What a truly dreadful autumn it has been. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of days when it has not rained. This has reminded me when we travelled around New Zealand almost twenty years ago and in particular Doubtful Sound, which can suffer between ten and twenty feet of rainfall a year. We were blessed the day we visited, which was fine and clear. Of the few souvenirs we brought back with us was this poem: It rained and rained and rained The average fall was well maintained And when the tracks were simply bogs It …
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Yellingham Farm With the rest of the world going crazy at the moment preparing for Christmas, life on the farm is actually quiet and serene. The rams have done their job and are back resting until next autumn, this year’s lambs are growing on nicely as are the cattle. The constant rain has put a lot of pressure on the fields, with the river Tale rising and falling daily. Fortunately, we are not overstocked and all of our stock including the cattle are still out. With the warm, damp weather, pneumonia is always a threat so we try not to house …
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Toby Buckland has been telling everyone on Radio Devon that this has been the best year for holly berries in 20 years and suggests there will be plenty for Christmas decorations. Some hopes! The winter, or Scandinavian, thrushes have arrived here to over winter and are busy stripping the berries as fast as they can. I anticipate that there will be none left within a few days. I have tried hard to photograph Redwings on the holly berries, but the moment they sense my camera, they are off in a flash. Despite all the rain (a whole bucketful in a …
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The 18th of the month seems to loom, (plenty of time to write a quick article), the 18th of the month arrives and it disappears and yet again I have missed the last few deadlines. Excuse ? None ! It seems daft to talk about our summer activities now that the autumn and the rains are here in abundance but I just thought you might all be interested in a fact I learnt whilst we were making silage. As most of you know, silage is either cut and stored in a clamp and normally covered with huge pieces of plastic held down by loads of used tyres, or …
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I really cannot comment on nature without mentioning our garden, much of which has been planted with wildlife in mind. Getting the right balance and plantings has, however, been quite a learning process. What was commonplace to us in Sussex for well over 40 years often failed miserably here in Devon. There are at least four springs, a bog garden and areas of quite deep shade and only occasional well drained soils. This means that we have to concentrate on moisture and shade loving perennial plants for a large part of the garden, whilst …
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As summer turns into autumn we have been facing strong winds and a lot more rain. The bog garden has been awash over recent days, but as warmer days returned we were blessed with excellent numbers of butterflies. Most of our Painted Ladies have gone from the garden and I suspect many will have commenced their autumn migration back to Europe and thence to where their forebears came from earlier in the year. This has been an excellent year for this species, almost matching the last big one in 2009 when an estimated 11m reached our shores. There …
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As July wore on the hot weather stayed with us and we basked in a profusion of butterflies, nectaring on Verbena bonariensis, including an aged Painted Lady, which has since been joined by several freshly hatched ones. This is an excellent plant, as the flowers hold their nectar over a long period compared to Buddleia, which needs regular dead-heading to encourage fresh spikes. The hedgehogs are prospering with five all in clear view one evening, which delighted a friend who was staying with us. The sound of them snuffling and crashing …
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It has just struck me that this is the first anniversary of me taking over these nature notes following the sad death of my predecessor Alan. I still remember him with great affection – he simply loved all forms of nature and his enthusiasm was immediately obvious to all who spoke to him. No two years are the same in nature – the ebb and flow of the different species is always interesting to note. The glorious birdsong so evident just a few weeks ago has largely subsided, although the local Chiffchaff appears to be announcing his territorial …
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