Estate Agency Problems

We have a very high bird nesting density here, helped by our range of habitats, hard to find in the surrounding fields, plus the food supplements we provide. In spite of there being so many birds they mainly go about their nesting in an unobtrusive way.

We have quite a lot of nest boxes on site. One has often be used by visiting Flycatchers. The problem is that they arrive quite late and in the meantime Tits and Sparrows try to take it over. They have plenty of other places to go so we have to intervene

We can’t move without tripping over wrens is they skit from woodpile to compost heap. Each male builds several nests and takes a potential suitor on a tour to see which they like best. That doesn’t stop him starting a bigamous relationship in one of the others. You would think with all that work they would take advantage of ready built properties. Oh no

this one is expending vast amounts of energy building a nest next to a vacant residence, which was used by a wren last year.

Hot Buzz

Temperatures we have not seen for a long time here today

triggers our bees to head off to see what they can find

The Hazel is a big attraction

not just for our bees

but others visiting

and this Tortoiseshell, becoming active after its winter hibernation

Time to follow the bees home

and take advantage of the sun to have our first look inside this year

All seems well

and although we did not see the Queen she must be there as brood is being tended

Time to put in the Queen excluder to keep the honey separate from the brood cells

Near by, other young things are growing

The Soup is Stirring

Down at the Lake

the light is shining

Down below

under cover

beasts are moving

sculling around

cruising in the sunlight

Within the jelly soup

shapes are forming

And we have positioned a new branch waiting

for the Darter coming

Birds of Passage

We had a bit of a shock at the end of the afternoon two days ago

Not one

but a couple of hundred Fieldfares in the next door field

(the photos are bit blurry!)

In the past we have had wintering groups of Thrushes and Fieldfares and just last month we had a temporary visitor stocking up in the cold.

We thought these birds would have flown north by now

but a bit of research shows that might not happen until next month.

Anyway, this flock was on the move

After a short time they were up and away

One of the locals wondered why they bothered

Equinoctial incubating

At 9.37 this morning we passed that magic moment when our noxes were equal and signalled the time to think about new life.

Our main hen flock now has a good mixture of varieties

which results in a varied range of egg colour from a bluish tinge through white and a range of browns to deep chocolate. When we sell our eggs we include a mixture of colours in each box.

In the past we have both bought in point of lay birds and hatched eggs, both bought in and our own. When we have a well timed broody we can use her otherwise it is down to the incubators.

This year we decided to be more organised in two respects. Firstly, after suffering brought in diseases, we will not buy any more hens from outside. Secondly, we agreed to do all our hatching in one cohort. We have sometimes in the past been in the situation of looking after newly hatched chicks, older ones still needing a heat lamp and pullets too young to join the main flock – all at the same time, needing lots of different accommodations.

So after making a draught proof corner of the sitting room

we set off 28 eggs on a 21 day journey

We bought half a dozen Blue Splash French Maran – like this

half a dozen Cuckoo Maran – a bit like this

Also six Australorp. This is Honey currently our only Australorp – she is twice as big as some of the hens and occupies top position

and also used some of our own eggs

Eight of the latter came from our single-breed flock of Speckled Sussex

with a couple of miscellaneous thrown in for good measure.

Here’s hoping for as few males as possible…

Between The Ides and The Equinox

Having survived the Ides of March without major mishap and, although we can still see snow,

we feel that with the new moon

we can start early Equinox celebrations.

The bees have sucked dry the crocus flowers

But being in Wales we are or course surrounded by daffodils

they are everywhere

More exciting are the fritillary buds

and the signs that hedges are waking up

Trees are more reserved but signs can be seen

and profiles are changing

The birds are busy

gathering nesting material

They are also noisy, in the case of this Song Thrush in a good way

We were pleased to receive a Brambling visit

and are always happy to have the modest Dunnock around

The Woodpecker combines defiant colours with modest behaviour – always using the back of the feeders

So, as the sun shines

illuminating the buzzards overhead

and even making sheep look glamourous

we prepare the chair on the porch

pretending we will have some time to sit down during the next six months.

The Trouble with Seeds is… they grow

Seeds are very small. You can get a lot in a couple of boxes

So, with great enthusiasm, we start sowing them

Pop them in a nice warm place

where they happily germinate

Then they say they want bigger pots

so we have to oblige

These Broad Beans should be going outside but while they wait for a bed they need even bigger pots

and before you know it the greenhouse is full.

While we bring most things on in a protected environment it is nice to make some sowings direct into the soil

even if it is in the tunnel.

It was a bit early in the year to ask this salad to live up to its name

but we will have it on our plate before too long

The Glass is Falling…

and according to the Met Office the pressure drop seems to be sucking in a purple dragon ready to consume Wales

This is what it is forecast to bring us by tomorrow evening

The daffodils are just raising their heads, do they know?

The frogs have been busy, do they know?

James has weathered many a storm, he doesn’t need to know

Some of the elderly Cayuga ducks are past knowing

while the handsome young drake thinks he knows it all

The bumble bee is still busy, she knows what she needs to know

We know. And that is why we have spent today adding more meadow mix and wild flower seed to the orchard, ready to be watered in.

Multiplication

Autumn is usually the season for seed propagation but down at the Lake today

last year’s bulrush seems to have been biding its time

Its neighbour is a bit further on

spreading its seed

which will be able to float away… a couple of metres

We can’t wait to see the sprouting from our propagation efforts

trees here and also new hedging

where the Beech is starting to wake up

We know frogs are not very clever…

We know frogs are not very clever or maybe we should be thankful that not all their spawn has results.

The first we spotted this year was in our woodland pond, which was sensible

But the second batch we saw was here

just waiting for a bit of rain to take it down here

So it was a bucket case

to move it to our big pond

where it might be safer

Although, if you refer back to this entry, that might not be the case.

We have known frogs to deposit spawn in any furrow or damp depression. Bert just sees it as added protein if contributed to his damp depression