Photoblog: A lazy Sunday afternoon

A lazy Sunday afternoon and a lazy space-filling post! Ha. The last few weeks have been a headspin so it was kind of nice to have the place to myself today. I had a bunch of stuff to do but took a walk round the farm instead...

New neighbours. The grazier moved the first lot of livestock into their winter quarters this week. These are this years calves, spared the rigours of winter on the marshes.





These boots are made for wading. Some showers this week have helped, but in actual fact ground water levels are really low. The rain gauge shows that the rainfall in October (21mm) and November (42mm) was the lowest for several years. We need the rain water to increase levels in the ditches and reservoirs. When it reaches a certain level we can begin extracting and pumping water onto the fields - this will help wintering birds and prepare the ground for spring waders.

Windfall. I love walking through the orchard at the moment; rotten fruit squelching underfoot and all manner of birds flitting overhead. These bruised, sugary apples attract a lot of wildlife including foxes, badgers and field mice. Today I could barely take a step without a "chak chak chak" call signalling the fright of a nearby Fieldfare.

Walls come down. When the leaves drop it's like an open house event in the wood. All manner of nests are exposed, from the untidy, straggly efforts of a pigeon or corvid like this one, to the small, boutique efforts of a Wren, Robin or Whitethroat. 

Euonymus. Spindle berries provide a burst of colour.

 

Ash 'keys'. The dry clusters of fruits on Ash trees stand out a mile in winter. I always think they look like bunches of keys. The dark crevices of these heads provide shelter for insects and can attract birds like Bullfinch.

Perched like a ghost in a tree. The Barn Owl has been out hunting over the scrub by the barns most afternoons this week. If it's not too windy, chances are it'll be around somewhere. A glorious moment in the fading winter light. 

 

All wrapped up. Bales of silage lining the track. This will keep the livestock fed through the winter.