Just One Picture

We said we would limit ourselves to one picture a day so here it is

We have a love hate relationship with bracken, although mostly love. These uncurling fronds, embryo shaped, combine delicacy with power. Later, the bracken smell is laden with childhood memories of moorland walks and leafy dens. Any hate is down to keeping it in its place as it tries to invade the meadow. We have drawn a red line. Well, a green line actually in the form of a mown path with any eruption beyond it being condemned to snapping and stamping. We fear they are winning.

Oh, and this

The first yellow rose that rears high up on the front of the house.

Plus

The tree heather is like… a tree… made of heather

And

The red hawthorn is Muriel’s memorial tree and its flowering brings back her smiling.

Brighter Later

Showers this morning but then the light shone through

The Hawthorn blossom bursts out in cascades

Our Copper Beeches start off with a delicate transparency and will later mature to a deep purple velvet

With (even a small) wood we get shafts of light illuminating random spots

and framing of the surrounding hills

Meanwhile, Claire’s broods feel cosy

Foster Mother

Claire has been a dependable broody who has reared several incubator hatchings in the past so we had no hesitation in putting her in charge of the Partridge Orpington chicks.

She quickly taught them how to use the feeder

and how to scratch and peck

Today they were released from the coop into a bigger run. Claire briefed the brood on keeping close and safe

They ignored her

so she told them

it was time to go to bed

Arts and (Plants)

The Arts and Crafts Movement believed that Beauty and Utility were inseparable.

Plants’ only motivation is Utility, and in accomplishing that they achieve more Beauty than can be imagined

We used to think that Wild Garlic was an exotic to be experienced through sight and smell when passing through daleland woods. Now we have it outside our back door

And talking of olfactory beauty, please do sniff our Azalea

and bask in the heady aroma of the Hawthorn

If this was made by people would you pay to see it?

and this art print

Here are some more utilitarian beauties

Sometimes the Laburnum is imprisoned is suburban clichés – but let it free…

And you thought you could get away without a tulip

But we save the best until last. Our Meadow is improving year by year. We scythe off the grass and take it away to decrease the nitrogen in the soil. This plant works against that

But this one is winning

The whole area is now filled with Yellow Rattle. It is partly parasitic on the grass roots, sapping their energy and weakening their vigour allowing a greater diversity to rise up. We did not sow any seed, it came up from below after who knows how many years of dormancy.

Let the Light Shine Through

We are at the time of year when the new translucent leaves let through the sunlight

The Lime is on our main path to the Meadow and each time we pass beneath we can experience this

The Horse Chestnut is more hidden away but worth the journey

Later the Copper Beeches will be opaque purple but for now they join in

We are surrounded by Welsh Poppies (obviously) which also transmit the light

Even courgettes can look beautiful

The Lupin holds a reflecting jewel of rain

and the ducklings do their best

Animals in Places

Today we have been mainly looking at Animals in Places,…

Two Hens on a Bin

A Caterpillar on Netting

and then having a rest

Two Ducklings in a Bowl

Blue Tit chicks in a Nest

A Chick on a Back

and Two Chicks standing in a Food Bowl

Plus – a Mistle Thrush back on the nest ready for a second brood

Rain drops on…

Some welcome gentle rain at the end of today freshening things up.

May White

May is a colourful month. So here are some white things spied around Gribin Isaf today.

The Wild Garlic is spreading in the wood

We enjoyed the Dandelions in their yellow glory and now they give a second delight as they send off their seeds far and wide

They are few and far between in our meadow

The May blossom is only just getting going as the month is two-thirds gone

This Margherita is springing up out of a hard chipping path

The Stitchwort has been around for a while

The local verges are lined with Cow Parsley which, with a bit of a breeze, executes a Mexican wave as we pass by

Daisies, like Dandelions, should not be taken for granted

Solomon’s Seal hangs its bells

White Heather is two a penny but White Tree Heather is a bit special

Geraniums red…. and Geraniums white

White butterflies and white blossoms

And lots of Jack-by-the-hedge for the Orange Tips

Strawberry flowers crop up everywhere. In the strawberry beds but also in the wild form in every nook and crevice

The Sorrel is coming to the end of its season

You didn’t think you could get away without a white Tulip did you?

An assertive white duck

a shy white duck

and a duck that should not be white (see Cayugas, elsewhere)

A spikey white hen

but does she lay the white eggs?

(Partly) white Claire being a good mother today

It is possible some of our bees swarmed off from their white hive today

Everything fades to white

It happens to us all

as our bones bleach in the ground

Level Headed Claire

We have quite a variety of hen breeds at Gribin Isaf but one of our favourites is the Partridge Orpington.

That is Lazy Susan, one of two young birds of the breed we bought from Lynhall Orpingtons earlier this year. Not fair to call her Lazy really. She was younger than her friend and quite young to be introduced into the flock. She had a hard time at first but is now well integrated.

Our first Partridge Orpingtons came as hatching eggs from a member of our family who breeds them. Part of the outcome from that was George, one of our cockerels.

Last month we got some hatching eggs from Lynhall Orpingtons to try and increase our number of this breed. They went in the incubator but at the same time we were on watch for broodies as it is much easier for us if they take care of the chicks once they are hatched. Unlike when we had to borrow Brenda we have had a number of our birds showing inclinations including a young hen called Amy and Speckled Sussex Claire. Claire is a seasoned mother and has successfully brought up a couple of broods in the past.

We gave both birds a few of our eggs to get them happy until they were needed. On Wednesday one of the eggs under Amy sort of hatched. Sort of, because it looked as if Amy had crushed the egg but when we gave a hand the chick was fine.

As Amy’s mothering skills were in doubt we moved this chick up to the incubator where the following day she was joined by the hatching Orpingtons

Poor old Amy was evicted from the maternity quarters and today Claire was installed and given the brood to take care of

We are hoping she makes a good job of it.

Bye Bye Brenda

When years ago we first decided to keep ducks we homed in on Cayugas, partly due to their amazing iridescent blue/green plumage. Quite a few of that original flock are still with us (despite the UPS massacre) but they are a bit doddery and much of their plumage is now a senior white.

We have made several attempts over the years to bring in new blood in the form of hatching eggs. These batches resulted in Solo (the name tells the story) and later, Houdini (ditto).

This year we appear to have managed to hatch five (although gender as yet undetermined) who have been brought up by Brenda, the Borrowed Broody.

They are now turning their backs on her

and yesterday she laid an egg, a sure sign she wanted to go home.

So we resurrected the quality timber Smiths Sectional

filled it with cosy straw

and set up a Big Duck water pool

They would also need to use a Big Duck feeder

The ducklings had not told us they were agrophobic. Also, since our mixed duck flock is well settled, we had forgotten that Cayugas Do Not Like Change.

We had to improvise a small run within a big run

Which they agreed to tolerate

And then the sun went down