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Contains forums, wildlife live webcams, diary, blog, artciles and pictures of farm animals.

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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.

We get some fabulous sunsets here.This was taken last week from our garden.Lindsay.

Winter Aconites in my garden.Lindsay.

Snowdrops in my garden.Lindsay.

This Moorhen looks quite at home!I hope it brings a friend.Lindsay.

This is the Moorhen that has found my new pond.Quite a surprise for this garden.It is approximately 3 feet from my conservatory windows.Lindsay.

For about six weeks Gypsy has been unwell. Most of the time she was alright, but some mornings we would go to feed the Horses and she would be laid out flat on the floor. Some times she would get up when she saw that her feed was on its way. On other occasions we would need to get her up. Once she was up she was fine, eating, drinking and moving as we would expect. The problem we had was that it was intermittent. The Veterinary looked at her when it first started and blood test showed nothing was wrong, so there really wasn’t any thing we could treat her for.

For the past two week Gypsy was getting worse. She was laying stretched out flat more often. At other times she was fine. She was also drinking and urinating more than normal. I started to have suspicion that it was a liver problem. If it were an infection it would be constant. It wasn’t, that indicated that there was probably liver damage.

With animals you really do agonise about what to do when they are ill. They are unable to tell you of pain. You need to watch if their routine alters, and see if their actions show if they are experiencing any pain. You must never consider their welfare against their value. At times you need to take action that you know is right. It is easy to allow a Veterinary to treat sick animals, but again are you allowing it for the animal benefit or your own. For it is easy to believe that prolonging an animals life is benefiting the animal, when it is making you feel good. I should think some of you have had that experience.

This morning when wee went to feed Gypsy was down again. We needed to make her get up. That was not easy for her and took three attempts. When she was up she was not interested in her food, just picking at it and taking small sips of water. I had to make a decision on if I get the Veterinary in or have her put to sleep. It wasn’t a hard decision. I knew that her illness was causing he pain and I was convinced that she had liver damage. I also knew that no Veterinary attention was going to make her well. All it would do was to cause Gypsy to suffer for longer. Gypsy was put to sleep this morning.

I asked for a report on Gypsy’s liver. That was normal, but one of her kidney was severely damaged. The cause being by a kick from Willow. In the Winter we keep youngsters stabled together in large gated areas in our main barn. Willow gets very excited at feed times, kicking her legs out and bucking. There is no malice in it, just sheer excitement. She must have accidentally kicked Gypsy.

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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.

Clumps of snowdrops, Hothfield, Kent. Jill (Epping)

Konick ponies on Hothfield Heathland. Jill (Epping)

Nuthatch on bird feeder – sorry for poor quality, taken through window! Jill (Epping)

We have a Stream or you may call it a Brook that meanders its way from one end of the Farm to the other. It has for hundreds of year if not for ever. It was one of the criteria when we were looking for a Farm property. In the Summer other than when there is very heavy rain it gently meanders it way through the Farm. In the Winter it can become a raging torrent that on one occasion the two foot wide stream became a forty metre river that came down the Valley like a monster wall, flooding all in its way including the Holiday Cottages. Fortunately it is classed by the Environmental Agency as a one in a hundred year incident.

This Winter with the heavy rain and snow there was a lot more water coming through the Farm than when we had the Flood, so the Agency were probably right and we will never see the like again. At one point the Stream goes under a country lane than that splits the Farm in two, flowing into pleasant pastures that we planted Marsh Marigolds, Flag Iris and other Water Plant along the side of the Stream. It makes a pleasant Summer walk after the hay is made. This year the heavy rain and melting snow has caused a great amount of fast water, that has brought with it a lot of river bedding of stone and sandy soil. Eventually it has caused the tunnel under the Lane to block causing the Stream to flood the lane, although not particularly deep the flood did cover a large area of the lane.

Last week we had a visit from the Council asking if they could enter the Pasture Fields to clear the river bedding and sandy soil from the tunnel to stop the flood. We inspected and agreed on the work that would be required, with last Friday or Monday gone being the day that a digger would do the necessary work. The digger never arrived so I believed that I would be told of an alternative day.

As we pass through the Farms gates we can see into the Field where the digger would be working. Although it was right in my line of sight, I truthfully did not see it as my eyes were directed to what only be could called an unsightly carbuncle a hundred yards long on the side of the Stream. I could not believe what I was seeing, there was a bank of at least a hundred yards of river bedding and sandy soil eight feet from the side of the stream and nearly a foot deep that had covered all of the plants that were starting to come above the soil. On reaching the Stream it only got worse for the digger had dug into the side of the bank making the Stream to look like a land drain that you would expect to see on a flood plain. The Stream in that Field was now a small river.

To say that my language to the digger driver was blue would be an understatement, I wanted to hurt him for the damage he had done. He told me that is what he was told to do. Even an idiot would have known he was making an environmental mess. I told his Boss when he arrived what had to be done, but as I am writing the Diary I reckon that I could well have made a mistake. Part of the river bedding and sandy soil will be put back into the Stream with the remainder being flattened on both sides. I now realise that this will stop any rain water from draining from the Field into the Stream. I will need to look at it in the morning, but on thinking this is not going to solve any problems and the Council are going to be in for a costly job to put the damage right. If it can ever be put right.

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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.

The Towers Cleveleys, large gardens of a mansion long gone, that has been turned into a secret haven for locals to enjoy. As a bonus it is just a minutes walk away from us, so armed with a packed lunch is a great place to spend an hour or two. Pam, Cleveleys.

Although it looks as if we are in for a cold spell for part of this week, spring is well on its way at Denbury.

On a walk around the Lake this afternoon I could see that the Flag Iris’s and Marsh Marigold are starting to show them selves above the ground and a few of the Tree are starting to bud. We are also seeing some rough grass starting to show through. The way that that a pair of Blackbirds are darting about instead of waiting around the animal feed bins I am sure that a pair of Blackbirds are building a nest. I will try to see where it is. If I am right and find it I will put a camera up.

Well Ladies and Gentlemen it is about time I told you about the so called Otter that you have been seeing. We do have Otters at Denbury as Karen and some of you saw in the Valley last year. But they are not Otters coming to feed at the Badgers feeding area. They are are or were rats. I have poisoned two areas to get rid of them and by the amount that I have seen over the past few nights most have gone.

Otters are much larger than what some have believed you have seen. The Otter in the Valley last year was very big. A rough guide to the size would be a large Cat plus the strong tail. With the amount of water around Denbury the Otters would be hunting Eels and Fish. If for any reason they were to be about the Badgers feeding area, they would have made a meal of the rats, as would Stoats and Weasels that we also see at Denbury quite often.

There are still a few rats about. I will need to find their holes in the bank that the Badgers Sett is in, to put the bait in. We have been baiting the areas for a long time, probably over a month if not more. We changed the bait we used from a product called Slaymore (just in case any of you have a vermin problem) to our normally excellent Farm Supplies own brand. Although the two bait was based around the same grain the rats would not take it. As soon as we changed back to Slaymore the bait started to be taken. For sure the rats had been to the bait as we put a plastic petrol can with holes at either end, this we put inside a cage. This is to stop Birds from getting to eat the bait. The rats ate half of the can and left the bait.

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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.

Tetatet mini daffs cyclamen around a tree all taken at Hodsock. Sue.

These are photos of Hodsock Priory near Worksop. Sue.

When I changed the webcams over this morning I could only see two Reindeer in the field, so I went to the Field before we gave the Horses their feed. On entering there is usually one of the Reindeer waiting in the area between the gate and the Field that we made so that our Holiday Guests can get close to the Reindeer, she was not there and no where to be seen in the Field. I thought that she may have got out so I would look for her after the Horses were fed. Just as I was leaving the Field I noticed a movement behind one of their two houses at the far end of the Field. When I got to to where I seen the movement there she was well and truly caught up in some netting that was behind two fence panels for added security to keep the Reindeer in. The netting was twisted many times around her antlers, but as much as I tried I could not untwist it. In the end I needed to return to the Farm House for a knife to cut the netting away. Once it was cut off she was not bothered at all, running to the feeding troughs to make sure that she was not missing out on the breakfast.

The Badgers are all starting to come out together for their feed. At the last count when they were all coming out together last year, there were eleven. This year at the two feeding areas I have counted nine at one time, so there is a good chance that there still eleven occupying the Sett, plus however many Cubs there are, for I am sure that the amount of time and bedding that the Badgers are taking into the Sett, there are at least one family of Cubs. I have also seen one Badger that seems to have lightened up on it head. It is usually out feeding on the bottom feeding area quite early. I don’t know if it is changing because it is getting older or it is on of last years Cubs.

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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.

VIEW FROM CURBAR EDGE IN DERBYSHIRE TAKEN AS THE LIGHT WAS FADING. LYNNE.

I know that I have not miss the annul Frog and Toad parade to the Lake to spawn, but some how there is quite a lot of Frog spawn in the Pond next to the Lake. Most years we have many hundreds, if not thousands of Toads and Frogs on our drive making their way to the Lake. They haven’t been yet, If the had we would have seen a lot that had been run over by people visiting or delivering to the Farm. As of yet there has not been any this year. There is still a chance that they will come and we will put up infra-red lamp so that you can see them.

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webcams

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

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

Nearly out of photographs

Elaine will probably tell you she found a pal on her way to see me tonight when she left work if you could have seen us, talk about a pair of girls. Neither of us like frogs and she ended up going home out the front door. While I chased it down into the back garden. Sue.

Snowdrops Tetatet mini daffs cyclamen around a tree all taken at Hodsock. Sue.

The Odd Couple.Taken 26/2/09 SWT. What a pair of diners!! Janice (Leeds)

Penny reckons Sheep are not the smartest animals in the field. You haven’t met Thornton. I kept over a hundred Sheep some year ago. Being part of a flock they didn’t need to be smart. If one runs you all run was their way of thinking. They really didn’t need to think that much for all they have to do is eat, sleep and produce. Thornton does, and he hasn’t had any other Sheep to teach him. Being that he is not even a year old he has learnt remarkably well. He has learnt some of what he knows from Tass and Kye. He opens door, tells you when he it is feeding time, knocks on doors to let people know he wants to come in. On walks with the Dogs he will come to heel when called and will walk to heel. He has needed and want to learn. All animals will if they need to.

The last time that we saw the Little Egret was last Monday. I don’t know if it because the Geese have now settled on the Lake or that it has found a better food source. Although it did eat a few of the small Fish he was also feeding on what ever it could find in the boggy area as well. We had one visit the Farm some years back, but that was a one only appearance. Other than those I have never seen a little Egret until a couple of days ago when I was driving on the M5 and one was in a Field very close to the Road.

An article sent in by Elsie from the Northern Echo.

Police seize horses after owners ignore warnings

By Rachel Wearmouth

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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.

The lake at Hodsock very frozen still Bee hive at Hodsock A tree which grows on its side but the branches grow straight up More Cyclamen and a fallen tree all at Hodsock. Sue.

Fungi on a tree over the lake. Sue.

This morning I went to tidy up the wiring on the entrance gates to the Farm, in preparation for painting. When I reached the gate our neighbour who’s Sheep we are showing on the webcams was at the gates stopping some of his Sheep that he was moving to another field from going under a fence into another of our neighbours garden. He was having problems in getting the Lambs to cross the flooded road at the entrance of our Farm. Although his helpers was trying to push the Lambs on to cross the water to reach the Ewes that were in front of our gates, they were getting no where fast. I took over from our neighbour to keep the Ewes from getting through the fence and going back to their Lambs whilst he went back to push the Lambs on. As much as they tried the Lambs really had no intention of getting their feet wet. They were going every where other than the way they should have been, many going into one of my Field on the other side of the Road. That didn’t help as the Ewes who had been parted from their Lambs were trying to find them. It must have taken a good hour to move the large flock less than twenty metres over the flood. Getting them to their new pasture over half a mile away along the lanes took less that fifteen minutes.

Our neighbour wasn’t aware that had he waited another day the cause of the flood would have been unblocked. The Stream that passes through Denbury cross under the road close to the Farm entrance. With the recent heavy rain and snow the stream had flooded and carried with it a lot of river bedding sand, stone and mud that had blocked the small tunnel under the road, causing the water to divert across the road. There was so much water that it has been quite large flood that caused a lot of drivers to not attempt to take their cars through it.

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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.

1, A robin which came and landed on my hand for some food. Vicky

2, Long-Tailed tits feasting on a fat ball. Vicky

3, The Nottingham Eye in the Old Market Square. Vicky

4, Derbyshire Air Ambulance which landed in our local supermarket car park. Vicky

5, A Nuthatch feeding on seed. Vicky

Sorry that there has not been a Diary for the past couple of days. As well as other work on the Farm we are putting together the equipment for a new webcam that will be broadcasting within a few weeks.

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webcams

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

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

Whisper, Kyes Brother.

Here are some more photos from our stay at Denbury. Julia

Snowy Bullrushes; Julia

Even doing the washing up, there’s no escape from Thornton’s attention!; Julia

Rather expensive Willow Man near Bridgwater, Somerset; Julia

Snow on Brent Knoll, Somerset.

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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 am out of wildlife/nature shots, but here are a bunch of pictures of our cats. The calico with the black nose is Gatto, the calico with the pink nose is Chat, and the black cat is, well, Blackie. The tuxedo cat was our beloved Figaro, who passed on 2 years ago, but he was such a ham for the camera. Penny Chicago Chicago Chicago.

My 25 year old Tortie called Jenny. Merrilyn.

15 year old Sonic. Merrilyn.

For the webcam viewers that have not seen the Badger Cubs as Pam, You wont see them until May to June depending on the weather. One year they showed themselves at the end of April. Last night performance was last years Cubs with a couple of Adults. There was also an Adult collecting grass to take back to the Sett for bedding.

As Jill I am surprised that not more than one pair of Geese nest on the Lake. Every year more than one pair attempt, but the dominant pair always chase all the others away. Some years we have had a pair of Swans attempt to settle, but the Geese even manage to chase them away. Swans would manage to protect their Signets better that the Geese with their Gosling. Swans will attack threats not like the Geese who make a lot of noise when fleeing.

My School had a very big Lake that Swans nested on. The Swans would use the School playing fields that led down to the Lake to eat the grass and rest out on. One year I tried to be cleaver and get as close as I could to the Swan and their Signets. They all started to get back into the Lake. I continued to be cleaver, or so I thought until one of the Adult Swans turned on me. I turned to run but the Swan caught up to me. The pecks didn’t hurt, but the flapping wings around my backside was a pain I have never forgotten.

We received an email and photograph from one Kyes Brothers Owners yesterday. Whispers owners have asked if we hear from any other of Kyes Brothers and Sister. We don’t other than Darcy, so if any other owners read this, let us know how they are getting on. Whisper is having a great life. Having walks on a beach in Cornwall most days. As Kye and Darcy he loves mud.