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Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

I see that Claire was asking about Thornton – well here are a few photos!

Taking a break, outside the Farmhouse; Julia

The reason he knocks on the cottage doors; Julia

The Sheep that thinks it’s a Dog – taking a walk in Denbury Woods with us, Tass and Ky. Julia

Inspired by Peter’s picture of starlings on the wires I enclose. Jill, Epping

Owl on the jump at the Badger feeding place. Marie

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Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Raccoon in the same gardens. – Rosie’s Mum

Chipmunk in the gardens – Rosie’s Mum
Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Another cardinal – Rosie’s Mum

Flowers in the gardens – Rosie’s Mum

Another chipmunk. – Rosie’s Mum

I sent the new camera to Peter at Indian River Bay, Delaware on Tuesday. Just 48 hours later it was delivered. It has taken longer for letters to be delivered from one side of Taunton to the other. I have labeled all of the connection where Peter need to put them. As long as he takes notice there is no reason why the camera should not be up and running very shortly.

The Swans have settled in very well. One of this weeks Holiday Guest has been giving them bread and they have soon got use to it. As soon as any one enters the Lake area they greet them in the hope of a little food. By the way that the Swans are acting I reckon that there are two Cobs and a Pen. (I am not clever I checked the names on Google) If I am correct one of the Cobs will need to go. If two are Pens I will try to keep a trio. Not to sure if that is possible, I will try to find out. Cob and Pen wouldn’t be the nicest of word like the Chicken names.

I thought for a while that the Swans now that they are being friendly were going to make themselves a nuisance with those fishing as they were hanging round them. Today it looks as if it was a one off as they seem to be staying away from any one with a fishing rod in their hand.

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Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Satara Dam at Sunset Kruger National Park

Spotted Eagle Owl we spotted on a night drive several years ago, just sat in the tree staring at us. Claire – Devon

This is a picture taken at Millennium Park , Chicago Illinois , where they have a garden with native Illinois prairie plants, and the buildings on Michigan Avenue in the background. The pedestrian bridge that is visible goes from the Park to the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute. Penny, Chicago Chicago Chicago.

Cardinal in Edwards Gardens – Rosie’s Mum

Old graveyard in Edwards Gardens now fenced off. This is a private graveyard and family still visit the graves. The family gave the land to the city and is a very popular park. – Rosie’s Mum

A couple of you have asked about Thornton. Just recently he has been staying in off a night. I think it may well be something to do with the weather we have been having. He went out early this morning knocking on the Cottages doors in the hope that he will get treats. He normally does. Thornton knocking on the doors does at times give us a problem. This afternoon I went to tell one of our Holiday Guests what time they should go the the Badger hide. I needed to knock a few times. When the door was eventually open our Guest hadn’t open the door as they believed it was Thornton.

We have repaired the Horse Field fence trying to keep the Sheep out. The Sheep worked out how to get in to the Field. As clever as Thornton is, he hasn’t. That may also be a reason for him coming in the Farm House of a night. He was in early this afternoon, probably as it was raining very hard. He doesn’t need to knock on the Farm House Kitchen door as he reaches up the door handle and pushes the door open.

Nearly finished getting the secret camera ready to send to ???????. This webcam only needs to be a static camera with a very wide lens. The housing it needs to be in also has to be heated. I am hoping to sent it before the end of the week to the location.

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Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Keep checking the adds. It does help.

On a walk on the common this afternoon, plenty of insects buzzing about including –

Gatekeeper butterfly – aka Hedge Brown. Jill, Epping

Comma butterfly. Jill, Epping

Painted Lady butterfly. Jill, Epping

Bee on bramble flowers. Jill, Epping

Small cricket. Jill, Epping

Haven’t really got a lot to tell for today. I had hoped a few of you may have had a few different regional Chicken words. Although the Forum has been very quite.

I did send the new camera to Peter in Indian River Bay Delaware today, so that next year we can get a really good Osprey Nest webcam from the USA. I have sent a pan, tilt and 18x zoom camera. As the nest is lower than the top of Peters house and only at the most a 150 feet the camera will look right into every part of the nest. Peter tells me that there are a lot of other wildlife in the vicinity. Including the Bold and Brown Eagles. We hope to have the new camera working by September.

And just to tease. When I finish the Diary I will be putting together the camera for the new webcam that I am having to keep secret.

I have been trying to get the secret webcam going for a while and have sent a few emails to possible people in the location. I have now been contacted by another person about the secret webcam in a slightly different location. There is also in the location a White Tailed Eagle that does at times nest.

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Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

A few pics, for you, I came across in my Photos.

The Sloth was at a Wildlife Park near Burford, Oxon. Peter

Bit early for the bird’s yet, won’t be long though. Peter

Swans were local to me. Peter

The Black Silkie that was on the Photo Page last night is a big hit with our Holiday Guests. She looks as someone said on the Forum to have attitude. She tries very hard to be friends with the other Chickens but unfortunately for her it is all to do with the pecking order and she is bottom and gets bullied. As she is on her own since the White Silkie was taken by the Owl, she tries too mix with the other Chicken but they chase her off. It has made her quite friendly quickly with the Holiday Guests as she hangs around with the Chickens outside the Cottage doors hoping for a crumb. Being small and cute as someone said last week she tend to be given extra crumbs which keeps her around the Cottages for longer.

We have two Silkie Chicks a Gold and a White that when they are older will be able to be housed with her. There are also over 30 eggs in the incubator waiting to hatch. There is a good selection of different colours. White, Gold, Black and Blue and the intention is to breed them next year once they reach egg laying.

We find lots of the word associated with Chickens not to be very nice. Poultry, Fowl, Pullets, Poults and even Chicken itself is not that nice. We tend not to use the words other than Chicken. There must be a few more that you know. Maybe regional names.

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Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Need more photographs and please keep watching the adds.

A late photograph of our Black Silkie a little bit wet as you can see by her spiky hair. We hope that the Owl doesn’t eat her. Taken by year 8 year old Sam (one of this week Holiday Guests)

After the discussion about puffins earlier this week I thought I’d send in a couple from Skomer this year. Jill.

Does anyone know the name of this” pretty “! rockery shrub? It has taken me a few years to realize it is responsible for a vile smell, I used to think something had died in the area! It attracts horrible big flies.Cant remember where I bought it.Rose W’canton

The Swallows nest was empty this morning. We haven’t seen any Magpies near the Barn where the nest is. I can only think that it is either a Rat or more than likely the Tawney Owl that had the Silkie a week back. It was the same barn that the Dove chicks were on the webcam and they have also been taken. As have the eggs from another Swallows nest that I had intended to show once the Swallow chicks had fledged.

We have never had a problem with Owls raiding nests before, but we have never had an Owl take a Chicken either, be it that the Silkie was a youngster and only half of the size of our Chickens. We have been leaving the Swallow webcam on most nights, it was on last night so it is possible someone may have been watching when the Swallow Chicks were taken.

I have been looking for another Swallows nest to put on the webcams, as of yet I cant find one. It is still not to late for the Swallows to nest again this year. I should think that the Swallows that have lost their brood will try again. I don’t know If they will use the same Barn. I should think one pair will.

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I posted a Diary a short while ago telling that…

I posted a Diary a short while ago telling that the Black Swans had flown away. I left a few messages telling people off as they are pinioned. A few minutes ago one of today’s Holiday Guest who I had told came and told me that he had seen one of the Swans in the reeds of the Lake. On going to look they were all tucked into the reeds very close to the bank of the Lake, if they were not pointed out to me I would not have seen them. The way that they have been keeping out of the way, I thought that they would have moved from the bank even when hiding in the reeds when I was very close to where they were. I have had to make a few apologises for being an idiot.

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Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

This place is called “Rest and be Thankful in Scotland – Rosie’s Mum in Toronto

More from Banksy.

This one was accredited to “Local Artist and Damien Hirst” Damien Hirst is also a local artist! Julia

There has been a bi-plane in the main hall at the museum for about as long as I can remember – Banksy added an escapee from Guantanamo Bay! Julia

This burnt out ice cream van doubled up as the enquiries office! Julia

This is my absolute favourite – the Lion got the Tamer! Ha! Julia

We let the Cygnets onto the Lake this morning. They are keeping out of peoples way who are going to the Lake and are spending all of the time at the far end to where we had released them. Where they were at Cricket, they would not have had a lot of contact with people, so it is going to take them a while to get use to our Holiday Guests and those fishing on the Lake. I would expect them to soon to get use to people and hopefully they will become friendly.

Last night we left them in a stable as it was to late to release them. When we collected them they were in large bags with just their heads and necks visible. They were please to be out of the bags but I thought that I may have had a bit of trouble catching them this morning. They all made threatening hisses when I was catching them, but they were less aggressive than I imagined they would be.

I am hoping that they will eventually use the island to settle at night. I went there this morning in the rowing boat, before we released the Cygnets to cut the grass, weeds and bull-rushes to make an area for them to use, it will make them a lot safer if they do use it. I should hope that until they get use to their new home they might stay on the water at night. I haven’t seen them on the banks of the Lake yet, that shows they are not confident of their new surroundings. They are going close to the bank where the Geese would lay at times. The water is quite shallow there, so the Cygnets are able to stand in the water.

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Sorry only just got back from collecting the Black Swan…

Sorry only just got back from collecting the Black Swan and there is still at lot of work to finish, so there will be no Diary or Photo page tonight.

We had hope to have collected them this morning, but unfortunately they had other ideas. As it is a bit late they are being kept in a stable over night and will be let out on the Lake in the morning at around 10.am in the morning. We were concerned that they would not settle at this time of the evening. Letting them out in the morning will give them time to settle through the day light before night full.

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Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Today Chris and I took my Stepson to the Bristol Museum where there is an exhibition by Banksy, the infamous Bristol Graffiti Artist.
It was incredible – and FREE!! We queued for nearly an hour to get in – and it was quite surprising to see people in the queue whom you’d NEVER expect to see there!!

An artistic Monkey – it blinked as it looked at the canvas;

Beautiful Statue – out on the town with a fag and a drink!;

Princess Bunny putting on make-up;

Someone moved the painting…..so the water ran out!!;

This is one of my favourites – taking a break!;

Some of the photos are a little blurred, this is because, although photography was allowed, flash photography wasn’t.
It really was a great exhibition, so clever and original!

Bristol is not far from the Farm, if only I had the time I would go. Keep checking the adds. And we could do with some more photographs.

The injured Goose seems to have made a full recovery. She is no longer having antibiotics injections and the pillow case that she has been wearing to stop her from pecking at the injury and her stitches has now been taken off. When it was taken off she ran away flapping her wings and honking as if in excitement. The injury looks as if it has healed extremely well and there seems to be no reason why she should have any problems.

One of the two Silkies that we got last week has been taken. We believe by a Tawney Owl. When we get new Chicken we keep them shut in a small house for a few days next to our other Chickens so that they become aware of the surroundings and noises. It works very well. On letting them out they will usually peck about very close to their house and more often than not jump up into it when they go in for the night. We let them both out on Sunday and they did what they normally do, both staying close to each other. At about 8.30pm when it was time to shut up the Chicken houses the White Silkie was missing. We hoped that she had wandered off a little further, and had settled down away for the night. We looked around for over an hour without finding her. We had hoped that she would be about the next morning but there was no sign of her. Later in the day I found what was probably the remains of some of her feathers. It may have been a Fox or Sparrow Hawk that had taken her. I doubt the Fox as he would have caused a lot of commotion with the other Chickens and Geese.
Although the Doves are sometime taken by a Sparrow Hawk there hasn’t been any sightings of one recently.

The reason we believe it was an Owl is that one has been in a tree closest to the Farm House that is very near to where the Chickens are kept. Last night just before it was completely dark I had to go and check on the Lake and the Owl nearly hit my head as it came from the direction of the Chicken houses to the tree. Its a fair assumption that it was the Owl.