Batchelor Boy

I'm on my own for a couple of nights as W is in London having her hair done, meeting up with some friends and visiting some museums and galleries.  I dropped her at the station in Norwich this morning and then took the opportunity to visit Ranworth, where there is a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve.

The reserve is fascinating as it is effectively a swamp (although the signs do point out that there are no crocodiles).  A boardwalk takes you through the middle of it to the visitor centre which, sadly, was closed this morning.  An interesting building though, as it is built on a pontoon which floats on the water.  It overlooks Ranworth Broad which is one of the few Broads that is not open to boating, so perfect for bird life.  There were several cormorants close to me, and the water was covered in ducks and geese as far as the eye could see.  I've added some extras from the reserve; another view of the visitor centre, and two of the boardwalk through the reserve.  One shows the reed which is harvested every year which promotes the growth of Milk Parsley which is essential for Britains largest, and one of its rarest, butterflies, the Swallowtail.  Another shows some of the Alder trees, one of only two species that will grow in the water.  They end up in strange shapes as they slowly collapse under their own weight into the soft mud but continue to grow.