tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53777346792998615372024-03-19T04:36:02.318+00:00Downland ViewsMusings of life in an area of chalk downland with its abundance of wildlife but only a few miles from London.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-86606338034269222772014-05-13T10:04:00.000+01:002014-05-13T10:04:24.378+01:00Lambing 2014As promised a post about this year's lambing...<br />
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With many hours of hard work and 4 am starts I am proud to say there are now 46 healthy, happy lambs running and jumping in the fields at the farm. I have enjoyed every minute...although I must admit I now feel a bit tired :-)<br />
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I don't say '<i>I'm proud'</i> flipantly as a lot of planning and hard work goes into producing future conservation grazers that are up to the job and I <i>am</i> proud<i> </i>to be part of it. People often wonder why we breed from our sheep when, as conservation grazers, they live comparatively long lives, but I think it is one of the most important jobs because it allows us to...<br />
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<li>Regulate numbers without buying in new livestock that may potentially carry diseases that could be passed on to the whole flock.</li>
<li>Breed out unwanted behavioral traits.This is important when our sheep have to be moved so frequently (it is very time consuming and frustrating when sheep don't want to be caught or they keep jumping out of the pen!!!) so we only breed from those with a calm temperament. Over several years of careful breeding we now have a mostly (there's always one or two :-) very happy and compliant flock.</li>
<li>Breed for health which is really important as conservation grazing animals need to be able to withstand the rigors of hard grazing for several years so we only breed from those that are up to the job.</li>
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This years lambs are a magnificent lot. All are a good size, strong, and healthy but as always there are those ewes and lambs that stick in one's mind and here are a few (all the names are made up for the blog)....<br />
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<b>Can't Wait Carol: </b>This is a Herdwick ewe that, in theory, along with the other Herdwicks, should have given birth several days after the Beulahs and Jacobs as the Herdwick ram had been put in later than the other rams. However when we arrived on the first day designated to lambing (which was a few days before any lambs were expected!!) we were surprised to find this ewe couldn't wait and was already licking up her handsome baby...<br />
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<b>Molly the Mother of the Year: </b>A few days later we arrived at first light and peered through the gloom across the field to see, a Jacob suckling her new born lamb and worryingly, alongside, a Beulah who was also suckling a Jacob lamb...Aghhh!!!. It was obvious a bit of baby snatching had been going on. We quickly moved the Jacob and her two lambs to a mothering up pen in the barn where they could establish a proper bond but the poor Beulah was convinced we had stolen her baby and was distraught. Despite being in labour herself she ran up and down the field calling frantically which was worrying as she was expecting triplets so more prone to malpresentations. Suddenly all went quiet so we went out to check on her and thankfully there she was, joyously licking up her first (good sized) lamb, she then went on to produce another (good sized) lamb and the third (equally good sized) lamb plopped out so easily she didn't even realize she'd had it and walked off up the hill with the other two, leaving it behind. When I ran after her with the third lamb she looked most surprised but accepted it very happily giving it a good lick and feed and despite her large family she has been feeding all lambs well and they are thriving.<br />
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She is a really lovely Beulah with a superb temperament both with humans and other sheep. Often when we moved a new family in to the 'New Mums Field' she would trot happily over to greet them and if one of the wobbly new arrivals tried to follow her she would very,very gently push it away (usually the lambs are sent flying if they go to the wrong mum! :-) Her three lovely babies all seem equally confident and friendly often running up to us in the field. They are going to make wonderful conservation grazers:-))<br />
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I'll just mention one more...<br />
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<b>Sandra the Caesarean: </b>This Jacob had been having a few problems with a prolapse so we were all a bit anxious as to what would happen when she gave birth. We arrived early one morning to see the water bag, which is an important sign of labour, but no other signs (she was happily grazing). We gave her a bit longer but it was obvious that things weren't progressing. So with some trepidation, as this was the first time I had ever needed to intervene, I carried out an internal examination. I could feel a lamb but it was way back and more worryingly I could also feel that the cervix hadn't fully dilated and with no further contractions I doubted it ever would. The vet was called who told us to try a calcium injection but it was to no avail so she came to the farm, confirmed that the lambs could not be delivered the normal way and that she would have to do a caesarean section.<br />
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It was strange to be part of an operation whilst sitting in a field but it was extremely interesting. The first lamb came out in a good state and was soon on its feet but the second was a little compromised and I had to work on it a bit to get it going so unfortunately missed the intricate stitching up phase. The operation had been carried out with local anaesthetic so once completed the ewe was amazingly straight back on her feet mothering her lambs as if nothing had happened. She has continued to recover very well but it will be too risky to breed from her again. However she is another sheep that has a superb temperament so she will be useful as 'nanny' ewe as she will have a good calming influence on the newly weaned lambs and show them what to do (and how to behave nicely with humans!!). Her own lovely lambs, who are both full of health, happy and confident, are also going to make excellent conservation grazers:-)<br />
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Here are just a few more photos...<br />
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I am an early bird so loved being at the farm doing my rounds listening to the dawn chorus and watching the sunrise...<br />
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However sometimes the mist made it a little difficult to see what was going on...under this three there is a ewe that has just given birth to the first of twins...<br />
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Sometimes the warmest place to be is snuggled up with your sibling...<br />
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Or better still snuggled up to mum's big,warm and fleecy backside...<br />
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And for the humans after the early morning rounds, it is back to the farm office for a reviving cup of something hot (I don't think hubby was quite so keen on the early starts :-))))...<br />
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But sometimes the sun does shine and then it is time for fun and games...<br />
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There are going to be a lot of changes within the Downland Project over the next few months and sadly, now that lambing is over, the Grazing Officer has decided to leave and return to her home country of Hungary. She has worked so hard to give the best care possible to the livestock and has coupled this with a lot of thought into doing the best for the sites we graze. My husband and I will miss her and wish her well.<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-87317374897550126372013-12-08T12:59:00.001+00:002013-12-08T12:59:49.048+00:00Last Post (for a while)I have legitimately been able to forget the housework and go off exploring the countryside as the doctor said walking would strengthen my knee and help with its recovery following the op. It has worked...I am now pain free!! :-))<br />
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Exploring my valley again has been like visiting a very dear old friend. It is good to see the various habitats, that I have known for years, thriving and improving. I noticed that an old bridleway, that reportedly has dormice living in the trees and hedgerow that line it, has had gaps filled with more Hazel planting which is just what the dormice like :-) <br />
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I must make time to visit my valley more often as it was so enjoyable, although I missed my old dog, Jess, who always used to accompany me on these walks. It was this valley that prompted me to start this blog in the first place but both my time and my blog sort of got hijacked by sheep and the Downland Project somewhere along the way-))<br />
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I have also visited the various parts of Saltbox S.S.S.I. The area we overlook from our bungalow is very disappointing as a third of it is now covered in Golden Rod. This picture was taken last year. It was even worse this year. I don't know why Natural England allow this sort of thing to happen and continue to pay neglectful farmers for doing virtually nothing.<br />
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Another part of Saltbox that is owned by the London Wildlife Trust and has been grazed at intervals by the Downland Project's ponies and goats, is looking rather scruffy and overgrown as it hasn't been grazed for several months. This is because three large scrapes were being dug. I am guessing that L.W.T. are hoping that the wildflowers above the scrapes, will set seed in them. However, the landscape funnels the wind across the scrapes, where there are mainly thistles, brambles and ragwort and I noticed these have already have started growing in them. Maybe with the low nutrient they will not take hold. Time will tell. To me, a more interesting bit to watch in the future, is where the tractor they used churned up the soil while crossing a flowering area in which Bee Orchids and chalk grassland flowers flourish.<br />
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I have also been doing some exploring further afield. College Lakes near Tring is a favourite of mine at anytime of year but this autumn it looked particularly lovely.<br />
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As did the Ashridge Estate in the same area. Well done the National Trust for not charging for parking as there were so many families visiting with children jumping in puddles, scrambling over fallen trees and making camps. This beautiful area of woodland should be enjoyed by everyone.<br />
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It is good to be back to my old self and I am pleased to be back to livestock volunteering. We have moved the ponies, moved sheep, trimmed hooves and best of all put the rams in with the breeding ewes. Sheep are seasonal breeders and the rams definitely knew it was 'that' time of year. Before they were put with the girls, it was amusing to see how amorous they were getting with each other...they were obviously desperate for some female company:))<br />
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One can imagine how pleased they must have been to meet their new wives..<br />
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We are at that time of year when we are being bombarded with adverts and invitations to Christmas parties, cocktail parties, dinner and dances etc., etc., so I couldn't help laughing when I received the invitation to the Downland Project's Christmas Do... a BBQ in the middle of a field in Surrey...at least I wont have to by a party dress:-)) Christmas Wishes to everyone.<br />
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I am going to give this blog a bit of a rest for a while as I have some new plans for the New Year but I hope you all have a good 2014Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-48951602791896563442013-10-20T18:19:00.000+01:002013-10-20T18:19:46.118+01:00Autumn MemoriesSpring fills me with energy and excitement for things to come but just as nice is the reverse effect that Autumn has on me. There is a sense of satisfaction. The fruits of summer are gathered in leaving a good feeling of winding down with the security of knowing that there is food in the freezer for the winter, wood in the log store to keep us warm and, this year, a new roof on the garage to keep things dry. All is in its place so, if I wanted to, I could hibernate!<br />
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This year there has been a bumper crop of everything. The birds have been scoffing out on the abundant Elderberries and Hawthorn berries at the end of the garden and then depositing colourful, sloppy droppings all over the place for unsuspecting humans to tread in. However the pheasant's appetites still aren't satisfied and they feel the need to raid the bird table as well :-)<br />
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We've been busy making soups, pickling onions etc. and wrapping our bumper crop of apples in paper to store in our now dry garage. This load of apples is probably just a third of what was on the tree and not many are damaged which is surprising since there is a wasps nest over our front door which is only about 6m away from the tree...<br />
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Autumn always brings back happy memories of both my childhood and that of my children's. It was always an outdoor family time of collecting fruit, woodland walks searching for conkers, kicking golden leaves around and stuffing them down an unsuspecting siblings jumper. The biggest and most colourful leaves were always saved and carefully taken home as treasure. Under the leaves were hidden worlds of bugs, beetles, mice and fungi and in the clefts of trees, magical pools formed, that my mother and in turn, myself, told the children were where fairies bathed :-))<br />
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The RSPB has recently said that only one in five 8-12 year olds in the UK have a realistic connection to nature. How sad that so many children <i>and </i>their parents are missing out on such fun and how insular and monochrome their lives must be as it is only through nature one realizes one's place on earth, that it is part of the biggest interactive game of survival that will surpass any computer game and it is full of colour and beauty. It is good to hear that the RSPB, along with a coalition of other organisations, is forming a Wild Network with an aim to kick start a change to get children reconnecting with nature...something we should all support. This is my eldest son when he was a child and the dog connecting with nature, watching a bird up in the Oak tree :-)<br />
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In the days when the fields behind us were cultivated, the harvest time had the added enjoyment for my children of the Combine coming round. As soon as we heard the familiar hum of its engine there would be a moment of panic until we managed to get the cat in and retrieve any of our hens that had strayed into the field. Next the washing was hurriedly brought in so it didn't get covered in dust and all the windows closed. Only then could we sit back and enjoy our children's excitement as this monster machine did its work..<br />
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The children particularly liked it when the farmer started making round bales as they were so big and each child could be king of their own castle. Such happy days :-)...<br />
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But then came the burning of the stubble. The children naturally found this very exciting but I hated its destructiveness and was pleased when it was stopped. However I was reading the other day that some farmers are wanting to start the practice again to control Black Grass which spreads a fungus to crops and is becoming resistant to conventional methods of control.<br />
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Then the farmer started experimenting with other crops and one year we had beautiful fields of baby blue Flax and the next a sunburst of yellow Oil Seed Rape which for a short time smelt quite nice but then for weeks smelt like rotten cabbage...we didn't have many BBQs that summer :-)))...<br />
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The children had the freedom of running in fields, climbing trees and picnicking surrounded by wild flowers...<br />
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It is nice to look back and I have been doing a lot of that since having my knee operation as I have been taking the opportunity to sort the many boxes of family photos, while slowly recovering. My knee is quite good now and I should soon be back to my volunteer work with the Downland Project's livestock. However it has been quite nice to have a break as the last couple of months of volunteering were hard and rather dispiriting.<br />
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At the end in August, there was an epic fly-strike involving the Projects 95 breeding ewes and lambs. It was caused by a very sudden and unusual change in weather. It was a critical situation where time was of the essence (in the right weather conditions fly eggs can hatch out in as little as 8 hours and the sheep can be dead within a day!!).<br />
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We worked <i>so</i> hard all day with hardly a break, until dusk, when there was just not enough light to see (my husband and I didn't get home until nearly 10pm!!). It was a <i>painfully</i> exhausting and a very distressing day but we did manage to save the majority of sheep, something a lot of people seem to forget.<br />
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Weaning this year had to be delayed a little while the sheep recovered from the fly strike but by then they had mostly weaned themselves so the task was a carried out very peacefully and without stress to them. Not so the humans though as a few days later, when the lambs were being taken to their various grazing sites to begin their careers as conservation grazing sheep, it rained and rained and rained and I found my wax jacket no longer had any wax...I was soaked through so another rather unpleasant day.<br />
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We then had another fly-strike on sheep that had been recently been sprayed so in theory this shouldn't have happened but such was the weather. This occurred on the Saturday we were replacing our garage roof so I left my husband and two sons to it and just the Grazing Officer and myself caught up the flock and treated the affected ones.<br />
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We have not been alone in suffering casualties from the flies as I have now heard of several farmers that lost sheep (and also a rabbit). I think the problem was due to unusual cold nights with heavy dew and mist, followed by hot humid days that brought the flies out, who promptly homed in on the damp fleeces to deposit their eggs, as all the strikes were over their backs, sides and undersides.<br />
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I <i>genuinely</i> don't mind helping, especially in emergency situations and I don't mind how often I am asked or how hard or horrible the work is. I know from many years of experience that not all livestock work can be fun but it has been nice to have a break and re-charge the batteries for a while:-)<br />
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To end on a happier note the Countryside Day that the Project runs each year in September brought everyone together and there was a good team spirit :-)). Despite the wet weather resulting in the actual day being a bit quiet in comparison to previous years, it was still a very happy day. This year we took along two lambs of each of the breeds that are used by the Project and it showed very well the differences in their temperaments with the laid back Herdwick lambs soon settling down to eat, the Jacobs cautiously following their example and the more nervous Beulahs sticking to the others like glue...<br />
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As mentioned in my last post, this year we tried to make the livestock stand more interesting with a lot more information and displays and we got good feedback with several people saying they hadn't realized that so much work and planning went into conservation grazing. The grazing assistant had also made an impressive display of dried chalk grassland wild flowers, each in its own specimen pot and labelled with information. Unfortunately the assistant has now left the Project and he will be missed by everyone including the animals and volunteers...who is going to offer to run all the way back to the Landrover now, just because one of us has left our coat in it...it was good working with you Sean and we wish you well :-)<br />
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So now I am enjoying, what I think is a well deserved rest while my knee gets better. The only thing I am missing like mad is the horse I ride. I can't wait to go out for a plod with her again. This is a rather blurry pic of my last ride the day before the op. Hopefully I'll soon be back but I can't help wondering if I should maybe make time for a horse of my own and perhaps even a small flock of rare breed sheep (I have my eye on some Soay lambs for sale nearby but the land I also have my eye on is very suitable, except it has too much ragwort and possibly too many dandelions (they are a diuretic), so it probably won't happen but it's nice thinking about it :-)))<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-83775766742515717902013-08-27T19:20:00.000+01:002013-08-27T19:21:26.830+01:00Summer FunThis summer the bird that has given me most amusement in the garden is the pigeon. The latest one is Kung Foo Pigeon:) He has decided the garden is his territory and whilst he will tolerate most of the visiting birds, he will not tolerate other Pigeons, Magpies or Crows. He demonstrates his disapproval by raising a threatening wing and, if the trespasser dares to come closer, a quick karate chop sees off the offender. This has been particularly welcomed by the Pheasants as the Crows and Magpies like to play a game of <i>'Who can get the Pheasant's Tail'</i> causing several of the more unfortunate Pheasants to have bald bottoms!!:))<br />
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It has to have been the nicest summer we have had for several years (at least in the SE) and I am hoping this good weather will last a little longer so that we have a good day for the Downland Project's Countryside Day on Sunday 15th September (Banstead Woods, Holly Lane, CR5 3NR. 10.30am to 4.30pm). This is a really good day out with lots to do for all the family so well worth going to. <br />
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The project always takes along some of its sheep to the show and this year we are trying hard to make the livestock stand a bit more interesting. One of the things I have been working on is a display to show how animals graze differently and why we therefore use different animals for different sites. To do this I needed photos of the incisors (the biting teeth) of the different animals we use. This was not a problem with the sheep (this is the mouth of the all obliging Granny Alice mentioned in previous posts:)...<br />
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...and the ponies were easy too (Tavey is grooming Rufus hence what looks like grey hairy grass:)....<br />
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...but try getting a cow to open its mouth and, with the cow, I also needed a photo with its tongue included as it is integral to its eating habits. I searched Google images and the Internet and only found one photo which was not really clear enough so I needed to find an obliging cow that I could get to open its mouth and say "Ahhh," for me to take the photo myself. Cutting a long story short I did manage it and can now <i>proudly</i> present <i>my</i> photo (I think I am going to copyright it as it is so rare:)) of a cow's mouth....<br />
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It always amazes me how obliging animals, large and small, can be when one takes the time to gain their trust (all be it with a morsel of carrot) and communicate with them.<br />
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On Bank Holiday Monday, hubby and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show. It is a huge show with crowds of people and lots with dogs but I didn't see one dog misbehaving (I saw lots of children misbehaving though, getting very fractious, understandably as it was a long, hot day:)). I also didn't see any particularly bad behaviour in any of the livestock classes I watched. There were classes for dogs, horses, donkeys, cows, sheep, pigs, rabbits and chickens and even a parade of cattle where several animals of each breed, including bulls and calves (probably in excess of 50 animals!!) were walked from their pens, across the showground, to the main arena where they were led around for the large audience to see and they mostly remained calm and amenable all the time...just incredible. My favourites, as always, were the horses, particularly the fantastic Shires (I am a bit biased as I used to ride a Shire who was a very kind, gentle giant). It was good to see so many of these beautiful horses at the show...<br />
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At the beginning of August hubby and I had a few days away staying in Alfriston, a little village nestled in the South Downs. It is only about an hours drive from us and we frequently used to take our children for days out here, kayaking on the River Cuckmere Meanders, but we have never actually spent any length of time exploring the area on foot...Wow... what a beautiful area it is with fantastic chalk grassland and amazing views, definitely deserving of its recently awarded National Park status. Our most enjoyable walk started at the National Trust's '<i>Up and Over</i>' car park situated above the White Horse...<br />
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From here we walked down through chalk grassland covered in colourful plants like Viper's-bugloss...<br />
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...and pretty Common centaury...<br />
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There were spectacular views...<br />
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Once down in the valley we strolled along by the River Cuckmere Cut to the Seven Sisters Visitors Centre where we stopped for lunch and then followed the South Downs Way up the other side which gave us even better views of the Cuckmere Meanders and sea...<br />
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We continued to follow the South Downs Way into Littlington village where we stopped for coffee. Then the path took us alongside the river again and back up through fields of chalk grassland covered in snails (yet to be identified if there are any snail experts reading this)...(also note the diverse number of plant species around the tiny snails in what must be only a three or four inches square..wow:) ...<br />
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We arrived back at the hotel where a lovely meal awaited us. It was one of the best walks I have ever done and worth it even though I have been suffering ever since as I am still awaiting my op to repair the torn cartilage in my knee. The op is scheduled for the 26th Sept so, fingers crossed, by my next post it should be over with and I will soon be able to get back to The Thames Path walk which we aim to pick up again after Christmas. I am sooo looking forward to feeling normal again and to sleep through the night without waking up everytime I move and I have promised my husband (who has had to put up with my frequent moaning) that I will act my age and never again climb over a sheep hurdle carrying a heavy bale of hay!! :)))Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-37339109977817866842013-08-04T14:54:00.000+01:002013-08-04T14:54:27.387+01:00I Blame the WeatherThere still seems to be a lack of insects in our valley. The butterflies have picked up a little but numbers still seem low and there is a noticeable absence of all the Blues which are usually so prevalent in my garden and surrounding area. There are also very few bees and not so many ants (we are usually over-run) and there is a marked decrease in the number of snails and slugs (the vegetables and Hostas are doing well though :)). <br />
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I just hope the numbers of these creatures recover quickly as it is having a knock on effect with other things that live in our garden. In the early summer we were finding slow worms everywhere; we couldn't put anything down without finding a slow worm under it the next day, but now there seem to be very few. Also our bat numbers seem to be going down. We've had a bat roost for all the 37 years we have been here so I would be devastated if we lost them. This thought brought it home as to how awful the situation is in North America where a fungus called the 'White Nose Syndrome,' has killed an estimated 7 million bats and is still spreading fast!!<br />
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Thankfully when we took my mother to visit a Lavender farm that is not too far away there were plenty of bees (although hardly any honey bees).<br />
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I can remember my mother telling me about bumble bees when I was a very young child as I had tried to stroke the furry back of a poorly bumble to make it feel better but it promptly stung me:) Sadly, with the progression of her Alzheimer's, it was my mother asking me what the things were that were flying around and what the spiky, purple plants were. She really enjoyed the visit though which was the most important thing, although, by the next day it was totally forgotten.<br />
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Some time ago we registered to take part in Plantlife's Wildflower Count and this week we received a map showing the kilometre square in which Plantlife would like us to carry out the count, as well as a useful little booklet on flower recognition and details off what we need to do. Basically we have to do a 1 km walk within our alloted square, recording what flowers we see in a 2m strip, either to the left or right of the path and/or survey a plot of 5x5m or 1x20m. They just ask for the survey to be carried out once or twice between 1st April and 30th September so not very taxing but extremely worthwhile. Please consider doing it. To register on line go to <a href="http://www.plantlife.org.uk/">www.plantlife.org.uk</a><br />
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I was very excited to see that the plot we had been allocated was in the grassland directly behind Charles Darwin's house and garden in Downe (which is only a couple of mile from us). He would have walked this area himself many times but it would have then probably been full of chalk grassland flowers. It has changed a lot since his day as the field we walked through looked like it had been cultivated in the past but is now being left to recover and there is also a large golf course now in situ. Never the less we recorded 47 different plants (but sadly not many chalk indicators) and, as we foolishly did our survey on the hottest day of the year, we followed the walk with a much needed, thirst quenching glass of cold larger and some chips at the local pub. A very enjoyable day. <br />
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Now we have sold my mother's bungalow we are starting to catch up with things around our place. The first task I needed to do was to get some control over the bit of field that adjoins our garden and was full of a block of 7ft high hogweeds, encroaching brambles, thistles, docks, ragwort and other invasive nasties. I am fed up with these things spreading to our garden. When I was helping to prepare the veg plot earlier this year I pulled up 22 spear thistles from area of about a square meter!! I therefore decided that this year I would brush cut and rake the area of the field directly behind us before these plants went to seed.<br />
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Amongst the undergrowth I was very pleased to find one small bit of yellow rattle and one ox-eye daisy. They were surrounded by ragwort and hogweed but with a bit of continued care I have high hopes that eventually I can change this little area of the field for the better:)<br />
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This deer seemed to like what I had done and now frequently comes down to browse...<br />
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I get so much entertainment from my garden. When the spell of hot, dry weather broke with a downpour of rain this pigeon immediately lifted his wing to shower his presumably smelly wing pits :))<br />
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This last month has been busy so we have not had much time to work with the conservation grazing livestock but several of the times when we have been out it was to help the assistant grazing officer by being on hand while he sheared the Project's sheep. <i>This was no mean feat</i> (the shearing that is, not the helping...that was easy :) Shearing is a back breaking job especially if your muscles aren't used to it, the portable trimmers are heavy compared to professional shears and it was all carried out in extremely hot weather, not to mention that all the usual work associated with the livestock still had to be carried out. I hope that Sean's efforts are duly recognised as it must have saved the Project hundreds of pounds. He hasn't been given the nick name of Superman just for jumping over gates!:)<br />
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Here is a picture showing Superman Sean shearing a shaggy sheep in shimmering sunshine (I am sure with a bit of time I could have come up with a better tongue twister :))<br />
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And lastly when trimming some of the sheep's feet the grazing officer found this little fellow which brought to mind a poem I had to put to music in a school exam and which I have liked ever since for the lovely feeling of summer it evokes..<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Grasshopper Green </u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">by unknown author</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Grasshopper Green is a
comical chap;<br />
He lives on the best of fare.<br />
Bright little trousers, jacket, and cap,<br />
These are his summer wear.<br />
Out in the meadow he loves to go,<br />
Playing away in the sun;<br />
It's hopperty, skipperty, high and low,<br />
Summer's the time for fun.<br />
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Grasshopper Green has a quaint little house;<br />
It's under the hedge so gay.<br />
Grandmother Spider, as still as a mouse,<br />
Watches him over the way.<br />
Gladly he's calling the children, I know,<br />
Out in the beautiful sun;<br />
It's hopperty, skipperty, high and low,<br />
Summer's the time for fun.</span></div>
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-29622580489324572402013-07-07T18:48:00.000+01:002013-07-07T18:48:28.492+01:00Big MistakeI did a really annoying thing. I came home from a tiring day with my mother and decided to quickly do a blog post. After two hours of searching out photos and thinking what to say, to cut a long story short, I inadvertently wiped it all off <i>unsaved</i>!! My husband asked how I managed to stay so calm and good humoured about it (I had laughed at my stupidity). "It's a good excuse for comfort food and drink," I replied...I am now rewriting the post under the influence of a big chunk of cheese and a large glass of spiced rum!!:))<br />
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Now how had I started? I think I was bemoaning the fact that there weren't many bees and butterflies around my garden this year. Infact the only insect I found on my walk around the garden this morning was a fly on an ox-eye daisy...</div>
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I decided to visit the Saltbox SSSI which usually has lots of butterflies and lots of lovely chalk grassland flowers. It was rather depressing as there were very few butterflies. It hadn't been grazed for a while and was quite overgrown but there were a nice lot of Pyramid and Common Spotted Orchids although I only counted three Bee Orchids and two Man Orchids which was disappointing after last year when the count for both were in double figures. I did find a white orchid which, after some deliberation, I think must be an albino common spotted although there were no spots on the leaves...let me know if you think otherwise (sorry it is not a very clear photo)...<br />
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It is interesting that it was in the same area that white Marjoram and white Scabious grows..<br />
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One wonders why they are in the same area and if there is something making them white or is it just coincidence. It makes me think about some fairly recent research about the soil fungus, Mycorrhizal. We have known for a long about time the nutritional symbiotic relationship plants have with Mycorrhizae, especially in orchids but this research showed something more. Two groups of five broad bean plants were grown. The first group were allowed to develop a Mycorrhizal network but the second group weren't. One plant from each group was then made to be infested by aphids causing both to produce a chemical defence. All the plants had been individually covered so there could be no air transmittion. However the remaining plants in the first group (with the Mycorrizal network) all produced a chemical defence even though they had had no actual contact with aphids. Where as the remaining plants in the second group (without the network) didn't show any chemical reaction. This indicated that the plants were able to communicate their distress via the Mycorrizal network causing the other plants to protect themselves. Wow!! I wonder what else fungi do that is yet to be discovered.<br />
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Anyway back to the Orchids at Saltbox. While I was there I came across the tallest Common Spotted that I have ever seen. I estimated it to be about 29" from the ground to flowering tip!!<br />
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A couple of weeks previously I had also found the longest slow worm I have ever seen at about 20". It was wriggling up and down the garden path being chased by another slow worm about a quarter of its size. Every time the short one caught up with the long one it bit it and held on but the long one was having none of it. I am guessing it was a mating ritual and I would have loved to have recorded it but we were loading our car up for our camping holiday at the time and were already being slowed down by having to avoid treading on the amourous couple. I did take a photo of the monster though...<br />
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We had a good holiday in West Dorset although it was a little wet and chilly and tiring as at night we were kept awake by a family of noisy Little Owls. It was actually very entertaining especially when one of the two babies was so close to the tent we could hear it being fed and flapping its little wings...Ahhh :)<br />
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Some more 'Ahhh' moments were had at the Abbotsbury Swannery where there were cygnets everywhere..<br />
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And at a water garden where there were a series of beautifully landscaped ponds and lakes all covered with different varieties of Water Lillies and some rather attractive ducks...<br />
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There was also a Monet type bridge and my husband and I spent a few silly but very funny minutes trying to beat the self timer on the camera so we could get a photo together(this picture is zoomed in...it was a lot further than it looks). Luckily there was no one else around to see our rather childish behavior:))<br />
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We found a nice bit of deserted beach accessed through beautiful National Trust flower meadows down to a reed bed in which we could hear, what I think, were Water Rail; then over on to some shingle covered in Thrift, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Yellow Poppies and Sea Kale and then on to the sea. It was strange laying on a beach hearing the waves break whilst also listening to Skylarks..<br />
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And of course I couldn't pass my beloved New Forest on the way home without stopping for a while...<br />
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Once back home it was straight back to work with the Dowlands Project giving the ponies their worming medicine. This is an enjoyable job as it is the only time we get to feed them. There is more than enough for them to eat in the fields but they need a little extra in the form of pony nuts to help sweeten the taste of the wormer which has to be given over five days. Next was catching the ewes and lambs to collect faecal samples for a worm egg count and then a week later catching them up again to treat them. It was good to see how well the lambs were growing but at there young age they have little resistance to parasites so can easily succumb...<br />
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The next few weeks will be hard for me as completion on the sale of my mother's bungalow is set for 26th July so the place now has to be emptied. Besides there being a lot of work, it is also hard emotionally as I can't help feeling a bit of a traitor selling her home and belongings while she's somewhere she doesn't want to be but I can't see any alternative as her Alzheimer's it too bad for her to live on her own. The trouble is she doesn't remember she has Alzheimer's so doesn't think there is anything wrong with her:) At least the sun has started shining at last which always makes my mother more cheerful. This was one of her favourite poems...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Summer Sun</u></span></div>
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<i>Robert Louis Stevenson</i></div>
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Great is the sun, and wide he goes</div>
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Through empty heaven without repose;</div>
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And in the blue and glowing days</div>
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More thick than rain he showers his rays.</div>
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Though closer still the blinds we pull</div>
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To keep the shady parlour cool,</div>
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Yet he will find a chink or two</div>
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To slip his golden fingers through.</div>
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The dusty attic, spider clad,</div>
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He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;</div>
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And through the broken edge of tiles</div>
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Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.</div>
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Meantime his golden face around</div>
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He bares to all the garden ground,</div>
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And sheds a warm and glittering look</div>
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Among the ivy's inmost nook.</div>
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Above the hills, along the blue,</div>
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Round the bright air with footing true,</div>
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To please the child, to paint the rose,</div>
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The gardener of the World, he goes.</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-20334624278978451712013-06-02T10:06:00.000+01:002013-06-02T10:06:19.626+01:00Early Morning AnticsIt is now my intention to write a post on the first Sunday of each month but, as is typical, I have a day full of activity so have had to start this post at 5.30 am! It is not as bad as it sounds as this is my usual time to get up as I love to catch the early morning activity in the garden when the wildlife is undisturbed and at its best.<br />
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Yesterday morning I was entertained by a very agile pigeon. I am used to seeing squirrels and parakeets doing acrobatics to get at the food in the feeders...<br />
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but I have never seen a big fat pigeon being so tenacious...<br />
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I get so much pleasure from just watching wildlife but I also find the whole interdependence of living things to be totally fascinating. As Nick Baker said last week on Springwatch in the Afternoon, "It's life on life, taking life." <br />
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I also find it amazing the way things change and adapt, it would seem in a far more efficient way than humans do. It is incredible that, in my lifetime, bacteria is evolving to be resistant to antibiotics and parasitic worms found in livestock, are evolving to be resistant to worming medication.<br />
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I recently read couple of interesting articles regarding interdependency:<br />
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The first was about the Harlequin Ladybird that was originally brought in to control aphids in greenhouses but escaped and has now spread across Europe. Scientist have found that its body fluid contains the tiny fungi, Microsporidia, which is inactive in the Harlequin but when our native ladybirds attack the Harlequin's eggs the Microsporidia are activated which kills the native ones. In addition the Harlequin also has a strong antibiotic compound in its body fluid, can survive in a wide range of temperatures and in the absence of its main food source of aphids, can live off of fruit such as grapes and apples. An unstoppable force it seems<br />
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The other article was about Mosquitoes. Scientist think they have found that mosquitoes infected with the malaria parasite have a heightened sense of smell making them 3 times more likely to be attracted towards a human scent. There are further studies going on to find out how and it could prove very useful in the fight against this deadly disease.<br />
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Anyway, back to wildlife watching. Our beautiful wildflowers are taking their time to make their appearance this year but on a rare sunny day I managed to fit in a walk down our valley and came across a vibrant blue patch of Chalk Milkwort...<br />
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and while taking my mother to see the Bluebells at Emmetts N.T. I came across this lovely Orchid which I think is an Early Purple (please tell me if I'm wrong:)...<br />
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And lastly on to one of my other passions, conservation, in particularly my work with the Downland Project's conservation grazing livestock.<br />
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Last week we moved the 6 goats on to a site which is precipitous in places and that has a problem with spreading Cotoneaster. Thankfully the goats are now a lot easier to catch (although one did manage to jump out of the catching pen) and once in the trailer the delicious hay literally went to their heads...<br />
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When we arrived at their new site we found that one of the field gates (luckily not the road gate) had been stolen!!!...grrrrrr...(I wonder if, in a few thousand years, humans will have evolved into two separate species, the nice and the nasty). Anyway we were still able to put the goats on the site and then the goat palace had to be built. Goats do not have a waterproof coat so we need to give them a shelter and as they are moved so often this has to be made from a portable tarpaulin. It always poses a challenge to make one that is effective and that stays up in all weathers but as I used to love making camps as a child it is a job I really enjoy. I always think I know how to do it best and given the time would literally build a palace but my husband has a more realistic idea of what is best so I have to curb my enthusiasm otherwise he gets annoyed :)))...<br />
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The other recent livestock task was to move the ponies. Despite having signs up asking people not to touch or feed the ponies we have had persistent trouble with particular people who will just not leave them alone. This can cause handling difficulties and could eventually result in health problems as it is essential they have a diet low in sugars. Therefore I am not saying where they have moved to. However if it is not problems with people feeding the ponies, it's problems with people feeding themselves and when we checked them over the bank holiday we found that people had climbed into the field, had a BBQ and left behind them all their paper plates, knives and forks, the tinfoil bbq and copious empty bottles of beer. How can people have so little regard for animals. Luckily the ponies seemed none the worse... this time...<br />
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I think I should end on a happy note with a few of my silly jokes...this time pony jokes :)<br />
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Q. Where do ponies go when they are sick?<br />
A. To Horsepital.<br />
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Q. Why did the pony go to the doctor?<br />
A. Because he had the trots.<br />
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Q. What is a pony's favourite TV program?<br />
A. Neighbours<br />
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Q. What is a pony's favourite wine?<br />
A. Chardoneigh<br />
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Have a good June...I'm off camping in Dorset so fingers crossed for some decent weather :)))))<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-70920024964208674052013-05-12T17:04:00.000+01:002013-05-12T17:04:02.433+01:00Quick PostLast weekend saw the end of lambing. I now need to catch up on work in and around the bungalow, particularly the weed infested garden, so I am making this a quick post mostly of photos.<br />
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With the good weather, we had a very good lambing, producing 60 healthy, lively lambs.<br />
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The Herdwicks eventually proved to be good mothers but preferred to avoid humans, unlike their lambs who are very inquisitive, friendly little things and will frequently follow us to get a better look at the strange looking two legged creatures...<br />
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One of the last Beulahs to give birth who was expecting twins, gave us a surprise. Although not looking particularly large, she produced, with no problems, three good sized healthy lambs...<br />
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The very last ewe to lamb was a Herdwick who chose for her delivery suite, a big patch of stinging nettles, making it a painful job to check the lambs and spray their umbilical cords with iodine (prevents infection). Of course as soon as I had finished she then moved them out of the nettles:))<br />
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So that is the end of the actual lambing. Now we have to try to keep them all alive and healthy over the next few weeks which I think can be a far more risky time than the birth process. There are a number of diseases they are prone to so all lambs will need to be vaccinated at around 3 weeks old, with a booster at 6 weeks old; then there are a variety of parasites that can pose a threat and need to be controlled and as the weather gets warmer we have to be on the look out for fly strike, so they need to be checked very carefully each day.<br />
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As livestock volunteers there is always something to help with. Besides the lambs, we have recently been out at one of my favourite sites on the North Downs called Park Ham. We were there to trim the hooves of some sheep. The sun was shining, there were Skylarks singing and the sheep behaved well so it was an extremely enjoyable morning.<br />
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I remember visiting this site around the same time last year when the previous grazing officer and I were looking at the large number of different wild plants that, after several years of conservation grazing, were now growing amongst the grassland, not to mention a great number of baby cowslips that, then, were too young to flower. So after the hoof trimming I went over to the same area to see if those baby cowslips were flowering this year and they were...there were little flowers everywhere and I can imagine how wonderful this place will be in years to come when all these cowslips are fully grown.<br />
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I then had to rush straight off to a meeting with my mother's solicitor. Despite looking rather dishevelled I tried to appear reasonably intelligent and interested in what he was saying but suddenly I nearly shot out my chair as something very sharp stabbed me in a rather delicate place on my chest...????... I could hardly go fishing down my cleavage to find out what it was so I just tried to sit very still, but at odd moments, to the puzzlement of the solicitor, I couldn't help jumping as I was stabbed again...very embarrassing...lol. Once outside I discovered the culprit was a huge, sharp piece of sheep's toe nail !!!! :))<br />
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Sadly the nice weather that has produced some wonderful sunsets...<br />
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...didn't last long enough for a few days away visiting our son last week, although, on the first day it didn't really matter as we went to the Warner Bros. Exhibition showing how the Harry Potter Films were made. I really recommend this as it was so interesting and it's quite amazing what went into the making of these films...the Butterbeer was good too:)<br />
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I can also recommend the National trust places of Dunstable Downs (where from the top, we looked down on a Red Kite flying around in the valley below) and the Ashridge Estate (beautiful Bluebell walk through ancient forest). Both are lovely, easily accessible places with cafes serving good food.</div>
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Now (besides the livestock work) it's back to the diet, back to our attempt to finish the bathroom, re-roof the garage, repair the wildlife pond that is leaking, grow some veg. and fight the continuing war with the weeds...and hopefully get back to some walks exploring my own beautiful valley:)<br />
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-2439151090402648892013-04-24T14:41:00.000+01:002013-04-24T14:41:28.993+01:00Spring LambsI <i>love </i>this time of year. Everything is about new life, new beginnings. It makes me feel restless, excited and happy and this year more than any other year I am appreciating it as I am struggling a bit on the happiness front. <br />
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My kind, gentle mother, who is now in a dementia support unit, has turned into an aggressive, bad tempered old lady who is threatening to beat up the other residents and is frightening even herself :(( It is giving me many sleepless nights but as soon as the dawn chorus starts up at 5am I know it will quickly soothe me back to sleep...it is such a relief and any country walk will distract me from my worries as I get so absorbed spotting the emerging wildlife and, of course, there is always something going on in the garden. Our latest new visitors are two very attractive red legged partridges...<br />
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But the very BEST and TOTAL distraction from my mother's issues are the two days when I am on lambing duty at the farm:))))<br />
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I cannot put into words how much I enjoy lambing time. This year we are lambing outside so it involves a lot of walking between the various fields which I actually like, because, as well as seeing the sheep enjoying the sunshine after the long cold winter, we are accompanied by the sound of Skylarks above, while Swallows swoop over the grass in front of us and it is not unusual to see a fox (although with vulnerable lambs around I would rather not) and we frequently spot roe deer...<br />
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We also walk through a field of cows owned by the farmer that shares the farm so one can always admire Wellington the bull who is thankfully very friendly...<br />
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And some of the new born calves...<br />
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But back to lambing. This year the Project has a breeding flock of a few Herdwicks as well as the usual Beulahs and Jacobs. The Herdwicks are nice sheep but they really make one appreciate our flock of Beulahs and Jacobs. Over the last few years of lambing the then grazing officer has carefully selected only those ewes with the best temperaments to breed from and this has paid off as they are now so easy to manage with even the first timers causing few problems. The Herdwicks however seem to have a tendency to prefer to be with each other rather than their new born lambs and are not too keen on humans being around but thankfully within a day or two they have settled down to enjoy family life more. Their lambs vary quite a lot from all black, to strange combinations of grey. This one, who I've name Koala because he looks like a Koala Bear, was the first Herdwick lamb born..</div>
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Our Jacobs were put to a different ram this year and we have had some handsome good sized lambs. These twins that my hubby is holding are only a day old but are quite big, weighty boys...</div>
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But there has to be one that lets the side down and this Jacob has to be one of the smallest I've seen, however, she stands up to her larger brother when at the milk bar so I think she will soon grow big and strong. I've named her Crowpecked as when we arrived the morning after her birth we found her tail and back legs were all bloody where, unfortunately, a crow had taken a liking to her tail and pecked two big holes in it. We carefully cleaned her up (it is important not to change the smell of a lamb especially around its back side as this is where the mother smells it as one of her own) and with a dose of antibiotics and some time in the barn it was looking more cheerful.</div>
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I find I am beginning to like sheep almost as much as horses. They frequently make me laugh with their antics and just as the Jacob managed to up-end me (see last post) so a Beulah had a good go at doing the same to my husband and everyone else in the vicinity...note the tangle of human legs...lol...:))))))</div>
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We are about half way through lambing so I will hopefully have a few more Ahhhh pictures in my next post but here are a few more to be going on with...</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-55168189613659401942013-04-11T17:11:00.002+01:002013-04-11T17:11:35.679+01:00PreparationsI was telling a friend about the albino badger that visits our garden and she remarked that at least it will be less likely to get killed on the road. Needless to say, the next day, there was a beautiful albino badger laying dead in a nearby lane. I was very fed up as I had really enjoyed watching this funny little chap as he dug up my lawn, snuffling for goodies. However a couple of days later the security light went on, which is my signal that there is wildlife in the garden, and there was an albino badger..?? Looking back at my photos I now realize that there had been two albinos visiting the garden. They were more or less identical apart from one had a faint grey spot on its rump. I now only have three badgers visiting at various times of the night... or do I? There's Norm the normal, Half-n-half and Al the albino but I think I need to look more carefully at all my photos as although Half-n-half is unmistakable there could be any number of Norms:)<br />
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All this cold weather has been making life difficult for animals and humans alike but one good thing is that it often brings different birds to the feeder. Last week we had a Brambling visit. It is perhaps not that exciting to most people as I think they are fairly common but it is the first time we have had one in the garden so it was exciting to me.<br />
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It has been a busy time 'down on the farm' as lambing is imminent. All the hurdles have had to be scrubbed and disinfected...<br />
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The barn had to be cleared, the floors swept and scraped, the sides washed and the whole lot sprayed with disinfectant...<br />
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Then all the mothering up pens had to be constructed.<br />
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Don't underestimate what hard work this all is..by the end of the second day hubby and I were so exhausted we had to resort to whisky and a take-away when we got home!! <br />
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Then there were the Herdwicks that needed a worm egg count which entailed my husband and I standing for two <i>very</i> long, <i>very</i> cold hours, in snow and freezing wind, waiting for ten sheep to do some droppings....thank goodness for my ski jacket that I bought for £20 in a sale a few years ago.....<br />
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And then there was the glorious job of crutching the breeding ewes. This is where the fleece is removed from around their backsides. It helps to see if the emerging lamb is correctly presented or not and makes it more hygienic and, with the fickle British weather, if it should suddenly turn warm, it helps to prevent fly strike. It was while holding one of the Jacobs that I suddenly found myself flying through the air!!!!! :)))) Another Jacob Ewe (after telling its flock mates to,<i> "watch this for a laugh,") </i>had crept round behind me then made a dash through my legs totally upending me. I am sure it was the same pesky Jacob that managed to knock me over TWICE last year by neatly hooking its horn behind my knee and I am also sure that, like the last times, I heard some sheepy sounding chuckles too:) I am now covered in bruises and ache all over but I think I got the last laugh as at least I don't have to go around with a naked backside:))))</div>
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It has been a hard week or so and not helped by the torn cartilage in my knee. This is an injury I sustained during lambing last year but it has taken all this time for the consultant to write saying<i>, ' for the sake of speed I am writing to you to recommend surgery.' </i>I can't believe it<i>....for the sake of speed</i>...it's only taken a whole year to get to this point and now I am on a waiting list for goodness knows how long! That's the NHS but I suppose I should be grateful that something can be done and I don't have to pay for it.</div>
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Anyway, I am very pleased to say that everything is now ready to go now and looking back it has all been quite enjoyable work. My next post should have some cute lamb pictures in it but meanwhile here is a cute calf picture taken on a rare sunny day giving these City of London calves, that were born at the farm over the winter, their first taste of sunbathing....Ahhhh.</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-62738052856059816262013-03-17T17:50:00.003+00:002013-03-17T17:50:56.539+00:00Fed Up...I Need Sun!!I am so fed up with this winter. It should be warming up by now as the birds have started their dawn chorus, there are lots of wild primroses in flower and I have frog spawn in my ponds and yet we have had another freezing cold week. Last year the bees were waking up and enjoying my crocuses in warm sun but this year the crocuses are battling just to survive under the snow with no bees to be seen....<br />
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The pheasants, who would normally be enjoying the romantic advances of the boys, are spending their days sheltering from the bitter wind and rain under our fir trees...<br />
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and the badgers are turning the lawn to mush as they search for any left over bird food. This has actually been quite interesting as we have a new badger on the scene. It is fairly normal at the front then turns to a sort of creamy ginger on the back half (sorry it is not a better photo)...<br />
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Compare him to the other frequent visitors..<br />
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Most of the conservation areas that have stock on them are getting low on grazing but the animals are skilled at searching out enough to keep them going. Even the ponies were happily chomping on the long standing grass around the stems of the scrub during this weeks deluge of snow, even though there was little grass under the snow. This is a skill they would have learnt from their herd when they were young and wild on Dartmoor and one of the reasons why wild native bred ponies are used for conservation grazing. A domestic bred pony, who has never had to search for food, would probably not cope so well. <br />
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I absolutely love the Project's two Dartmoor ponies and have learnt so much about horses by just watching their behaviour in their natural environment with the minimal influence from humans..<br />
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The cold weather continues to make work with the livestock difficult. Recently we were helping to move some sheep from the bottom of the North Downs to near the top by walking them up following a bucket of sheep nuts. It was at a site that has really benefited from conservation grazing over the years, called Park Ham, near Caterham. It is a beautiful site even in the snow but walking up the steep slopes was hard as with every step one's foot slipped back, not to mention the rabbit holes hidden under the snow waiting to trip one up, but at least the effort kept us warm:)) The dots in the photo are the sheep and I was standing looking down from where they needed to go. They were incredibly obliging which is such a relief now we don't have a sheep dog.<br />
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Amongst this group of sheep was Granny Alice who follows us around like a dog (which is why we could lead them on such a long journey without catching them). The previous week we had collected some faecal samples to do a worm egg count. This involves standing around for ages waiting for 10 sheep to go to the toilet and during this time Alice stayed glued to my husband's side. She really is a special sheep:)<br />
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It is not long until lambing which begins in April so I have recently been on a lambing course at a local Agricultural College. It was interesting seeing things done on a large, commercial scale and I now can't wait for our lambing to start...from feeling quite negative about it in the Autumn I am now so excited. It has to be the best reward for being a livestock volunteer and I feel very privileged to be part of it. Lets hope the weather improves though.<br />
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It has been a hard, sad winter. My mother's Alzheimer's is deteriorating fast and there have been several deaths of friends and family but Spring is nearly here. I am looking forward to hearing news of the safe arrival of four babies that are expected imminently (not all by the same person..lol.) It sort of puts things right.<br />
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Whilst clearing out my mum's bungalow which we have to sell to pay for her care, I came across a very old tatty note book with the following poem scribbled in it... evidently one of my ancestors felt the same as me at this time of year..<br />
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I need the days of daisies,</div>
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Of sun and bumble bees,</div>
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Of sweetly scented marjoram</div>
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And a warm summer breeze.</div>
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I need to wear light cotton frocks</div>
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And let sunbeams warm my skin,</div>
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To see green leaves upon the trees</div>
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And feel the hope within.</div>
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Winter, your time is over</div>
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So take your bitter cold.</div>
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It's time for Spring to heal us</div>
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As its beauty it unfolds.</div>
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-8739304342841787892013-02-24T20:20:00.002+00:002013-02-24T20:20:56.250+00:00Cold DaysOver the last few cold winter nights I've been reading Bill Oddie's 'Gripping Yarns' (Tales of Birds and Birding) and have found it quite a revelation. I never realized that some people went to such lengths to catch a glimpse of a bird they may need to add to their list of sightings. I have to admit that at first I thought it was all a bit extreme but then, as I read on, it made me think how valuable it is to have people with such specialist knowledge keeping records of what they see. I have a more eclectic interest in wildlife and enjoy spotting anything, even things that I see day after day, but because it isn't specialized in a particular area it is of little value other than the enjoyment it gives to me.<br />
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I do try to add something to wildlife conservation though by the voluntary work I do and, believe me, it is not always easy to leave the warmth and comfort of home to go out in all weathers to tend the conservation grazing livestock when one doesn't actually have too!!<br />
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This winter we haven't had the deep snow of the previous few years but we seem to have had more snowy or bitterly cold days but as much as it makes life difficult I can't help being amazed at the beauty that snow brings to the countryside.<br />
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One of the livestock tasks I've been involved in over the last month has been checking the City of London's cows that the Downlands Project are overwintering in their barn while they produce their calves. Unfortunately I haven't been there for any births and there are only two left to calve but thankfully, so far, all have arrived safely and it is very enjoyable seeing the little ones chasing each other around in the straw or braving the cold in the adjoining yard.<br />
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There have of course been lots of other livestock tasks. On New Years Eve there was another dog attack which left a sheep with bites to its muzzle that penetrated its nasal passages. This sheep required several courses of antibiotics, so when the grazing officer was away on a course, I gave him his injection and bathed his wounds that were pouring out nasal discharge. Thankfully the sheep was very obliging even though he must have been very uncomfortable. It is still being treated but is now showing some signs of improvement. <br />
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It makes me so cross that, despite putting up plenty of warning signs telling people that there are sheep grazing and asking them to put their dogs on a lead, some people don't take any notice. I think people with loving family pets can't believe that their lap dogs can turn into savage predators at the sight of sheep. If only they had to treat the injured sheep maybe they would realize the damage their dogs can do:((<br />
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So what other things have I been up to? Well mainly I have been trying to sort out problems with regard to my mother and her Alzheimer's. It is awful, sad and very stressful so my husband and I have been trying to make sure we make time for some relaxing activities.<br />
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In January we begun our Thames Path walk. It starts at the Thames Barrier and ends, 180 miles later, at its source. Unfortunately I injured my knee (torn meniscus) climbing over the hurdles carrying bales of hay during lambing last year (my own silly fault for trying to be stronger than I am) but as a consequence I can only manage a max of 3 miles at a time so it is going to be a long trip!!! :)))) Anyway on a cold, foggy, Sunday in January we started off from the Thames barrier for the two and a half miles walk to Greenwich. It was quite varied with some places being very attractive and landscaped with other areas being giant rubbish dumps. In one of these derelict areas someone had gone around sewing on colourful knitted sleeves. It was surprising what a difference this bit of colour made.<br />
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Other trips have been to the Chilterns, in the snow, where we visited College Lakes which, because of the weather, was deserted but sooo beautiful and full of wildlife.<br />
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And to the New Forest, one of my favourite places. Around every corner there is a creature of some sort or other to catch one's attention...<br />
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And when we have not been out and about at least we have our nice warm stove to snuggle in front off at home..<br />
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Lastly, living near to Bromley, where recently a child was attacked by a fox, several people have asked me if I think foxes should be culled. From my experience, when our neighboring farmer culled the foxes we were over run with mice and rats and I think these would pose more of a threat than a very rare fox attack. Also if there is a food source the area will quickly become re-populated so I can't see that a cull would help at all.<br />
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Oh and just one more thing (if you've got the time and energy after this rather rambling post:))) Check out this film. It really shows how damaging litter can be.. <a href="http://www.midwayfilm.com/">http://www.midwayfilm.com</a>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-48459272565352920512012-12-23T15:16:00.001+00:002012-12-23T15:16:43.201+00:00Christmas PostWhen I first started this blog it mainly described my exploration of the flora and fauna of the lovely chalk downland valley in which I live but a year later I had discovered the work being carried out by the Downlands Project to restore and maintain chalk downland sites in and around Surrey (which included some of my area) and I quickly became a livestock volunteer helping to look after the conservation grazing animals. While doing this I was introduced to many other wonderful places and thanks to the Grazing Officer learnt a lot about conservation and livestock management. It was a good time and so featured regularly in my blog posts. However over the last few months, because a lot of my time has been spent supporting my mother, my garden has begun to feature a lot more.<br />
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The chair I sit in to watch TV looks out to the garden bird feeders and while watching a film the other day I was distracted by a Parakeet that was hunkered down in a cleft of the cobnut tree. There were no other Parakeets around which was unusual and this one looked odd as it was not moving. After about half an hour another Parakeet flew in and went over to the dormant one and gently got hold of it with its beak and pulled at it, very obviously trying to get it to move off with him. It was interesting and touching to see this level of concern between birds outside of the breeding season and even more moving when the dormant bird fell off its perch, showing that its left foot was completely missing and its right foot was hanging useless and deformed. There was nothing I could do to help this poor bird as his wings were working well and he flew off and I haven't seen it again but they rely on their feet to grip while they feed so I don't expect it will survive for long :(<br />
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My mother is beginning to settle in to her care home a bit so I have been able to get out to do some livestock volunteering again. During my absence I seem to have lost the ability to stay on my feet and have managed to trip over in brambles, fall down a rabbit hole, slither down a bank, trip over absolutely nothing and on several occasions slip over in mud :)))))<br />
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One of the worst places for catching me out is an area of Hutchinsons Bank called Slimming Down. This has recently had the biggest scrape dug out that I have ever seen. It was done using heavy excavators so, with the recent wet weather, it is now quite gloopy to walk in and very slippery, especially the approach to the field. This is unfortunate as after Christmas we need to move the sheep off this field and we won't be able to get the trailer down, so will have to put up loads of netting to run the sheep up...oh well that's what us volunteers are for :) The scrapes have been put there for plants like Kidney Vetch to grow in as they don't compete well with other plants. Hutchinsons is very rich in Kidney Vetch which is the host plant of the struggling Small Blue butterfly so it is probably worth while if it doesn't get infested with ragwort first.<br />
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It has been lovely to get out and about again and over the last couple of weeks I have helped with....<br />
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A pony move....this is Rufus enjoying his new pasture on a very cold frosty morning...<br />
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A goat move....our trainee seems to have a special relationship with our notoriously difficult to catch goats, as he caught them first time...<br />
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And hoof trimming of this year's female lambs. Unfortunately the very wet weather in early summer and the present wet weather has taken its toll on their hooves all of which needed a lot of attention to try to prevent future problems.<br />
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The only sheep whose feet were fine was Granny Alice. This is an older and very sweet natured Jacob that we put in with the lambs after they are weaned to basically act as granny and show them what to do, e.g. come when called with a bucket of nuts to make catching them easier...she's my favourite :)<br />
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Now for a<i> little</i> Christmas amusement.....<br />
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It was a cold snowy day when Tiny Tim, wrapped up nice and warmly, was taken to visit the sheep in a nearby frozen field, <i>"Happy Christmas sheep,"</i> the little boy called out to them.<br />
The cold sheep were not amused and crossly replied,<i> "BAAAAAAAAA...Hum Bug!!"</i> <br />
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Well I found it funny:)))))) The poor sheep just wanted to go in a cosy <i>baaa..rn</i> :)<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Have a <b>Very Happy Christmas</b> and a </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Great New Year</b></span></div>
Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-30136708118333913172012-11-14T20:05:00.001+00:002012-11-14T20:05:28.242+00:00Life DifficultiesLiving things are so fascinating. How does a fungus suddenly materialise, that can kill huge Ash trees? How do parasitic worms mutate to become resistant to worming medicine or bacteria to antibiotics? Life is interesting but it is so closely linked to death. This is played out daily, right outside my living room window. The badgers snuffle in the lawn eating the worms, the bats eat the moths, the fox stalks the pheasants and the Sparrow Hawk makes regular sweeps of the feeding station to catch unsuspecting birds. It is a side of nature that I find hard to come to terms with but the need for sustenance is intrinsic to life so has to be accepted however brutal.<br />
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This poor pigeon was not quick enough to avoid the agile Sparrow Hawk and was taken down just inches from our living room window. The Sparrow Hawk remained devouring its prey, even when I went out to get the clothes in from the washing line, which was about 12ft away, and it carried on eating well after night fall. When he eventually flew off there was not a bit left other than feathers. How can one begrudge a hungry bird like this its supper.<br />
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Another recent, rather macabre scenario, happened in our bathroom the other day. I went in there one evening to see a rather chunky spider walking across the ceiling. It was cold outside so I left him to his wanderings, telling him not to go in the bath (I usually catch them and put them out the window..I never kill them). Sure enough the next morning, Chunky was in the bath, so I slung a towel over the side and left him to find his own way out which he quickly did, disappearing from view. Then a little while later I noticed him, back on the ceiling again, heading fast to where a thin, long legged spider had made a web in the corner. They started fighting but in an instance and before I could rescue either of them, Chunky had been killed..I felt quite sad and thin legs was, needless to say, deposited outside!<br />
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It really is survival of the fittest and this is the one thing that makes me feel better about all the death in nature as not only does it assure a the strength of a species but it can also save a lot of suffering by ending the lives of sick, weak and injured creatures that may otherwise suffer long painful deaths. The trouble is, humans mess it all up, even for our own species. I don't know what the answer is but it worries me that, with an ageing population, I keep meeting old sick people who are very unhappy and say they are tired of life and just want it to end and yet on the other hand there is my son's partner wondering if it is ethical to have children when the world is overpopulated (my opinion is that is is vital to have at least one child as we need young people to carry the country forward and provide for all the old people:)<br />
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All this deep thought about life and death has come about because my 89yr old mother, after two years of struggling with Alzheimer's, has now got a place in the best care home I could find but she is <i>very</i> unhappy and is desperate to go back to her bungalow again. This has left me in a quandary. Do I give up everything and become her full time carer (but is that fair on my husband) or do I get people in to care for her (something she is adamant she doesn't want) or do I make her stay in this lovely care home even though she doesn't want to? I don't know what to do and I feel overwhelmed and very upset. <br />
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All the problems with my mother hasn't left anytime to do my livestock volunteering with the Downlands Project and I am missing it greatly.... I feel the need to hug a sheep:))) We have just about managed to keep up with our livestock checking though and with two flocks of sheep and the two ponies to visit, it has been a welcome break from the stresses of my mother's predicament. The ponies, who are now back on Saltbox SSSI, are suffering with burs caught in their manes and tails, particularly Tavey who now looks like he is wearing some odd kind of hair accessory:)). They will eventually fall out themselves, although, when they allow we are giving them a helping hand as they are quite prickly so probably a bit uncomfortable.<br />
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It is around this time of year that the rams are put in with the ewes so I hope that all goes well. I have heard that the young Jacob Ram has a lot to learn about females!!:)))))<br />
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It is so nice at the end of these rather distressing days, to get home and snuggle up with hubby and a glass of wine, in front of our new wood burning stove. The room still needs decorating but that can wait. At the moment we are just enjoying being warm:)))<br />
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Lastly ( if you haven't got too bored) this is a poem I found when I was cleaning my mother's bungalow today. She had carefully copied it out from somewhere (author unknown) and it sums up how she always tried to look on the bright side of life..I hope she can again:))<br />
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The best is never over, the best is never gone,</div>
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There's always something lovely, to keep you struggling on.</div>
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There's always compensations, for ever cross you bear,</div>
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A secret consolation, hidden well somewhere.</div>
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Ends are new beginnings, and one day you will see</div>
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The best is never over, the best is yet to be.</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-16835163820529199292012-10-14T16:13:00.000+01:002012-10-14T16:14:33.384+01:00AutumnI always find Autumn to be a peaceful time. There is a sense of things settling down for a well earned rest and, to be honest, I would like to join them as I feel tired.<br />
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It would probably help if I could pull myself away from watching the badgers snuffling around under my living room window each night but I can't as it is a glimpse at a nocturnal world that I should not really be part of. The cream badger is especially captivating as, besides his colour, he is different from the others. My grandson says his nose looks like a mole's nose and it does as it is very narrow, pointy and wiggly...it looks particularly attractive when covered in mud from digging holes with it in my lawn:))) He also has quite a shaggy coat compared to the others which makes him look rather cuddly except that his claws, being clear coloured, stand out like those of a lion.<br />
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The autumnal weather has been very evident while out on tasks with the Downlands Project. I usually enjoy working with the Project's livestock regardless of the weather but I recently had a day which was just awful.<br />
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We were gathering in all the ewes to decide which ones to breed from. The first group, taken from last year's lambs, were penned and sorted with no problem but the next group proved to be very difficult. They were this year's breeding ewes so were well used to coming to a bucket of sheep nuts (they were the same ones that knocked me over twice with their enthusiasm for nuts during lambing). However this time there were two groups of Beulahs and one Jacob that just did not want to oblige. I blamed the weather as it was very windy and it can make prey animals spooky as they can't hear or smell so well. We eventually got them penned late in the afternoon by which time it was also pouring down with rain. By the time the job of sorting them was done it was late and we were all cold, tired, fed up and soaked to the skin. Unfortunately hubby and I still had to stock check the goats which we just managed to do before nightfall...not a good day.<br />
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We have also recently had another frustrating day in the rain trying to catch the goats again. After the last unsuccessful attempt we have spent a long time making sure that all six will happily go into the holding pen and not panic if the gate is closed but, although everything was just as normal and the trailer wasn't anywhere near the field, when we came to get them into the pen they would not all go in...I think there are a couple that are mind readers:))<br />
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The Project has also acquired some new additions as we now have a breeding flock of ten Herdwick ewes and a ram. I am not too pleased about this as, although the Herdwicks have the potential to be an asset in the future, at the moment the Grazing Officer, who left in June, still hasn't been replaced so there is no one that is experienced in lambing problems and both the grazing assistant and the trainee are already overstretched with work and may not even still be employed with the Project come next year's lambing. It therefore seems a bit worrying to add to the situation with more breeding animals. There are also a few other issues I have with this decision but I won't go in to that here and although I feel disgruntled I can't help but admire the very handsome ram.<br />
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Unfortunately, the already very tired assistant grazing officer, was called out last Saturday because of a dog attack at one of the sites at Chipstead, Surrey. The victim was one of this year's beautiful Jacob lambs and was so badly injured it had to be humanely destroyed. It seems people just don't get the message that whilst their dogs might be lovely at home, when they come across sheep even the smallest dog can quickly revert to being a predator:((<br />
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It is this time of year that hubby and I usually start regretting that we didn't get more done in the better summer weather but although it has been a busy year, we have not done too badly. Hubby has sorted the leaks in the roof so we should soon be able to finish the new bathroom which we have been trying to do for the last two years!!:)). He has also nearly finished painting the rendering and we have also at last ordered a wood burning stove which will be fitted at the end of the month...this has only taken us three years of planning and indecision!!))<br />
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It is also this time of the year that Monty Roberts does his British tour demonstrating his non-violent methods of horsemanship, so last night we sat shivering in the cold at Hadlow College, watching this great man work with horses with issues varying from a head shy horse, to a successful dressage horse that was incredibly spooked by lots of things, to backing a youngster and having a bad loader, that at first ran at the sight of a horsebox, happily walking on and off of it in a matter of minutes. Regardless of what the horses are doing Monty stays so quiet and calm, it really is magic to watch and so good to see these horse's problems dealt with with such understanding and kindness. Horses are wonderful, intelligent animals who are so willing to work with humans..how can anyone use violence to train them. I am just so pleased that Monty Roberts has shown that there are more successful, easier, non-violent methods and that even at the age of 77 he is still teaching the world this better way.<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-2776628721233846572012-09-30T15:08:00.000+01:002012-09-30T15:08:50.805+01:00Nocturnal VisitorsThe local badgers must have picked up on my concern for their west country cousins (see previous post) as since then we have had some very welcome nocturnal visitors. We always used to have badgers coming to our garden until we got new neighbours who had several Rottweilers. The three that are visiting now enter directly from the field. They look fairly small so I think they are this years cubs and one is cream coloured which is a genetic trait of badgers around the Saltbox area. There is one problem, I am getting sooooo tired sitting up at night watching them but they come right up near the window, are totally captivating and I feel so lucky that I can't draw myself away:)))))))))<br />
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I apologise that I couldn't get my link to work for the e-petition against the badger cull on my last post but I urge you not to give up if you want to sign but go to the governments e-petition web site or use one of the other links on the many other sites of people that obviously understand computers a bit better than me!!! Simon King and Chris Packham on Twitter also have some good links to other people's more scientific views as well as links to the petition. I can sort of see that, as a protected species with no predators, the numbers of badgers are perhaps too high and at some point there may need to be a cull to maintain a healthy population but I still can't see that just shooting a whole load is going to give a long term, sustainable solution to Bovine TB unless there is a vaccination program in place.<br />
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Enough of my ranting. After watching an episode of Miranda (who some people liken me to !!??!!:)) I have realised that over this summer, which has been a bit intense with one thing or another, I have become rather 'serious' and this needs to change so, as I haven't included any silly jokes for a while, I thought it's about time I did. I don't want to joke about badgers as their situation is just a bit too serious at the moment but other visitors to my garden, whose antics often make me laugh, are the squirrels. Soooo....<br />
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Q: What did the squirrel say to his girlfriend?<br />
A: I'm nuts about you<br />
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Q: What did the girl squirrel reply?<br />
A: You're nut so bad yourself.<br />
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Q: What did the squirrel give his girlfriend on Valentines Day?<br />
A: Forget-me-nuts. <br />
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So how did I get in this 'serious' frame of mind? Well firstly there was our spell filling in for the absent Grazing Officer...I enjoyed it but took it very seriously as I didn't want to make any mistakes. Then there is my mother. Her Alzheimer's is progressing and she flits form wanting to go into residential care, to wanting to stay in her own home, but I think it has reached the point where, whether she likes it or not, she will be safer being looked after full time. This is such a hard decision. It was her who gave me the love of the countryside and the respect of all things living...as a young child she would make the countryside come alive with stories of fairies and elves interacting with nature...if we passed a tree with a hole in it she would make up tales like a poor, cold fairy helping a hungry woodpecker to find food and the grateful woodpecker in turn making a hole in the tree for the poor cold fairy to live in:)) and any pool of rain water caught in the V of tree branches were always places where the fairies and elves went to bathe:)) I loved going for country walks with her so much and she has never lost that desire to be surrounded by nature but now she can't walk far and when she does she gets lost...very worrying when goes off to walk in the the fields!!!! I feel so bad that by going in to a home her freedom will be restricted but at least she will be safe, have company and will probably be taken out more than we can manage so maybe she will be happy which she isn't really at the moment. I wish I didn't have to make this decision:((</div>
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When my mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's we were helping with lambing and the then Grazing Officer and other volunteers were so supportive listening to my worries. However the Grazing Officer has now moved on and since the Countryside Day, where some people got upset with each other (it is no easy task putting on such a big show), I haven't seen many of the other volunteers...hence I'm off-loading onto all you blog readers:)))</div>
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Right I feel better for that, so back to my resolution not to be to serious...well actually I can't think of anything funny at the moment but I promise I will start looking at life with a smile on my face and as we are planning to catch those naughty goats again next week, I should soon have a tale or two to tell.</div>
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Lastly, for those who know our sheep shearer. She told us that she should be shown shearing Alpacas in one of the episodes of the TV program, <i>Kevin Mcloud's Man Made Home</i>, channel 4, Sundays at 8pm. From what she said it is quite different from shearing sheep so if you are interested keep a look out for her.</div>
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-29786977347319806982012-09-19T22:18:00.001+01:002012-09-19T22:18:21.293+01:00Gripes and GroansI try to avoid moaning via my blog but several things have occurred that I feel I must mention.<br />
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Firstly the immanent proposed badger cull in the west country. I totally understand that something must be done to prevent the spread of bovine TB, however, I cannot see that culling is the answer. When our neighbouring farmer started having pheasant shoots, he shot all the foxes in the area but, within months, new foxes had moved in, which then had to be shot and so it went on until now I think he has given up. Surely the same will happen with the badgers but worse still, I wonder if, because it is encouraging badger movement, it may cause TB to spread to areas not at present affected. Also every living thing has a part to play in the eco system. When the farmer shot the foxes there was an explosion of rabbits which he then poisoned, this in turn killed off the birds and animals that fed on carrion (including a beautiful Barn Owl!:( There was also an explosion of rats and mice which made life very difficult for us nearby residents. I wonder what legacy the death of the all these badgers will leave. I can't help feeling the cull is just a cheaper, short term solution so that the government can pass the buck to future governments. <em>Farmers, the cows and the badgers deserve better</em>. The National Trust and various conservation groups are vaccinating badgers and this would offer a more permanent, sustainable and eco-friendly solution. If you feel like I do then please sign the e-petition at<br />
<a href="http://www.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257">http://www.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257</a><br />
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My nest gripe is about the export of live animals for the meat market. Last week the RSPCA and Animal Health stopped a four tiered lorry full of sheep for live export at a ferry port. Two sheep were immediately euthanized, one had a broken leg and after inspection a further 41 were also euthanized. These animals were already suffering from painful conditions like foot rot but had further been injured in transit due to the bad state of the lorry. Can you imagine how these animals would have suffered if their journey hadn't been intercepted!!! Unfortunately this is not unique. Every day in Europe horses, cows, sheep and other animals have to endure long journeys of hundreds of miles, lasting days, with little or no water and often already ill or injured. Those that survive arrive at their destination just to be slaughtered. In this age of refrigerated lorries it is so unnecessary to transport animals live. It makes me feel physically ill to think what these animals go through. <em>Please, please,please</em> sign the petition against live export at <a href="http://www.ciwf.org/endliveexports">http://www.ciwf.org/endliveexports</a> <br />
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My last gripe is a bit closer to home. Our neighbouring farmer has part of the Saltbox SSSI which I have been informed is in a Higher Level Stewardship agreement, so, the farmer will be receiving a considerable amount of tax payers money to look after this important area of land. However, apart from an initial clearance about 4 years ago he has done virtually nothing. The site has not been grazed, there is considerable regrowth of scrub and areas that haven't scrubbed over again are covered in Golden Rod, Asters, Ragwort and brambles. When we first moved here and before it was even designated a SSSI, this area was amazing with a bank of flowers adjoining the then cultivated field and going up to a small line of scrub, behind which the steep land opened up like a magical secret garden full of many different orchids, wild flowers and clouds of butterflies. It could be like that again if only the farmer would manage it properly as he is being paid to do. Another part of the Saltbox SSSI is owned by the London Wildlife Trust and along with the Downland Project this area is looked after properly and is coming on really well. I wonder how many other farmers reap the rewards of HLS agreements without doing the work. The picture below shows the dense cover of Golden Rod... not what I call good management. <br />
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I did come across one nice thing while visiting the site..a rather cute little field mouse taking in the evening sun.<br />
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Now for the groan. I have a twisted my knee and it is very sore:((( I first damaged it climbing over hurdles while carrying bales of hay and straw during lambing but I always feel that given long enough these things clear up on their own. Trouble is this didn't and after carrying some heavy hurdles around and then going horse riding I have now properly messed it up. It is very annoying as I have just taken delivery of the guide book and map for the Thames long distance path that hubby and I intend to do. We are still going to do it but we will have to limit it to just a three or four miles a day so I doubt we will get to the more rural stretches in time for the Spring Flowers. <br />
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I am still trying to keep up my work with the Downland Project's Livestock though. The Ewes and lambs have now been separated and neither seemed to mind...infact the ewes looked quite relieved:)) One lot of cows have been sold and another lot bought which are reportedly very friendly and as they don't have horns will be easier to work with. Some of the sheep were taken to the recent Countryside Day where they behaved very well and received a lot of attention.<br />
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On a happy note, we have just returned from a short break in the Aylesbury Vale where we had such a good time. One of the places we visited was the Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust site of College Lakes and I really recommend it. The reserve was made from an old chalk pit. There are lakes with hides all around, wildflower meadows heaving with butterflies, an area of standing bird feed crop, a visitors centre with cafe and more. It seems like a very pro-active site with lots of volunteering opportunities. In the afternoon we attended a very interesting talk about work they are doing investigating the propagation of old corn field flowers and we also saw some gliss-glis that were nesting in a bird box that had a camera in it. A very good day and can't wait to go back.<br />
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We also met up with our son and his partner and went to Dunstable Downs where there were masses of Autumn Gentian<br />
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Lastly, I have a new friend in the garden. This beautiful Darter (at least I think that is what he is) had been flying around the garden for a while and when I went near him I was sure he was looking at me so I held out my hand and amazingly he flew onto it:))))))<br />
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Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-44651952779716172632012-08-19T17:02:00.001+01:002012-08-19T17:02:21.525+01:00Hand BackWe have now handed back the Grazing Officers job...all the animals survived and all the sites are looking good and so we are now freeeeeee again:)))) It has been a good experience but both hubby and I agreed that we wouldn't want it as a permanent job as the hours are just too long. Nearly every evening we worked late and every weekend we had to go out to see to something or other. It wasn't too bad as we were doing it together but if one or the other of us were at home waiting for the other, it would have been very hard going. It certainly isn't a job that is conducive to a social or family life.<br />
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The last few weeks have been quite challenging with several odd things to contend with and we have learnt a few things along the way, one of which is that Wild Parsnip has a nasty sting in its tail..... <br />
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I was helping our trainee set up electric fencing to make two enclosures for his project, comparing the grazing habits of Herdwick and Beulah sheep. The site was steeply sloped and I wasn't well at the time with severe dizziness if I moved suddenly, so I was very carefully making my way down the steep incline and was just passing a patch of Wild Parsnip, when I fell down a very deep rabbit hole. As my leg disappeared, the world started spinning...it was a real Alice in Wonderland moment:))) I was left floundering in the Wild Parsnips. A day later I noticed by arms had several big blisters on them and on investigation it turns out that Parsnip makes one very hypersensitive to the sun. I now have some lovely purple scars but can't help at being amazed that a simple plant can have such a powerful effect.<br />
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One part of the job that I have really enjoyed is the planning of what, when and how to do things. There are so many jobs and not enough time so one had to prioritise things which wasn't always easy. </div>
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On the morning of the day we had arranged for Reigate Animal Health to come to take blood samples from the goats, we also discovered a lamb which looked like it may have fly strike. This is where flies have laid eggs on the sheep and the resulting maggots start feeding off their flesh. It has the potential to kill a sheep surprisingly fast so it had high priority and we needed to get it sorted before going to the goats..... </div>
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Unfortunately the lamb's mother kept leading it away every time we tried to catch it (really frustrating when you're in a hurry!!!) so it ended up with myself, hubby and the trainee having to round up all 76 ewes and lambs just to treat that one. It was well worth it though as the lamb did have fly-strike and, because it was treated early, not too much damage had been done so it should recover well. This was the third lamb to get fly strike so we have now sprayed all the lambs with a fly repellent..... </div>
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The main problem came when we then tried to catch the goats later in the day as we were not left with very much time. The goats very obligingly came over several times to the holding pen where we had rigged up some netting to stop them jumping out but they are clever animals and sensed something was up and so scarpered each time to the other end of the field and eventually we ran out of time. Thankfully Reigate Animal Health were sympathetic and will come back another day...and as we have handed the job back, it has the bonus of no longer be our responsibility:)</div>
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The thing I will miss most is the Landrover. I found it very comfortable (hubby didn't) and I liked being higher up and able to look over the hedges as we drove along and best of all was being able to take it off road to get to the various sites, taking everything we needed with us in the back. I also felt quite proud to be driving around with the Projects details on the side.</div>
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So what now? We have a lot of catching up of important work around the bungalow to do. The main jobs being to sort out various leaks in the roof...lets hope we don't get much more rain! I will also leave time for exploring the wildlife of 'my valley' something I have been missing a lot. It has started well with the wildlife actually coming to me (a bonus of the garden looking like a jungle). Instead of getting up early to rush around making packed lunches etc., I can now get up early to just look out of the living room window for wild goings-on. Around 5 am I have found the deer are coming to the end of the garden to feed of off the bindweed growing up the sheep netting...</div>
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And one of my friendly pheasants is also bringing her four babies to visit the garden which I am so pleased about as I thought I had missed them all this year. She seemed so happy to see me at the window again and ran over, chicks in tow, remembering I will throw her a handful of grain:) The Buzzards seem to be missing though so I will have to see if they have moved down the valley...I just hope they haven't been shot.<br />
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I am also formulating a plan for something else. When my husband retired from the fire brigade we started a project to walk round the coast of Britain. We have completed the South East corner but to carry on will need us to stay away from home which I am not keen to do too often as I need to be around for my mother as she has Alzheimer's, so I am now thinking of starting to walk the Thames Path as most of it can be done as day trips. I think there should be a good deal of wildlife too and if we get tired we can take a boat:) I might even make another blog site about our progress. Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-68934198622204385952012-07-29T14:10:00.000+01:002012-07-29T14:10:09.736+01:00Sunny Dry DaysWhat a good week. The sun has been shining, the sky clear blue and the rain has stayed away. We have therefore been able to get all of the weather dependent jobs done with the sheep. I think the sheep were happier too. The teaser who had been showing signs of bloat, has deflated, the fly strike lamb's sore back is healing nicely and we have had no more lame sheep. The good weather has also brought on the wildflowers and I was pleased to discover, when checking a boundary hedge, some Nettle-leaved Bellflowers...I never realised how hairy they were.<br />
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The warmth has also got the butterflies going. Each year I intend to get to grips with identifying the different Blue butterflies that are so common in this area but I never seem to find the time. This year is no exception and again I keep seeing different Blues but don't really know what they are. This is one I saw at Saltbox SSSI the other day. I think it is an Adonis Blue as there is a lot of Horseshoe vetch there and it was a very bright blue but if I am wrong please let me know:)<br />
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Last year I caused some controversy by mentioning that we were pulling Ragwort at Saltbox SSSI as some people thought it shouldn't be done because it is a valuable plant in its own right. Besides it being listed as an injurious plant under the Weeds Act, the picture below shows another reason why one has to try to control it. This is the same area of Saltbox that we cleared the ragwort from last year but it is there in abundance again. No one would dispute that this attractive yellow plant is valuable to invertebrates but if it isn't controlled it quickly chokes out other valuable plants. Now, because there was not time to gain control of it before flowering and seeding, it will pose a threat to the whole site as well as the neighbouring grazing land and livestock:((<br />
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I have enjoyed this week so much more than the previous week where I felt quite stressed with the various ailments of the sheep. That was until the old grazing officer phoned and said, "You seem to be coping, so why are you worrying?" It was a very good point. I have never had any doubts that I could cope, one has to when looking after animals. Also my husband pointed out I am not doing this alone as besides him there is also a very competent trainee, other staff members, plus a great bunch of volunteers who have all had years of experience with livestock. When I actually stopped to think about it, I felt quite silly, but it shows how quickly things can get out of perspective when one gets tired. Thanks P for the phone call and pleased to hear you, your family and Jack are settling happily into life in Wiltshire<br />
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One of the jobs that needed to be done in dry weather was to spray the sheep with a fly repellent. The first lot we did were the 30 breeding ewes. We also had to dose their 46 lambs with wormer so that meant that all 76 sheep needed to be collected in. We no longer have Jack the sheepdog so, expecting it to be difficult, we asked all our livestock volunteers to come along but ended up with rather too many people. Consequently the first attempt went a little awry and there was a farcical few minutes with people and sheep running everywhere but getting nowhere. If it hadn't been so hot, I would have found very funny:)) We decided to let everyone, sheep and humans, cool down and calm down. After an early lunch we put out some more netting and had another attempt but with just myself, hubby and our trainee rounding the sheep up while the volunteers hid behind the landrover. Thankfully it was successful. It was a good opportunity to check over the animals who were all fine and because we needed to weigh some of the lambs to work out the correct dosage for their wormer, we were very happy to see how much weight they had gained in just one month. Even the younger Jacobs are looking good and robust.<br />
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The next group to be sprayed were the replacement ewes who are grazing a small scrubby enclosure up a steep bank. There is, at the moment, no entrance that is accessible by the landrover so we hauled the hurdles up the bank by rope and handed them over the fence. All went well and again I was pleased to see a sheep, who a few months previously had suffered a dog bite to her muzzle, was now looking much better and was regaining the weight she had lost. Another interesting discovery at this site was that of a nude sunbather !!:))) Quite amusing but also a nuisance as we feel that the lone females should not stock-check this secluded little site so my husband and I will have to do their days until the sheep are moved on. You will be pleased to know I don't have a pic of Nudy Man..not a pretty sight!<br />
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The last group for spraying were the boys. Firstly, the ones still at the farm following shearing, had to be transported to a field at Tatsfield, a site pleasantly situated on the side of the North Downs and this time I managed to refrain from telling hubby how to drive :) Four of the sheep were Herdwicks that needed to be reunited with the other Herdwicks who were grazing an adjacent field. All went well and we were all feeling well pleased when the phone went. It was Reigate Animal Health who have to do various inspections of animals in their area. In this case they were wanted to arrange an appointment to inspect our goats where they will need to take blood samples from them all. When one considers that it took us 10 hours the last time we caught them to trim their hooves and move them to their present site you can imagine we were not too happy. We have referred it to 'the boss' but meanwhile hubby and I have been working out some tactics. A few days before we had managed to catch one of the goats by hand to replace a lost ear tag and I know a couple will go into the holding pen for food so I think it will be a matter of using a combination of methods.<br />
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They might be difficult to catch but they are still well worth having as they have done an amazing job of controlling the regrowth of scrub at Saltbox SSSI in the areas that have been cleared. This picture shows how it was last year before the goats. The whole area was covered in regrowth and a vast number of Aaron's Rod...<br />
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<br />Now, after four months of the goats grazing, it is looking a little less like a jungle with an emerging covering of wild Marjoram, Wild Basil, St John's Wort, Birds-foot-trefoil and more:)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKg0vabaADXYfd1KjfW42zkEHeNSj8oAyXZW5qK8MMiqsnSNP1JdlYSKAhJwZepQroiwWj4_LhbHymvVW_M437w898-mNi8RY6UKYCS454PBXRPpGtKxr9Xi_NYxTdmK7OxqsqsTEFZM/s1600/MEMO0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKg0vabaADXYfd1KjfW42zkEHeNSj8oAyXZW5qK8MMiqsnSNP1JdlYSKAhJwZepQroiwWj4_LhbHymvVW_M437w898-mNi8RY6UKYCS454PBXRPpGtKxr9Xi_NYxTdmK7OxqsqsTEFZM/s400/MEMO0007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-29911205881246333032012-07-22T18:28:00.002+01:002012-07-22T18:28:56.514+01:00Sunday Drama at Little ChumpI was just poised over the computer ready to do a post when the phone went. Overnight a car had demolished a section of stock fencing at Little Chump, the field that holds the Downland Project's 76 ewes and lambs. Our trainee, who was stock checking at the farm, kept the sheep in the field and luckily there was a group pulling ragwort in another part of the farm who were able to get over and help put the sheep in another field. The car, a Mercedes, had apparently crashed at around 2.30 am! It must have been a bad crash as it demolished a double line of fencing including several heavy straining posts but all that was left in the morning was debris and a number plate. How the car had been removed we have no idea. I am just pleased the sheep hadn't strayed through the large gap that was left.<br />
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We are half way through our time filling in for the absent grazing officer and assistant. It has so far been made difficult by the weather but today the sun is shining and the forecast is for a dry week:))))<br />
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Last week we gave the boys (sheep that is) a health check, trimming their hooves, checking their teeth etc. All were in very good condition except for our teaser (he does as his name suggests, teases the ewes with his good looks, personality and a few hormones to get them in the mood before the ram is put in) Unfortunately he has been showing signs of bloat ever since we brought back to the farm for shearing. His stomach is very distended but strangely he is still eating, ruminating and going to the toilet as normal and didn't show any signs of discomfort when he was sheared. The vet confirmed it looked like bloat from the photo but as there were no other symptoms just to monitor him. I am very worried about him as he has now been like it for over a week, however, today I think he looks just a little less fat, so fingers crossed he will soon be back to normal as he is rather an important chap.<br />
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We have had quite a few other problems especially with lameness but I think the wet weather has had a lot to do with it so hopefully, if things dry up, it will all improve. We have also had a lamb with fly strike on its back, a ewe with an abscess on its neck and a lamb with what looked like Shelly hoof where the wall of its hooves were separating from the underlying tissue. Unfortunately a stone had gone up one of the hooves and when removed it bled like mad. These things all came to light on the same day after we had finished the boy's health checks so it was very late when we got home and I was filthy covered in sheep poo, puss, blood and maggots..for once I didn't feel like eating:)<br />
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I am finding it all quite stressful and spend half the nights awake worrying or looking things up on the computer. Luckily my husband is his usual calm self and very tolerant of me especially when we are towing a trailer load of sheep where I become a very bossy back seat driver, even telling him (an ex-fireman who drove fire engines) when to change gear! I feel awful but can't seem to stop myself. I am not usually like this and even when I was with the old grazing officer, who was driving quite fast down some narrow lanes because we were running out of daylight, I managed to keep my mouth closed, although, I did have my eyes closed too...perhaps I that is what I should try when my husband is driving:)<br />
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Suddenly I am finding that I am quite envious of the volunteers going off to do tasks like ragworting and when we cleared the barn of all the bedding from where the sheep had been housed prior to shearing (to keep them dry), it quite went to my head and I enjoyed every moment of it (I had had rather a lot of caffeine though, which might have helped:)<br />
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I always thought I had quite a wildlife friendly garden but since it has been so neglected this year it continues to surprise me with even more wildlife than usual. Without the demarcation of the cut lawn several common lizards have found their way in to be discovered under discarded weed collecting bags left from last year, a Blackcap has been visiting the Hogweeds which have an abundance of mating cardinal beetles on them and some of my favourites... a Green Woodpecker has been a regular visitor, searching out bugs from the lawn..<br />
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A beautiful Comma butterfly has been visiting the Lavender..<br />
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And a good variety of dragonflies and damselflies have been visiting the ponds..<br />
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I really must make sure that I somehow retain this level of wildlife in the garden next year.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-65978767403664685602012-07-08T17:46:00.004+01:002012-07-08T17:46:52.250+01:00I Wish I was a FrogWhy are frogs so happy?<br />
They eat whatever bugs them:))<br />
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After the freezing temperatures of the last few winters our garden frog population seemed greatly reduced despite having three deep ponds in which they could hibernate. I am therefore really pleased to see their funny little faces popping up from the ponds again especially as we have an explosion of Mosquitoes...<br />
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The garden continues to be neglected due to our lack of time but the self sown wild flowers are making the garden look quite pretty. In particularly the Red Valerian and Purple Toad flax...<br />
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It is a great relief that the garden isn't looking too bad as time is so short. We have now completed one month working for the Downland Project, filling in for the absence of a Grazing Officer, and have just done our first week without even the Grazing Assistant to advise us. So far all is good, although the days are long and physically very demanding. The longest day (so far) was the first of the shearing days when we started at 9am but didn't finish until 9.50pm! Unfortunately the shearer's trailer had broken so she was 4 hours late arriving but at least we got the job done.:) <br />
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The sheep being sheared in this first batch were the non-breeding ewes, the Herdwicks and the breeding ewes, 58 sheep in total. The ewes and lambs needed to be separated so we took the opportunity of dosing the lambs against a parasite called coccidiosis which a faecal egg count had shown they had in high numbers. They didn't mind having their medicine but they did object to being separated from their mums and persisted in making a terrible din...<br />
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The mums didn't seem to mind one bit that they were not with their progeny and happily awaited their turn at the hairdressers...<br />
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........and then, turning their backs on their offspring, enjoyed a tasty hay supper:)<br />
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The shearer was also able to tell us what to do about a horn that had grown uncomfortable close to one of the Herdwicks eyes....<br />
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"Get some loppers and chop it off," she said, so we duly passed the loppers to our trainee lad saying it would be 'good experience' for him!!:))) So under the shearers guidance the deed was done and I'm sure the Herdwick (who didn't seem to feel a thing) will be a lot more comfortable.<br />
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Now the sheared sheep need to be moved out from the farm and back to their conservation grazing sites. Last week we took he non-breeding ewes to Hutchinsons Bank, a largish area of chalk grassland that has expanding areas of Kidney Vetch, the food plant for the Small Blue butterfly caterpillars.<br />
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The sheep were going into a small scrubby enclosure yet to be clear enough for Kidney Vetch to survive as it doesn't like competition from other plants. However the enclosure is adjacent to an area where scrapes have been dug into the bank for the Kidney Vetch and where it is growing prolifically. We wondered if we would have trouble encouraging the sheep up the steep bank into the enclosure but we needn't have worried as with one shake of a bucket of nuts they trotted up with no hesitation (there is actually netting running along the right side to stop the going on to the scrapes on their way up)...<br />
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We have also just put the ponies on to another enclosure at Hutchinsons Bank that does include several scrapes with areas of Kidney Vetch in. In general the ponies don't eat many of the wild flowers but we are monitoring it carefully. The ponies looked like children in a sweet shop when they first arrived as they had come from a field of predominantly rather boring grass. Tavey immediately started pigging out on Hog weed and was eating like there was no tomorrow.... not good when he is already overweight.....</div>
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Needless to say by the next morning he had a tummy ache and didn't look too happy.......<br />
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Young Rufus, who is more sensible, was ok though and as we got to the field gate the next morning, he buried his head into the long grass and lifted it up with a bucket in his mouth that he had pulled out from under the water bowser. Then, looking very pleased with himself, he proceeded to wave it up and down in greeting to us. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera but I'm sure you can imagine it.......<br />
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I have become very fond of the ponies, especially little Rufus. He was so brave when he first arrived at 18 months old, just a baby really. My husband and I were their first stock checkers and being horsey people, we soon became involved in working with them so that they could be caught and handled without problems. Tavey was fairly confident when he first came but unfortunately someone must have frightened him when he was grazing a site in Chipstead as he is now very difficult to catch. It will take a lot of input to regain his confidence. Rufus, although nervous to begin with, is now a lot better. He always tries so hard to understand what is wanted of him and really wants to interact. He's very intelligent and inquisitive and I love him to bits. Unfortunately, because I am one of the few people that have consistently been around him since he first came, he is beginning to form a bond with me (and me with him). That would be ok if he was my pony but he is not and I am not always happy at where or when the ponies are sent to graze, especially this latest move (for several reasons which I won't go into) and I am beginning to find it quite upsetting. So I have decided that when the assistant grazing officer returns I must try to back out of their care and return to just being a stock checker for them:(((<br />
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<br /></div>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-36426836773900211432012-06-24T18:33:00.001+01:002012-06-24T18:33:35.866+01:00Garden Jungle & Naughty PonyWith our busy life that we have at present, the garden has turned into a jungle, but the wildlife is loving it.......<br />
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I have had so many families of baby birds in the garden this year that it resembles a big birdy nursery full of fluffy bundles with beaks open wide, while their rather battered and tired looking parents try to keep up with their demands...<br />
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Bees busily visit the self sown corn flowers and geraniums and a group of Foxgloves that we grew from seed but didn't have time to plant in the flowerbeds, so were dumped rather quickly into an area of the veg plot, have grown up to provide a busy buzzing pollen bar for masses of bumbles<br />
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The veg garden, including the polytunnel, has been taken over by many of the weeds/wildflower seeds that have migrated from the adjoining field and the whole area seems to be a mecca for Hover flies. The only veg planted in the plot are some early onions which are on the verge of flowering. <br />
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<br />Slow worms are to be found in any warm patch, anywhere in the garden but especially under some old weed suppressant covering on the bank.<br />
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The whole of the back garden looks awful but I have to say I am rather enjoying it:)) We have never really gained control of the garden since the adjoining field became set aside land around 17 years ago. The field is now mostly covered with invasive weeds that can look quite pleasant when in full flower....<br />
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Increasingly though we are seeing more and more typical chalk grassland flowers springing up between the invasive plus quite a few Pyramid and Common Spotted Orchids. The next field along now seems to have more chalk flowers than the section of Saltbox SSSI that it adjoins. This section is privately owned and not managed as it should be, so has scrubbed over again (another letter to Natural England required!). The bordering edge, however, is covered in swaths of Horseshoe Vetch, the plant food of the Chalkhill Blue and Adonis Blue caterpillars. Sadly with the cool wet and windy weather we've been having this year there have been fewer butterflies and moths around here but usually the two fields are filled with many varieties, especially the blues.<br />
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I have not had much time to walk in the fields behind us and I also haven't had the energy as we are doing long days of physically demanding work while filling in for the staff absences in the Downlands Project (see previous post). We have also had a few extra tasks such as the 'Open Farm Sunday' that took place last weekend. We were very fortunate to have a sunny day for the event and had what we estimate to be in the region of 300 visitors. Firstly I was involved with a demonstration of how we do our sheep health checks (trimming hooves, checking teeth, condition scoring them and sending them through a foot bath) then I was sent up to the lambs field to tell people about our sheep as visitors followed a trail around the fields. Back at the farm there were a variety of children's activities, including face painting, all themed around nature. There was also the information trailer, displays, refreshments, our cows and some more sheep, one of whom was recovering from a dog attack. <br />
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The lambs field was unfortunately covered in a lot of tall grass so it was very hard to actually spot any lambs especially as they all tended to be on the far side of the field where the shorter grass was or sheltering in the shade of a tree covered dip. However the Project Manager valiantly led groups of interested people over to visit the lambs throughout the day, taking them into the field and then gathering the sheep with the help of a bucket of nuts. By the end of the day the sheep had begun to get rather bored with this and were not so willing to come over but the P.Man. persevered and even the last group of the day managed to see at least some of the lambs:))<br />
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It has been a busy week gathering in the sheep from their various grazing sites around Surrey ready for shearing this coming week and then giving them all a health check. Unfortunately, one of the days involved an early 7am start as the grazing assistant needed to be at a meeting by 9am and in the hurry to get the job done I made my a very silly mistake...I won't go into details as it's embarrassing but suffice to say if the old grazing officer had still been there he would have exploded like Vesuvius!! I certainly won't make the same mistake again.<br />
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The next day was not much better as we had the farrier visiting to trim the ponies hooves. We were at a team meeting all morning and by the time we got to their field it was pouring with rain and the wind was blowing. Rufus allowed us to catch him with no problem but, although we had been catching Tavey with no problem on previous days, he decided he was not going to allow anyone near him and not only that, he was determined to get Rufus to join him, so he kept storming past Rufus at the gallop, who by this time was having his hooves trimmed. Rufus was soooo good and only tried to pull away a few times which was very good for such a young, relatively un-handled pony. The farrier eventually left saying if we ever managed to catch Tavey he would come back. It took a long time to calm Tavey down enough for us to put his headcollar on and I am very grateful to all the hints we have picked up from reading Kelly Marks' books and going to Monty Robert's demonstrations as we needed to use quite a bit of horse psychology to win him over and to keep Rufus calm all this time. We couldn't let Rufus go as he was the only thing keeping Tavey near us. Eventually we were able to call the farrier back and the job was done by which time we were all very wet and not too happy. So next time you see this beautiful little pony in the field you will know he is not as innocent as he looks!! Lets hope he behaves himself next Friday when we plan to move them to another site.<br />
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<br />Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-18951356979077968952012-06-10T12:00:00.000+01:002012-06-10T12:00:27.595+01:00Whatever happened to May? It flew past in such a flurry of activity that it's as if it didn't happen and things are destined to continue in the same way as my summer is now officially booked up right until the second week of September. I am very fed up about this. Last year's summer was so busy I was determined that this year I would have time to enjoy my valley again, catch up on work around the property or, as several of my friends do, go off travelling. I feel like spitting the dummy but it would do no good as it is just a combination of unfortunate circumstances so best to just get on with it and look forward to next summer. Hopefully we will have a good Autumn especially as we have several essential jobs we must do before the winter such as doing something about the cracked rendering that is letting water in to the bungalow when it rains and replacing the garage roof which has mostly disappeared!! Anyway, enough moaning. There have been a few good things happening...<br />
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In April we moved the Project's six goats to Saltbox SSSI. It was a difficult move that took 10 hours, mainly due to two of the goats refusing to go in to the holding pen. As Saltbox is one my stock checking sites I have since been watching their behaviour and it would seem that these two goats are not particularly worried about people but more nervous of their fellow goats as they are at the bottom of the pecking order so, especially when their is food around, they stay well away from the others. No wonder they wouldn't go into the confines of the holding pen when we were trying to catch them with buckets of goat nuts!<br />
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The goats are doing a fantastic job of eating the scrub regrowth and large areas are now covered in bare stalks..</div>
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<br />We were a bit concerned that they may also eat the Orchids so I have also been monitoring this carefully. Thankfully they are only interested in the scrub and there is an abundance of Orchids making an appearance. I counted over twenty Man Orchids in just one spot and every day now another Bee Orchid pops up...they really are so beautiful and a bit magical the way they appear in totally different places to last year..</div>
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This bit of Saltbox SSSI is such a special place and getting better all the time thanks to the care of the London Wildlife Trust and the Downlands Project. </div>
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Can't resist a rather amusing goat joke my grandson told me....</div>
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<em>Patient</em>, "Doctor, doctor I feel like a goat."</div>
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<em>Doctor</em>, "How long have you felt like this?"</div>
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<em>Patient,</em> "Since I was a kid."</div>
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<br />Another recent, very enjoyable livestock move was when we took 24 sheep to the appropriately named Happy Valley. The sheep needed to be herded across the site to an enclosure on the other side so the Grazing Officer sent me down to the bottom of the valley where there were two entrances so I could stop walkers entering with their dogs. The field was covered with Cowslips, the valley echoed with bird song and rabbits hopped in and out of the hedgerow. I was just thinking things couldn't get any better when I glanced over my shoulder to check on the sheep's progress only to find a fox peeping out of a hole so engrossed in also watching the sheep that for a few minutes he was totally unaware of me standing behind him. Just one of those wonderful unforgettable wildlife moments:)))</div>
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Unfortunately because of our busy summer we have had to cancel our holiday so we decided to just go away for a couple of days for our wedding anniversary and my birthday. We didn't want to waste too much time travelling so decided on the North Chilterns. We spent our anniversary at the N.T. Ashridge Estate (amazing they don't charge for parking as everywhere around our way does!) It has wonderful woodland with a good variety of trees and plenty of fallen trees left for wildlife which I always like to see.. </div>
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These plants are growing on a very large, old, decaying, fallen tree...</div>
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As time went on the woods started to get a bit busy so we took a footpath down into the valley through chalk grassland fields of grazing sheep where there was large areas of Sainfoin..</div>
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Along the tree line there was a group of Fallow Deer and unusually many were black backed..</div>
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It was a lovely day, finished off with a great meal with plenty of plonk, so a suitable way to celebrate 36 totally happy years of marriage.</div>
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For my birthday I decided that I would like to meet up with my son and his partner and visit Whipsnade Zoo. I am not a great 'zoo' person but find the way Whipsnade keeps its animals to be acceptable and they do valuable research and breeding programs. The rain fell in sheets and the wind blew but it had its advantages as by the afternoon it seemed we were the only visitors left and so we had no trouble seeing the animals and didn't have to suffer loads of screaming children (although I was amazed at how knowledgeable some of the quieter children from the morning were). I particularly enjoyed the lions that were separated from the public by a glass screen and conveniently they wer sitting just the other side so one could stand right next to them and look at them in detail...wow...they've got big mouths and feet!</div>
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One of the things we will be doing over the summer is filling in for the Project's Livestock Officer and Assistant. The assistant is visiting her homeland of Hungary for six weeks and the Livestock Officer has left to take up a job as Senior Livestock Officer for Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. It sound a great job being involved in the management of some very special places and also doing some interesting work like Badger Vaccination trials. Having been a member of the West Kent Badger group for many,many years, I am horrified at the thought of mass culling of badgers to control TB in cattle but I can also see something urgently needs to be done to get on top of the problem. Therefore I am really pleased when I hear that certain groups like the National Trust and various Wildlife Trusts are prepared to work on badger vaccination as I just can't see that killing badgers will solve anything long term. This is an albino badger that used to visit our garden prior to our neighbours getting Rottweilers..</div>
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I will miss the Grazing Officer as I enjoyed working with him. Besides making a big difference to a lot of chalk grassland sites in this area, he made the livestock volunteering tasks interesting by sharing his knowledge of grazing and conservation and when he was in a good mood (which was most of the time) he could be quite amusing. He also put up with us volunteers which can't have been easy!!:)) Hope he and his family will be happy.</div>
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</div>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-36752819254169201692012-04-24T18:57:00.001+01:002012-04-24T19:01:36.066+01:00Fun at the FarmI can't believe that lambing is nearly over, with only one ewe still left to deliver..it has really gone very fast this year. It has also gone very well with a good batch of healthy, strong lambs and no problems (yet) other than a particularly difficult presentation where both twin lambs were trying to exit mum at the same time. Luckily the Grazing Officer managed to get there in time and was able to decipher which leg belonged to which lamb, untangle them and successfully deliver them both alive!!:)<br />
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A neighbour recently asked if I get bored just waiting for sheep to give birth but it is not like that as there is a lot of work to be done. When we arrive, providing there are no ewes in labour, we assist the Grazing Officer with tail docking, castrating, ear tagging, numbering up, worming etc. and either moving the older ones out to the fields or, if the weather is inclement, into the nursery pen. Then if the weather is good the pregnant ewes are let out into the adjoining field; the whole barn has to have fresh bedding put down; the ewes in the mothering up pens are given hay and fresh water; the round hay racks are replenished and troughs refilled. Then all the animals are given some sheep nuts. This is interspersed with hourly checks for signs of labour and other jobs follow such as checking all the lambs in the field are ok, disinfecting any hurdles that have got dirty, washing out water buckets, getting in more hay and straw. In the afternoon more fresh bedding is put down (this is very important to prevent infections), more hay, more fresh water etc. At the height of lambing it can be a busy day and very tiring but I really enjoy tending to the sheep and their lambs at this vulnerable time in their lives and love watching them bond and hearing the variety of intimate little sounds they give to each other..it is very special:)<br />
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Some of the sheep are quite friendly to us humans, some not so friendly but all tend to keep a certain distance...except that is, when there are sheep nuts in the offing, when suddenly we become very attractive. I was out in the field with a bucket of nuts feeding the pregnant ewes and was soon being bundled by a whole flock of over enthusiastic sheep. Unfortunately, one Jacob caught its horn behind my right knee, while at the same time as another caught me behind my left knee...and down I went...lol. It felt like I was drowning in sheep as the sky closed in above me to be replaced by woolly, gobbling, creatures happily standing on me, over me and around me furiously eating the nuts which I had managed to spill. There were so many sheep it was hard to even sit up let alone stand up (plus I was laughing a lot)! I would think it looked very funny but luckily no one was watching and it was not an experience I wanted to repeat. However that is just what I did the very next day and I am sure it was the same two Jacobs that ambushed me:)))<br />
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I think the picture below may be of one of the culprits as feeding became a lot less risky after she had given birth. She took a long time producing her first lamb which didn't look too good to begin with but with a bit of work he took his first breath and soon had his head up looking at his new world:)<br />
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...15 mins. later he was standing up looking for sustenance...obviously takes after his mother...that will serve her right for knocking me over twice:))<br />
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...40 minutes later and the twin brother arrived.<br />
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...and an hour after that they were all happily settling in to their cosy mothering up pen getting to know each other.<br />
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</div>Along with our lambing duties we have also been helping out with the cows on occasions. In the past I have had a bit of a problem with cows as they always seemed to chase after me or at least <em>moooo</em> a lot, so much so, that friends and family won't walk through a field of cows with me:) Now, at least with the ones at the farm, I actually quite enjoy working with them...however... that was until Wellington, the bull, was added!! He is a good natured chap but his huge size makes him very scary and it has again made me apprehensive of entering their barn.<br />
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Knowing that one of the cows would need treatment for an eye infection I decided I would not arrive too early for my lambing shift in the hope that one of the other volunteers would have already assisted the Grazing Officer with the task. However I was out of luck.<br />
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Over the years I have found that if someone thinks you can do something, then usually you can, even if you're convinced you can't and the sense of satisfacion afterwards is well worth the discomfort, so when the Grazing Officer told me to go and stand right by Wellington in the barn, to make sure the cow with the poorly eye didn't duck past the door we were trying to get her through, I duly did as I was told (I must admit to mentally muttering a few 'bad' words though). It all went ok and Wellington didn't seem particularly interested in what we were doing but I was very relieved when the cow and ourselves were outside with Wellington shut inside...it seems my jinks on cows is lessening although my daughter still says she won't go anywhere near them if I am around:))))))))<br />
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Having got the cow through the door, we needed to get her into the crush (sounds horrible but its just a small, strong enclosure that safely holds the cow still for treatment). We gently chivvied her along from behind and for a bit of extra encouragement the Grazing Officer patted her rump. I held my breath expecting the cow to kick out (I had once given a friendly pat to a horse on its blind side which made it jump so much that it kicked me painfully to the other side of the stable!!) but this lovely cow just plodded calmly into the crush where her eye was treated. I am pleased to say that after several treatments her eye is now beginning to look a lot better so hopefully the sight will be saved which is really good especially as it is Curly (mentioned in a previous post) who is one of the prettiest cows I have known and one of my favourites.<br />
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</div>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377734679299861537.post-84308665821843955402012-04-01T19:53:00.000+01:002012-04-01T19:53:11.320+01:00Quick UpdateThis is just a quick update as time is short and destined to be even shorter over the next few weeks as lambing has started and also a few projects closer to home, including my daughter and grandson possibly moving in with us (plus their cat and a houseful of furniture!!) while they await completion of their new house. My daughter says,"It will be fun!" and it probably will be but at the moment all I can think of is the extra cooking, shopping, washing etc. I think I will be taking lots of walks in the valley which was always my way of de-stressing when the family drove me mad:)<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The trouble I find, when someone I know is moving house, is that it makes me restless to move house myself. I love my valley... I step into the garden and look out over fields and woods, hear birds singing and lambs bleating...idyllic except that there is a constant drone of traffic, interspersed by sirens and planes taking off or flying in to Biggin Hill Airport. It is a compromise we had to make to be able to afford a place adjoining open countryside but near to London (at the time of purchase hubby was in the London Fire Brigade) but I dream of one day moving to somewhere rural and quiet. Recently the perfect place came on to the market. It is not very far away but has 5 acres of chalk grassland and woodland...I can just imagine walking through my own wild flower meadow and on in to my own woodland full of Aconites, Blue bells and Wood Anemones...all I need is a couple of million pounds:)))))</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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Luckily I get to visit lots of lovely chalk grassland sites when doing the Livestock volunteering with the Downlands Project. Here is a quick run down of some of the things that have been going on since my last post:<br />
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Early on a cold misty morning we made our way down the steep hill at Tatsfield to where the ponies were grazing. Over the last few days we had got them used to being caught again in readiness for a visit by the farrier to trim their feet. It always makes me a bit apprehensive as being conservation grazing ponies they are not handled much so can be unpredictable, however, they were very well behaved although Rufus did try to jump on top of me a couple of times when the farrier dropped his tools. Last week we had the more enjoyable job of worming them...it is genuinely more enjoyable as the wormer, which is cinnamon and apple flavoured, is mixed with pony nuts so we are greeted by lots of excited whinnies when they spot us making our way down the hill:)<br />
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There have been quite a lot of sheep related jobs too with several sheep moves, collections of faecal samples for worm egg counts and when needed, the administration of wormers for them too (not so nice as it is injected down their throat..but they don't seem to mind), more hoof trimming and because of the exceptionally warm weather that brought the first flies out, a spray to prevent fly strike.<br />
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Everything has now been prepared for lambing; the hurdles used to make the pens were scrubbed and disinfected along with the barn floor and walls....<br />
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The pens have been constructed and filled with straw bedding. The first lot of ewes are in and due to lamb anytime now with the lambing team on rota to check them. You can guess what my next post will be about:))<br />
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Last week we also helped move five of the Project's cows to one of my favourite sites, Park Ham, near Caterham. I hadn't seen the cows for a couple of months and was amazed at how much their horns had grown making them look very handsome..<br />
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At Park Ham they are sharing the vast grazing area with the Herdwick sheep. It was a new experience for both and at first the cows ran away from the sheep, then the sheep ran away from the cows but by the time we had finished our picnic lunch, looking down from the edge of the bowl, they were all grazing happily together:)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, back to the ponies. Because of the warm weather they are shedding their winter coats which is making them very itchy as Rufus demonstrated. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First he had an itchy leg...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo0cwpuoB58j9pks_hxCCQD1RsDMwFFFccEFAfoc0lLkbH3C6T6p7HvXn65zcaqAfI7smx2r8O0yBl99Sk4MBUE6n6KjKJts00g9JB4dJ6lMlsFuMPQ5MvF6f9ZRvBH5u885uu4BMB-k/s1600/P1030884_edited-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo0cwpuoB58j9pks_hxCCQD1RsDMwFFFccEFAfoc0lLkbH3C6T6p7HvXn65zcaqAfI7smx2r8O0yBl99Sk4MBUE6n6KjKJts00g9JB4dJ6lMlsFuMPQ5MvF6f9ZRvBH5u885uu4BMB-k/s400/P1030884_edited-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then it was an itchy ear....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vabiWd5rs9gj0EZHSXF2bwOcUEmrS8FeT5m1US-IF64pGo4VI2vPZ9H6mY3tXM2lQ3h72AKmLeNLGEH4ftnPz19xmN8zVir5ZGRy9S_yE47SiKrxRomYau0fP9JCLCGbDEkqGrhoRuQ/s1600/P1030909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vabiWd5rs9gj0EZHSXF2bwOcUEmrS8FeT5m1US-IF64pGo4VI2vPZ9H6mY3tXM2lQ3h72AKmLeNLGEH4ftnPz19xmN8zVir5ZGRy9S_yE47SiKrxRomYau0fP9JCLCGbDEkqGrhoRuQ/s400/P1030909.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then Tavey came to the rescue saying, "If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJDC0jgzA4gkS2SuxMnx5wxFR2E-pmGuvyD4uBRXKbZGSiToBJfJpyCf6l93tyKglojP1dOMcPkOuRXW_X5-PFvu7usknbEhZ6CM_IGgymtApwTJMMN7w7ek__M2wXzQrGpNKL50PKuc/s1600/P1030939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJDC0jgzA4gkS2SuxMnx5wxFR2E-pmGuvyD4uBRXKbZGSiToBJfJpyCf6l93tyKglojP1dOMcPkOuRXW_X5-PFvu7usknbEhZ6CM_IGgymtApwTJMMN7w7ek__M2wXzQrGpNKL50PKuc/s400/P1030939.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And for a short while there was a nice bit of mutual grooming before Tavey got bored and bit Rufus's bottom!! :)))))))))))))</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZK2-Ew7gNrFiaUdGdkpusjy14LMcygOn32Jd1cwTISUTvvtre2vlt0aJFekmhDnhnZ0AGZ_4zUsbWX_kIgMhawayLOhaSR_9ZmxqZ8BUvPEIE8ZjohOrBlOwIA0UQ1qiURvMakqqPWw/s1600/P1030950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZK2-Ew7gNrFiaUdGdkpusjy14LMcygOn32Jd1cwTISUTvvtre2vlt0aJFekmhDnhnZ0AGZ_4zUsbWX_kIgMhawayLOhaSR_9ZmxqZ8BUvPEIE8ZjohOrBlOwIA0UQ1qiURvMakqqPWw/s400/P1030950.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05223468571409915907noreply@blogger.com2