I have been watching David Attenborough’s ‘A Perfect Planet’ in which he expresses grave concern about the next mass extinction of global species – make no mistake this process has already started and will only escalate! Like so many people the Covid lockdown has meant that I have had a lot of extra time on my hands, much of which I have spent re-cataloguing my extensive photographic archive of endangered species. This has engendered many amazing memories but also a deal of sadness. My all-time favourite location is Madagascar, where we …
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For those of you who read last month about my new Black Welsh Mountain Ram Colin, you will know how pleased I was with him. Note the use of the word “WAS”. Firstly, I must apologise to him for calling him Colin when, yes, he’s Welsh, so he is actually called “Colwyn”, which I learnt when receiving his pedigree certificate. Perhaps that’s why I had a slight problem last week – I was speaking in English and Colwyn speaks Welsh and wasn’t listening to me or Ralph my sheepdog – but then Ralph is half French so no hope really! An interesting fact …
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Earlier this year, on one of my few walks during self-isolation, we discovered the Luton loop via Prophet’s Lane and what a delight it was. As we passed by John & Anne Baxter’s house he told us that Anne had seen tell-tale signs of beaver damage to trees further along the lane on the River Tale, which she later confirmed. What wonderful news! The autumn colour in our garden was more fleeting than ever this year but even more vibrant. The leaves have now been carefully mown up and added to their designated compost heap, which means that …
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It’s October…it’s really exciting, and it all kicks off at Yellingham Farm. I expect most of you are thinking a big party, a celebration, a celebrity coming to stay at the B and B. It’s much more exciting than any of those events……………it’s time to put the rams in! Please don’t be disappointed and stop reading because it really is an exciting time when that circle of life for the sheep starts again in earnest, and who knows you might learn something. But of course, before we put the rams in with the ewes, normally around early October, there is …
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Following on from last month, we have suffered the loss of yet another bee hive. This one was overwhelmed by huge numbers of wasps, which have proved so troublesome this year. So, we are now down to just two active hives! Those August storms also hit us badly, as we have lost two old favourite apple trees. They were both leaning over at an angle of 60° and were far too large to make any recovery feasible, but the apples have been harvested and the wood is now being seasoned in readiness to use in our log burner. Andrew and Cherry have been …
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Despite all the anxieties of the past few months, the advice, the regulations, the locking down, the unlocking, life has become more hopeful and even the simple things in life have made us all happy again – yes, the long-awaited haircut! Some more good news – Yellingham Farm Bed and Breakfast is OPEN. The decision was not taken lightly and after hours of reading advice from every Hospitality expert in the world as to what to do and what not to do (which changed hourly), we decided to open – in fact the truth of the matter is, the bank …
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Late July can sometimes be a quiet time for birds but not this year – the garden echoed to the calls and tweets of countless fledglings. In fact some were a positive nuisance, as I had to constantly usher them out of the greenhouses. The worst offenders were the juvenile blackbirds - I have never seen so many and I am sure you will have noticed those mobs of juvenile sparrows, some over 30 strong, flying around all over the place, but there have been two real stars this year. I have already told you about the first, a pair of Spotted …
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Our garden just keeps on yielding up new surprises, this time in the form of a pair of nesting Spotted Flycatchers. We have watched with delight at the sight of the male doing exactly what it is supposed to do – short looping darting flights and generally returning to the same perch. He appeared to prefer those really large flies with red eyes and has been far more efficient than our fly swat! This is a Red List species having declined by half in only 25 years, probably due to problems in its over-wintering ground south of the equator in …
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We have watched spellbound as the wrens garnered up countless small insects and spiders for their young, working along the banks of the stream and on the bridge in late afternoon. Then we were treated to the sight of six babies fledging and they have stayed around in a group foraging. Did you know that it is only the female which sings? Last year I mentioned a tiny trial wildflower patch sown with seed-balls. This did quite well except that this year the Ox-eye Daisies had really taken over and had to be thinned out. I elongated the strip by …
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