evening the programme was over running by an hour and a half. LFM started the final set at about 11pm.  The place was absolutely rocking with three hundred people or so bouncing and jumping to the band from Norfolk.  Filming was a challenge in the midst of a demented smoke machine, illuminated by an impressive light show from the overhead gantry.  
LFM attracted fans like a magnet as they played into the night - in the middle of it all the camera was bounced and barged around in front of the stage.  A great gig.

"Looking for Mango" are a band with a great sound, watch out for them at Norfolk venues.  You will not be disappointed.

"Looking For Mango" Sound Check.

Listen to "Looking For Mango" on the link below.

http://www.reverbnation.com/lookingformango

Follow them on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/lookingformango?sk=app_2405167945

Swallowtail Butterflies.

"Papilio Machaon Britannicus" is the posh name for a magnificent species of Butterfly, more commonly known as "Swallowtails".
From late May to early July these large, beautiful insects take to the air and fly strongly over the Norfolk reed beds.

We took our cameras to How Hill near Ludham in search of these fascinating creatures.  Through two of the hottest days of the year we waited, in company with other enthusiasts, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive "Swallowtail".

"Swallowtail Butterfly" (Photo courtesy Tony Hisgett)

The British "Swallowtail" is a rare sub species that is only found in and around the Norfolk broads.
For five short weeks in summer the "Swallowtails" emerge, mate and lay their eggs on stems of Milk-parsley (Marsh Hog's Fennel).

Milk-parsley, a distant relative of the humble Parsnip, is the key to the "Swallowtails" life cycle and ultimate survival.  The plant grows in the Norfolk wetlands and is the essential food plant of the "Swallowtails".

The fragility of the species was dramatically illustrated at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire during the 1950's.  There the wetland habitat was reduced from over 100 hectares to less than ten due to agricultural activity over many years. As the water table dropped scrub land overwhelmed large tracts of the marshes around Wicken Fen.   Slowly the Milk-parsley disappeared and the Cambridgeshire "Swallowtails" became extinct.  Parts of the fens were flooded in an attempt to re-introduce the species  with Norfolk stock.  The project failed as did subsequent attempts leaving the Norfolk Broads as the last outpost for one of Britain's most spectacular butterflies.

For the moment the  Norfolk "Swallowtails" seem to be holding their own and are reasonably safe as long as the Milk-parsley survives.  By mid July most of the eggs have been laid and a few weeks later the caterpillars are soon feeding on their precious food plant.  The young caterpillars are very unspectacular in their appearance, resembling bird droppings to fool would be predators. The caterpillar or larva will moult three times before it pupates.  The adult caterpillar assumes a very colourful striped appearance after it's final moult.  

Caterpillar After 3rd Moult (Courtesy Wikimedia)

The caterpillar's defence against predators is the osmeterium, a horn like organ situated just behind the head.  This is deployed if the larva is threatened, giving off a pungent smell, similar to rotting pineapples.

The Osmerterium (Courtesy  Wikimedia)

In spite of this bizarre deterrent large numbers of larva are taken by birds and spiders long before the they transform into pupa.  Caterpillars that do survive make their way down the stems of reeds or similar plants, camouflaging themselves with green or dark brown colouration to suit their surroundings.  Here they overwinter waiting for the warm summer sun when they will emerge as exotic butterflies.    

"Swallowtail" Pupa (Courtesy Wikimedia)

At How Hill, after many hours of waiting, we were rewarded with several "Swallowtails" fluttering across the meadow and alighting on the thistles to refuel with nectar.  They remained just long enough for us to capture precious seconds of their extravagant display before they made off across the marsh and out of sight.  

The "Swallowtail" is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside act.




"Across my dreams, with nets of wonder
I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love."
                                     Dolly Parton