News from the Farm
Most garden and farmland birds have finished breeding, except for the Wood Pigeon, who will carry on for a while yet
Nicholas found a Reed Warbler's nest, with a Cuckoo's egg, which he was able to observe from hatching to fledging
Wet weather is again affecting farm land & also having an effect on butterfly numbers
It's been a warmer May than average, meaning our crops are a few days ahead of time
There's been a lot of catching up on the farm - helped by the better weather in April
Nicholas has been watching the birds that come and go on our wetland
There is no doubt that the past winter has favoured ducks and swans in our area
There has been so much rain that the Welland has burst its banks for the first time in 75 years
There was rain, rain & a bit more rain on the farm; not great for farmers or wildlife
Nicholas talks of coping with rain on the farm and the Tree Sparrows already picking nesting sites for next year
It has been a quiet time on the farm; all our summer visitors disappeared south by the end of September, although Nicholas did see two Swallows flying south-west in early October
Nicholas talks about the busiest time of the year - the potato harvest
There was drama on the farm in August when our combine caught fire
Nicholas talks about the ever changeable weather in this month's newsletter
Nicholas was delighted with the restoration of his 1975 Massey-Fergusson, completed by the men on the farm, for his 80th birthday
The increase in activity of the birds in our gardens is always interesting to see during the breeding season