Our countryside decline in wildlife, particularly following a government-led initiative to remove many hedgerows in the 1960’s and then the increased level of ‘chemical farming’ during the 1970’s, is now a well-known fact. No longer do we see plovers or turtle doves in our fields. Cirl buntings, corn buntings, yellow hammers and partridge are rare in our hedgerows. The corncrakes and quails are long gone, and this decline is not limited to birds. There are fewer hares and the loss of smaller mammals such as the shrew, field mouse and dormouse, …
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Our Wonderful Hedgerows
Paul’s Nature Notes February-March 2024
In January I wrote of my childhood wintertime memories listening to the haunting calls of curlews echoing for miles across the marsh after dark. My abiding springtime memories from that time are the call of lapwing, surely one of the harbingers of spring. It is now yet another endangered red-listed species and one I seldom see these days yet alone hear. These birds have become another casualty of changing farm practices, land use, human disturbance and the indiscriminate use of DDT which had a catastrophic adverse impact on birdlife in the …
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The Best Time of Year – Lambing at Yellingham
Most people have a vision of lambing as a springtime activity with long green grass waving in the warm breeze with little lambs jumping for joy….nice but add in a bit of wet weather, mastitis, lameness, rejected lambs and we’re nearly there. That sounds so pessimistic but actually we sheep farmers do work so hard for this truly wonderful time of year.
One of the highlights of my year is when local schools visit the farm during lambing. We lamb in March. In fact, with the 2 breeds of sheep that we keep, the beautiful coloured Jacob and the …
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Paul’s Nature Notes January-February 2024
I don’t know about you but I dislike January and February – too much low light meaning I have to switch on the lights indoors during the daytime and as for all those grey mornings…. The answer is for me go for a walk which generally has an immediate positive effect on my mood and none more so when the snowdrops emerge. I first saw them on 13 January and judging by the size of the clumps they have had a good year. Then the daffodils started to flower early. Mind you, that can be said for so many plants this year. It really is amazing what a bit …
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Paul’s Nature Notes December 2023 to January 2024
Storm Henk wreaked damage dumping massive amounts of rain on already swamped ground and bringing down a Payhembury landmark. We have lost the dead tree which was in our bog garden. It was there before we moved in over 8 years ago and we have no idea what species it was. Many people have asked over the years why I did not simply cut it down but I loved that tree. It was a perch for owls and woodpeckers but has now been sawn up and left to rot further to become home to many more beetles.
New additions to the parish database of flora and fauna …
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Paul’s nature notes November-December 2023
Andrew & Cherry at Mousehole were told recently of a sighting of a Harris Hawk near Spence's Cross, doubtless an escapee. It reminded me of a wonderful hawking experience day the family arranged for my 65th birthday at Leeds Castle in Kent where I enjoyed hunting with one in the afternoon. What a great experience that was!
They also told me that their holly berries have now been almost stripped bare by flocks of blackbirds and fieldfares which have now turned their attention to the apples. Then they had the joy of watching a stoat …
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Paul’s Nature Notes October-November 2023
It’s that time of the year again when buzzards gather together in the fields. They seem to choose a different field every year. Last year it was one adjoining the back lane to Upton, the year before that they were over at Colestocks and this year they are in the field leading along the lane to the pig farms.
I have enjoyed photographing them mixed in amongst all those herring gulls and pigeons. Silhouetted along the edge of the ridge they appear huge and once again there is a very white individual amongst them. At first glance it is very easy …
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Yellingham Farm – November
You are not going to believe this……. yet again a need to involve my non-country guests to help on the farm and sort out some very boisterous bullocks. The term bullocks” made the ladies blush. No girls, not what you think.
My beautiful cow, named Princess was due to calve – her 4th calf and never before had she caused me any problems. Due date was 15th of the month, and she was a couple of days overdue, so I was not nervous, but just a little tense. I was up my polytunnel at 6pm as usual watering, enjoying picking Alpine strawberries …
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Paul’s Nature Notes September-October 2023
It is certainly a time of change with daffodil shoots pushing through on 9 October and - goodness me - there really have been a lot of hornets around this autumn and from all corners of the parish! Most reports tell us that they are over an inch long and suggest that despite appearances they are rarely aggressive, unlike the common wasp. Note the word rarely, because in my experience entering the garden after dark wearing a head torch is likely to induce some really unnerving behaviour – certainly enough to make me turn tail and run and even …
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Yellingham Farm – October 2023
I opened the e-mail and immediately thought this is a scam:
“Dear Mr and Mrs East, we are delighted to announce that you have been awarded the prestigious VisitEngland Rose Award in Recognition Of Service Excellence”. Just to check that my intuition was correct, I speedily e mailed the VisitEngland Assessor who carried out our annual Assessment earlier in the Year. At the back of my mind was also the thought that for most Tourism Awards, you have to enter yourself and go through a rigorous process competing with amazing hospitality …
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