It has been a joy watching the garden birds pecking the apples left on the tree and the many windfalls, the blackbirds particularly enjoy the apples, we have also seen thrushes and a beautiful fieldfare. The bird feeders I am constantly topping up attract blue tits, great tits, robins, long tailed tits, flocks of goldfinches, the odd greater spotted woodpecker, many house sparrows (who also love to jostle noisily under the eves), and starlings. We also have periodic visits from the partridge family who come and go as they please navigating via the hedges on the farm but also enjoy sitting on our westerly courtyard wall in the early morning when the wind is low.
We have treated ourselves to an early Christmas present, this scope is perfect for close ups of our bird feeders in the front garden and from our kitchen window you can inspect the surf at Bucks Mills and watch boats being launched from Clovelly Harbour. I need some practice with the focus but think you might be seeing some more of these pictures……
As well as our welcome feathered friends we have had four (!!) lots of incursions through the gates and over the hedges from disruptive herbivores. First the cows, then the sheep, then more sheep, and lastly the ram! We did not get a good picture of the cows as we were too busy trying to get them out as quickly as possible, they were only in our garden for a short while, but damaged our privet hedge, and left behind huge hoof holes in the lawn and of course cowpats….
The sheep were less destructive and easier to herd, luckily they did not reach the flowerbed, but still deposited their own presents.
Here the sheep from ‘The Big Sheep’ are storming the barricades next to our driveway, Neil from Westacott Farm kindly gathered them up and deposited them back into their field and we thought the drama was over until later Ollie discovered the ram hiding in our courtyard…… Neil came out again, as I am a useless sheep rustler.
Livestock lessons learned: increase security at the gates, ask Ollie to brush up on his shepparding skills.
The lovely people from Northam Burrows, who work at looking after our very own world recognised UNESCO site drove over our fields to the kiln to collect up all the bags of nappies which have been deposited there from the last months beach clean – Thank you Rose!!
We were very happy to show our environmental mentors around the farm this week, they wanted to see how their ideas for our rewilding would look and feel, they are finalizing their report for us right now, so we’ll be excited to share our plans next month!!
And am I allowed to say Merry Christmas? It feels a bit early, but my next blog will be too late, so from all of us here at Greencliff Farm we wish you and yours a very happy and safe Christmas and lets hope for more hugs in 2021.
What an exciting and infuriating November you have had. These are great close up pictures of the birds, which are are a delight in our garden too.
Thank you, and yes, and you have green woodpeckers!!
Sue, what a wonderful adventure as you embark on your forever home and rewilding endeavour. I have read all your blogs so far, and look forward to many more. I am lucky enough to have half an acre here in Fredericton, and decided when I moved in 20 years ago that I would let the back half of my yard do as it pleases, with just a path through. I have enjoyed watching the wildlife including deer, racoons, skunks, foxes (which are nowhere near as common here), stoats, groundhogs and a myriad of birdlife including owls and hawks. I now also get to enjoy the wildlife on the river here at my folk’s place.
Hope you are all safe and well and enjoying the country-life.
Wow, Lucy 20 years? How did the time pass so quickly! Lovely to hear of your wild North American adventures, Love and hugs xxx
I was looking forward to a picture of you wrestling a ram Sue. Next time.
Lovely photos – what a treat to see all those birds- merry Christmas to you all
Hi Greencliff farm, Great to see you setting in to life on the farm. Do Any sea birds come up on to the fields?
Looking forward to your first snowy blog!
Hi Wilksey, yes we have loads of seagulls (herring gull I think) which come in the mornings and sit in the sun on the field behind the house, also fulmars fly overhead and oystercatchers are on the shore line (which I’m really pleased about – having made friends with so many in Aberdeen). Happy New Year x