Since childhood I have always listened for the Cuckoo as a start to Spring and the past 12 years have kept a diary of the date I first heard it, this has ranged from the 18th April to the 1st of May and after reading this article in the Telegraph telling of the demise of the Cuckoo http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6863994/Cuckoo-in-danger-of-being-lost-to-Britain.html I began to think maybe I wouldn’t this year, but then on Sunday May 6th there it was away in the distance, how sad it will be if we lose it……
RAIN rain rain rain - Please go away, I quite like walking in the wind and rain but this is getting ridiculous, slipping and sliding in the clay soil, dogs plopping thorugh the mud then shaking themselves or jumping up with enthusiam – and any piece of grass walked on more than once becomes a quagmire, I wanted to go on and see the Bluebells in Finemere Wood s but someone said they are nearly finished, such a short season this year..
Pigeon Street
We have two pigeon nests, maybe more I haven’t noticed, one is balanced precariously in the open barn on the rafters and occasionally old sticks drop out of it, last week when I walked underneath it the mother decided to fly off and rather clumsily she knocked a baby out which landed on the floor next to me, it was the ugliest baby bird I had ever seen with a huge beak and covered in down, it looked sad and was waving its little wings about, I had to put it back in the nest I thought. I managed to find a step ladder but it wasn’t quite high enough, I climbed on the top platform stood on tip toes and although I was wobbling about a bit just managed to reach the nest and drop the baby back in. The good news is the mother is back on and the baby being fed so alls well aawww..
nb A baby pigeon is called a squab………..
Chocolate Labrador Puppies
Little Daisy went tonight, last of the litter of nine, all lovely pups full of energy and bright as beads, Suchard does not seem to miss them and is happily chewing on a Jumbone in her bed while the rain beats down outside.. What a mixture of names the new owners chose this time, Benson, Lola, Ellie, Coco and Frankie and strangely enough, the tiny cute one was named… Tadpole….
DAWN CHORUS ……
Link to Dawn Chorus
ht://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHZPdug_Rnwtp
Taken at Harvest Moon Barn 5am May 20th
Ideal accommodation for Bird Watchers……
June 12th 9.50pm There were no stars tonight but it was very still, the only sound I could hear as I took Maude acoss the fields was a bird who was up late singing in the tree, and a sheep bleating in the far distance. Then suddenly I saw a beautiful white bird, a Barn Owl flying low over the field quite close to us, what a lovely sight, I had not seen one for months.
Our latest guests in the barn said “What a lovely place, I hope you appreciate it “ Oh I do !
Picture of a similar Barn Owl and the field it was hunting in at the front of the house.
.jpg "Ollie")
Rabbit and Magpies…
Not sure what was going on here, I originally thought that the 3 magpies were attacking the rabbit but he didnt try to run away, even played dead a couple of times then leapt in the air, I videoed it from my back door through the glass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anQXRrcXd6Y
The long and winding road……
View up to the Farmhouse in Summer
19th October
What a spectacular sunset over the Barn this evening:-
This little Flip Brochure will inspire you about visiting Britain, it is quick and easy to flick through the information…….. https://asp-gb.secure-zone.net/v2/index.jsp?id=243/690/1164&lng=en
This is a lovely short video of Brill, a village not far from here… click on the link below lovely photography and so typically English…..
http://vimeo.com/17360553
Lots happening here at Winters Tale Farmhouse, a big Wedding is to be held in a fabulous GP Marquee www.gpmarquees.co.uk in August … with more to follow in 2015
