The robins at both ends of our garden have become very tame indeed, doubtless seeing me as a source of constant food. I have to be extremely careful when releasing moths from the traps, as they haunt my footsteps. One false move on my part and they pounce on some poor unsuspecting moth. In early November the nights were freezing but we had lovely sunny days and I enjoyed the high pitched squeaks of the Long-tailed Tits all around me – quite unmistakeable once you get your ear in. We do not feed the birds at all in the summer months, but …
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Firstly, I must correct a typing error of mine from last months’ article. I stated that we leave our rams in for 3 heat cycles – not on your nelly! 2 heat cycles is long enough otherwise I could be lambing for ever. The rams time is nearly up and their job done for another year. We will take them out this week and put all the in lamb ewes back together. The rams will spend some time back together in a small pen before letting them back out in the field. Even though they live together for most of the year in harmony, after being split up and …
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Last month I talked of the imminent process of putting the rams in. Well the job is done and the boys seem to be relishing their task. The rams were certainly ready to work as they started to smell distinctly “rammy” – a smell I cannot really describe other than quite vile! Their top lips were curling up and heads very much poised as they could certainly smell that ewes close by were coming into season. Getting the rams and the ewes in good condition prior to mating is so important – fit but not fat. Before putting the rams in with the ewes, …
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It was just a case of unintended consequences when earlier this year I invested in a bat detector, but did not get around to using it until very recently. This is a small hand-held device, which converts the non-audible ultrasonic calls bats make into a series of clicks, each unique to the particular species. Unfortunately, there is some overlap between the different frequencies and I do not yet have the expertise to separate them with certainty. Now, I am used to seeing the odd bat or two and have been aware for a long time that there were at …
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September is such a positive, exciting month for us here at Yellingham. The weather continues to be good – hence the B and B is still thriving, but importantly for us it is the start of a new sheep year. This year’s lambs are not fattening as quick as we would like due to the continuing lack of rain and hence grass growth – hard feed and hay are still very much on the menu for them all.  But for the ewes and rams, it is a time of selection, culling and the purchase of new rams. For some sheep farmers, this task is well underway or even done and …
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Amelia & Dan were thrilled to see their first ever Hummingbird Hawk-moth along the lane, a moment that will stay with them both for a long time. I still remember my first sighting on a Greek island. They are such awesome insects. Did you hear about the eviction of the house martins? Last year a pair built a nest right at the end of the season, only to be evicted by our local thuggish house sparrows, which did not want to lay eggs, merely preferring it as a singing perch. This spring the martins returned and repaired the nest, only to be …
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