Lambing

Well April is lambing time for us - and this year it was raining time as well - with over 4 inches of rain recorded.
This has made it all awkward with the shed getting blocked up with ewes and lambs that are waiting to be turned out.
The worst weather at the beginning of the week reuled in several dead lambs at birth (we lamb outside) and a couple of those outside.
But the bulk are through now and the remainer will take the next 3 weeks to fininsh off.
But on the whole a good number of lambs, and the Schmallenberg virus didnt seem to have hit us.
So here's some photos to cheer the wet spring!

Spring Update

Finally Swallows turned up at the farm last Thursaday (12th April). Late - but at least they came back. So far the count is up to three and already the collection of nesting material has commenced.
Cuckoos have been heard by various people - but not me! The same holds true for Sedge and Reed Warblers - but they cant be far away, perhaps once this wet and cold week has gone they will arrive.
The damp weather is not helpful for our new born lambs, and one or two losses are inevitable.

Up on the down a single pair of lapwing remains on the stone curlew plot - still none of these, but I'm ever hopeful, and the Corn buntings have peaked at 5!

Spring also means the turn out of the cattle, which means a chance to look out for birds on other localities - so today I saw a kingfisher near Harnham, and heard a faint drumming of a woodpecker which had me wondering about Lesser Spots. I shall have to hear it more closely to decide which species it actually was.

Another bird seen in april on a regular basis is Red Kite and yesterday I saw one over the meadows just like last year. Probably the same as that seen near our neighbours entrance last weel. Must be breeding somewhere in the south of the county - best not to know! I'm pretty sure this one had a transmitter aerial on it.

The work on the snipe meadow is in its last week, so I guess the next post will be about that when all is done.

Badgers

Well badgers are a cattle farmers nighmare - or at least thats what some would have us believe.
Having spent hundred of hours out badger watching thiry years ago now, the badger has a special place for me.
Bovine TB mat well be adsent now, but the clock is ticking and at some point it will arrive.
I personally hope we are vaccinating cattle by then,
In the meantime, one of the things one tried to see was young cubs in April. It would usually be mid to late April before we saw any. The adults coming out and dissappearing  and then the emergence of cubs - who if we were lucky we would see play with each other, scampering around trees and logs.
Well I put my camera trap out this week and was pleased to see these photos amongst the hundreds of (mostly empty) shots. I just didnt quite have it pointed in the right direction!

I really ought to go and try tto see them - perhaps when they emerge a bit earlier!

Snipe Meadow 2

Just what is underneath the grass of a meadow?
Well it seems that under those I farm its pretty much peat!
We expected to find chalk, to be able to make up one or two places, or protect the corners of a bridge.
What we found was just a shallow run of chalk under the bottoms and then back to peat again. So this skin of chalk must have been carried out to the meadows in carts and laid down to form a solid base to the drainage system, and so maintain a level for the system as a whole.
Not many birds around at present - so just a pair of mallard in the last 2 evenings, though tonight there was a moorhen as well.

The biggest problem is the shear amount of material piled up and what to do with it!
This we will address at the half point  by flooding up and examining where the water reaches.

Meanwhile where have the hirundines got to? Although I saw one swallow on the down on 27/3, I havent seen one since. Of further note is that by the end of last week the lapwing disappeared as well as the corn bunting - I just hope he's in hiding until some moisture returns.