Category: webcams

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

Categories
webcams

The Filly saw the big wide world I reckon she…

The Filly saw the big wide world, I reckon she likes what she saw, once we had got he out of the stable. You would think that they would follow Mum, no way, they are all the same, Mum starts to leave the stable on the head collar, but you can guarantee the Foals don’t follow, Mum starts to panic because the Foal has been left behind, racing back to the stable with us in tow. Then its a case of pushing the Foal out. Suddenly there is so much to see that they walk into every thing in sight. It only lasts for a short time, the Foal gets its legs and away they go.

After Lady had munched her fill of grass she walked around the field, the Filly hugging close to her side. It did not take the Filly long to feel her feet, to get her confidence and having a little run and skip about, of course only very close to Mum. She soon crashes out, only to start again later. We knew when it was time for the Filly to come in, Lady waited at the gate to tell us.

We had to bring Breeze and Arnie in whilst Lady and the Filly were out in the field, for they probably would go on a mad one. In about a weeks time they will all be able to go out together. At the moment we will leave Breeze and Arnie out in the field of a night. Lady and the Filly of a day. It will be a good thing for Arnie as he is a bit overweight. The spring grass has a lot of sugar in it, that could well give him problems.

Both of the Blackbird fledglings, I suppose I had better call them that. I have never professed to being a Bill Oddy, just better looking. The adult Blackbirds are busy feeding them, and I have seen the fledglings fly a little.

A couple of questions on the forum. Foals do have teeth, as humans they loose their milk teeth.

Race Horses Foals are normally weaned at about five to six months old, as the Mares are normally put back in Foal within a month of foaling. We try to keep them suckling for eight months, as the unborn foal only relies on the Mother for the last three months. I think it is good for both. Very often though the Mare will stop feeding the foals, by raising their back legs to to stop the Foal from getting to the udder, then we will wean them.

Got a little extra sleep. Still wake to check the Foal, for a few nights

The Veterinary is coming to see Woody tomorrow.

Hopefully The Scottish Wildlife Trust will be running tomorrow. They will initially be using their own cameras, with the new camera I supplied being installed at the weekend. As I . have said before, we sometimes have minor problems, that may cause little delays. Please be patient.

For a couple of weeks we have been experiencing minor problems with the camera control system. The main Badger camera was affected more than the others. I changed the controller over this afternoon. You would have experienced some loss of picture and quality. The controller now being used only allow eight cameras, we have more installed. You may see the screens turn blue, this is because we are changing certain camera over manually. The usual controller has been sent for repair and should be back early next week.

Categories
webcams

First the bad news The Blackbird chicks got out of…

First the bad news. The Blackbird chicks got out of the box that their nest was in, earlier today, we managed to find one of them, no sooner than we put it back into the nest it got out. This time we were unable to find it. The chicks were to young to have fledged, and we can only assume the worse. Up date. On looking around the barn with the camera we found one of the chicks. The adults are feeding it, it just flew off. Looking out of our window that overlooks the Farm Yard I can see it sitting on a gate post. So maybe not to young to fledged.

At last Lady has Foaled. Our alarm cock went off at about 2.15pm, I could see that she was in a little discomfort and went straight to Lady’s stable. It was obvious that she was about to foal. Feeling inside her I could initially only feel one leg. After more feeling about, I found the other leg, a little bit back, but it was easy to bring forward. It did not take very long for the legs and head to show. I am all for natural births, but I am not prepared not to help. Most times when I see the head and front legs of the foal I will put a rope on both feet, when the Mare pushes we will pull. We did last night with Lady, she gave birth with our help within ten minutes of us helping her. At one time I did think that we would need help to pull the foal off. I could tell by the size of the foals head and legs that it was going to be a big foal, and expected a Colt foal.

At 2.35am Lady gave birth to a Filly foal. As you can see the Filly is big, those extra three weeks in the womb didn’t do any harm. Lady was quickly to her feet and encouraging the Foal to get up on its legs. We could see that the Foal would not take long to be on her legs and taking her first feed of colostrum. Very often we will stay with the Mare and Foal until the Foal is suckling. It was not going to be necessary at this birth. We returned to bed, checking Lady and the Foal on the Monitor in our bedroom every hour.

If the weather is good tomorrow we shall let Lady and the Filly out into the field. There is nothing better than spring grass to produce milk in nursing Horses, helping the Foal to grow strong.

I did check Lady a couple of hours before she foaled. There where no signs that she would have had the Foal in two hours time. By reading the forum it seems that only the Ladies in the USA saw the birth. I am sorry that all you very patient people, watching for the past weeks missed the birth. But after seeing the Filly I am sure that you are not to disappointed, and thank you all for you good wished that you have put on the forum.

We shall now be thinking about a stable name for the Filly. There are a few obvious ones, I am sure that you have some that you can suggest. We wont promise to use any of the suggestions, but it will be good fun.

Breeze and Arnie were a let down when we tuned them out this afternoon. It didn’t happen as it normally does, but I promise it will be better when we turn Bliss and Misty out with Breeze and Arnie. I was asked do we leave them out for the summer. If the weather is good we try to, bringing them in if it is too hot or prolonged rain.

Categories
webcams

I saw the Badger cub for the first time last…

I saw the Badger cub for the first time last night. It does look as if the Sow has only got one cub, more than likely she had two and one has died. I could be wrong and that there is another one who has not come out of the sett as yet. I hope so as they do play well together. Last night the cub did look lost, not knowing what to do next. It could also be that there is another Sow in the sett with cubs, and that the cubs are not yet mature enough to show themselves. The coulds are probably wishful thinking, all though the doubling of the sett last year was also surprising.

Last year two sows of the sett had cubs, one having twins and the other triplets, that is unusual, normally only one sow of the sett breeds each year. Last year the sett doubled in size. Up to about two weeks ago all ten were still about.

Since I took a rattly bunch of keys in my pocket to stop the Badgers becoming to humanised, by rattling the keys when I fed them, they have not been waiting so close to me at feeding times. It hasn’t frightened them, but it has made them wary, which was my objective. One Badger does come out as I am leaving the field. It pops its head out of the sett when it hears me and gingerly edges it self to the edge of the field, very rarely coming any closer.

The Swallows have got on well with their nest building, they have been at it all day, it still doesn’t look that good or safe. The Blackbirds chicks are in out of their nest all day long, they would not be able to do that if the nest was not in the fruit tray.

We have a contractor spraying to get rid of the dots and nettles in the hay fields. The weeds tend to spoil the hay, and the horses are not keen on hay when there is weeds in it. We always leave a lot of weeds around the farm for the wildlife, especially the nettles, where the butterflies often lay their eggs.

We are going to let Breeze and Arnie out into their summer gazing field tomorrow morning between 9 and 9.30 am. I am sure that they will do as I said they would in yesterdays diary. Both cameras Denbury Farm 1 and 2 overlook the field and I will show the horses on both cameras for half an hour or so.

Categories
webcams

I managed to get the Swallows camera up this afternoon…

I managed to get the Swallows camera up this afternoon. I will put it on now and then instead of the Blackbird camera. Not to much as the Swallows are still building their nest. Well I hope they are, the eggs will soon fall out of that sorry affair, unless they make a better job of it. I will check the nest when they start laying their eggs and let you know how many eggs they lay, that will make it more interesting.

I had a problem with the main Badger camera last night. I really don’t know why, but for for some reason I was not able to control the camera. I switched the electricity off for fifteen minute or so, on turning it back on it seemed to be working as it should. Unfortunately camera one and the valley camera are on the same electricity supply and they went off at the same time. Last nights problem with the main Badger camera could be the start of the camera breaking down completely, and it may need changing. This camera is on a high telegraph pole. As I don’t like heights I have got to find someone to change it over for me. If I knew of any one I would change it now, rather than let it breakdown completely, and then having to find someone to do the job, especially as the Badger cubs a coming out. This camera also looks over the field where the Horses are now, and in their main field that we are turning them out on, on the 1st of May.

Yes, on the 1st of May we turn the Horses out on to their main field for the summer. Because of the lack of rain there is about half the amount of grass as in recent year. The Sheep have not helped, having some of them still grazing the field, but it would not be fair to leave the Horses any longer in the paddock that they are now in. They must be cursing me in their language with all that tasty spring grass, not a few metres away. It will also save us a lot of work.

It is a bit like a rodeo when they are first turned out onto the new grass. Breeze goes absolutely loopy, racing around the field bucking and kicking her legs out. Arnie does not go quite so mad, but he still enjoys himself. I wont let Lady and Woody out at the same time, they will want to join in with the fun. Lady in her condition and Woody being unwell may just cause more problems. I am going to turn Bliss and Misty out with the other Horses a few days later. I think that I will have to let them out on their own for a few hours, as Breeze will make them go even more mad if she is with them.

I will let you know tomorrow what time I am going to let them out, as long as the main Badger Camera is working alright you will be able to see a little of the action.

Categories
webcams

I am putting up a Swallow nesting camera in Stable…

I am putting up a Swallow nesting camera in Stable Barn/Cottage. It should be working tomorrow. We intended to have this cottage finished by now, but the clown who did some work on the roof, has done it wrong and I am waiting to have it redone. In the mean time at least one pair of Swallows have squatted in the cottage.

They are in the process of building their nest on a live 30 amp electricity junction box. How they came to choose such a place I cannot imagine, as there are a lot more suitable places in the cottage that they could have nested, It is only a foot or so from where a pair nested last year that we had on the web cam. The wire that is either side of the junction box/nest is where the fledglings perched after leaving the nest last year.

The Pied Wagtail has nested in the cooker hood outlet pipe in one of the cottages, I had seen them in the area, although until today I had not seen them go into the hole. I have the lights I need to light up the hole. Tomorrow I will try to see if I will be able to put a camera in a position to be able to see them.

Woody is still very unwell, and still does not show any signs that she is to foal next week.

To my surprise on checking the sheep today, the four Ewes and lambs that had got out of the area that I had electric fenced at the end of the valley, had put themselves back behind the fence. Although I had tried to find them, I had not seen any sign of them for a few days. I still have not managed to catch any more of the Sheep, I will try again on Monday.

The Geese are still sitting on their eggs. Over the past few day the other pair of geese have been returning, landing in the field close to the Farm House, before flying onto the lake to a nag at the sitting tenants, they don’t wait long before flying off. I saw a pair of Moorhens with six chicks, as I was mowing the grass around the lake. Most years a couple of the chicks survive.

Elsie asked, have we any Buzzards on the Farm. We have a pair that nest every year. I did a diary entry on the 29th of March about them. Tass and Ky are doing great. They are the best of friends and don’t stop playing with each other. We will try to get them on camera, down the valley in the next couple of days.

JoAnn from New Jersey asked what signs were there when Lady is to foal. Unfortunately not a lot, but if she is looking behind herself a lot is the one sign I look for, that you are also able see. I also check her udder, and different signs at her rear end, but nothing is for sure.

Any more about the Magpies, superstition and how you react. Those you have put on the forum are interesting. Keep them coming.

Denbury Farms URL got put in the Daily Mail Magazine today, in their Big Brother Goes Wild editorial. I am a little disappointed, it was the meanest of mentions for our comprehensive wildlife site. When someone from the Magazine spoke to me two weeks or so ago, they gave me the impression that the article would have had a lot more in it about The Web Broadcasting wildlife, and about our real time web cams.

Categories
webcams

More news on The Scottish Wildlife Trust On speaking to…

More news on The Scottish Wildlife Trust. On speaking to the Lock of the Lowe’s Centre Manager today, he has told me that they have regulars visits from Pine Martin. One of the camera that we will supply will be put in a place, where hopefully they will be seen on the web cams.

The Scottish Wildlife Trusts Computer expert will be going to the centre on Wednesday and Thursday of next week, If every thing goes to plan we may be showing the Osprey on this site, in real time later in the week. There could be minor problems that may delay the broadcasting. Keep your fingers crossed. Initially we will be using their existing cameras. The camera that we are supplying to the Trust will be sent to them on Monday. They have a volunteer that is a trained CCTV installer, that they will have to arrange with him for the installation. Our agreement has happened so quickly that there may be a little delay in the installation, but it will be well worth the wait.

Most days I need to fill the Bird feeders and Peanut feeders. This morning as I made my way to fill them I heard a Rabbit squealing, obviously in distress. I could see the bramble moving about ten feet in front of me. I could just about see the head of a young Rabbit in the bramble, it may well have been caught up by the way it was trying to move. By this time I was a little closer, I could hardly believe my eyes, for holding onto the rabbits back leg was a Rat. I think some of you already know what I think of them. I shouted in the direction of the two of them, hoping that the Rat would let go, causing both me and the Rabbit to have no more problems with the Rat. I think it was so busy thinking about the breakfast it had his teeth into, that it did not hear me. I couldn’t really let it happen, but I don’t even like looking at them, so with my eye partially closed I made a lunging motion towards them. I felt my foot catch a large stone and I tumbled over, finishing spread eagle on the ground, with my face only inches from from that horrible thing. My screams made it run, leaving the Rabbit able to hobble to safety, or so I thought, for as I returned from filling the feeders the Rabbit started to squeal again, the Rat was hanging onto it again. I picked up what I thought was a slender stick to throw at it, that turned out to be the remains of a last year nettle, that drooped down as I lifted it to throw. In the end my shouting at the Rat made it let go again. I did see the Rabbit go down a burrow. I do hope it was a Rabbits.

Unfortunately where it happened is where I feed the Badgers on cam 1. Most nights you can see the Rats, stealing a bit of feed on the web cam. I don’t really like to poison the Rats in that area, as the Badgers may catch them full of poison, or an Owl may take one. The Badger would only get a belly ache, but the poison would kill an Owl. I have got to think of something.

No Pat (Herts)we have not heard the Cuckoo yet. Not sure, but I think it is just about now that we normally hear them. The weather may be making us think that it is later in the year, than it really is.

Yes Elsie the Magpie doesnt miss a meal. As the forum is being used from all over, what superstition from different areas do you all have about the Magpie, and what do you do or say when you see them?

Categories
webcams

We are really thrilled to announce that we are to…

We are really thrilled to announce that we are to host the web cams for The Scottish Wildlife Trust at their Lock of the Lowe’s centre, focusing through the summer on their nesting pair of Ospreys. The web cams that are in place at the centre now, update and have a 30 second cut off. We will be broadcasting the web cams real-time live, 24/7. This will be possible as there is a Infra Red lamp already installed, positioned on the nest.

The agreement that we will be hosting the web cams for The Scottish Wildlife Trust was only finalised this afternoon. We will be sending to them an 18x Zoom, Pan and Tilt Camera and all the ancillary equipment next week, and would hope that we will be live broadcasting very soon. I will keep you up to date on how it is progressing.

The 18x Zoom, Pan and Tilt camera will hopefully allow the centre to show other wild life, Red Squirrel, Fallow and Roe Deer and in the winter a great assortment Wildfowl. You can access The Scottish Wildlife Trusts web site at www.swt.org.uk where you can see the current web cams position on the Ospreys nest, that has three eggs that the female is brooding. You are also able to access the Osprey diary to keep you up to date with the nesting site.

We also hope very soon to be able to announce another exciting addition to our web site, that we will be hosting, again in Scotland. As well as other wildlife you should be able to see elusive Pine Martin.

We agreed last year to broadcast an all year roost of Barn Owls, that regularly nest. Unfortunately we have as of yet not been able to get together on a time to install the cameras. I will endeavour to try to sort it out next week. Some exciting new addition are happening.

I am sorry about the short diary entry for last night. Woody being unwell put me behind with my work, I was working until past 10pm. Although Woody looks well on camera through the day she is very ill and it could well be a terminal illness. We are treating her for pain, but can do very little more until after she has foaled.

Lady, oh Lady you are giving me to many disturbed nights. I reckon I will be waking every hour, every night for the rest of my life, with the waking that I am having to do, to keep an eye on you. Your belly is enormous and you waddle in like a duck, when I stable you of a night. I feed you, groom you, make your bed, a proper little gofer for you, and you keep me awake all night, not to mention your audience.

I must remember to turn the light out on the Blackbird nest tonight. When I checked the nest last night, the Blackbird was not sitting on the nest. I may be wrong, but I didn’t think that they fed their young in the night. If I am not wrong the light may have caused her to think it was daytime. I wouldn’t like to think I had made her work overtime. The camera I use on the nest has a built in IR lamp. I will look tonight to see if she is sitting.

The forum has been quiet today, have you all deserted me, or making up lost sleep, because of Lady.

Categories
webcams

The diary tonight will be very short You may see…

The diary tonight will be very short. You may see Woody putting her head over Lady’s stable. It is the first time that she has been up all day. She was ill last night and has been flat out all day, We are doing all we can to make her comfortable. There is a very good chance that she will loose the foal, that she is carrying.

Lady is very well, we are sure that every thing will go well when she has her foal.

I managed to put a light up near the Blackbird nest, the picture does look a lot better than it did yesterday.

I hope to be able to give you some excellent news in the next day or two on a new wildlife camera that The Web Broadcasting Corporation will be hosting, on our website. I am sure you will be as thrilled as us when we break the news to you.

Categories
webcams

It has been raining on and off for two days…

It has been raining on and off for two days, not very heavy, I suppose you could call it longish showers, for sure it is not enough. We really need a lot more prolonged rain, to penetrate the soil. I sound like a glutton for punishment. Believe me I am not, I would much rather be working in the dry.

A couple on the forum want to do the foal watch next year, if only. I turned the alarm off in my sleep again last night. When I woke and realised it was just one big panic. We had to go to town today, I suddenly realised that we had been away for more than two hours, half of what needed doing got left. One big rush to get back to the farm, only to see Lady munching.

Last year one lady phoned in the middle of the night to tell me that Lady had started to foal. I had actually turned the clock off in my sleep, my mother had also fallen to sleep, so we didn’t know. I wasn’t really very nice to the lady when she phoned, I believe I even told her I knew, I didn’t really. Next morning I cant remember if I phoned her or she me, I think I phoned her as she had not withheld her phone number, but I did apologise for being rude to her, and I was really pleased that she had phoned. I hope who ever you are, forgave me, and is watching this year.

The year before a lady from the USA phoned to let me know one of the Horses she thought was foaling, it was a false alarm, but she did let me know when the Horse was foaling. I am sure one of you will let me know if I am not on the screen when Lady does starts to foal. And to those who have in the past, a big thank you.

I have got to do something about the Blackbird nest camera tomorrow. The place it is in is quite dark, when it is sunny the picture is good. At the moment it is pretty dull. I fixed a light up, but I not sure that it has not made it worse, by throwing a shadow on the nest, I will think of something. Again I didn’t have time to look for more nests today, but I will try again tomorrow.

I have not finished the new Badgers Hide yet, the frame is all squared up and I should with a bit of luck get the wainey edge cladding on it tomorrow. The Badgers didn’t take any notice of it at all last night.

Pat (Herts) about the Squirrels. Check out Sundays Diary . Can any one definitely name Elsie’s tree yet. Some kind person has put a URL for a tree identifier. I was going to cheat before I put it up to let you think I was cleaver, but you already know that.

Categories
webcams

The Veterinary came today Lady is perfectly alright It is…

The Veterinary came today, Lady is perfectly alright. It is just a case of waiting and being patient. Believe me I am not a very patient person, probably the most inpatient person you would know. I am setting the alarm for every hour and checking Lady on the camera with the monitor in our bedroom. Thank goodness for that, I remember well when I had to go to the stables every hour, Its not very nice. I have a couple of times turned the alarm off in my sleep, that is a worry for I know that Lady should be able to foal on her own, but it is just not worth taking the chance. Whats the add on the TV, one Supermarkets have a special no bag checkout week, this week. We will be alright with the bags under our eyes. I reckon some of you Ladies wont have a problem either.

The Veterinary had a look at Woody. Seeing her every day we tend not to see a lot of difference in her condition, we knew that she had lost a bit of weight. The Veterinary since he last came noticed a lot of weight loss. When Veterinary came Woody looked okay, when I looked in whilst checking Lady out before I went to bed, she was up and looking fine again, all day long she has been up and about. Whilst in Foal there is little more we can do for her, other than giving her a pain killer. I am starting to think that there is some going on inside Woody, that is a bit more sinister than what I have been thinking.

Went to check the Sheep earlier today, what do you reckon, the four I put up the end last night have had it away. I had electric fenced the boundary of the field off so that they would not stray into other peoples land. Unfortunately the nettles and grass had grown so that they were touching part of the wire, this reduces the power of the fencer. Electric fencers are run off of car battery, they give enough sting so that animals do not want another one, it keeps them in the boundaries of the fence, sounds not particularly nice, but it does not in any way hurt them. As we try to encourage wild life our fencing is not really suitable for normal farm animals. Anyway the ten that had got stung before the grass was touching the wire are still there. The new ones, probably did not get any sting at all. I have had to strim all around the field under the wire. Where the Sheep our now, who knows, I saw a of them in the wood but they did not hang about when they saw me.

I will watch the Hedgehog web cam being set up by a forum writer. I have never seen a hedgehog in Somerset. When I live in London I often saw them in our garden.

Tell you what Elsie, I have lived here for a good few years and never noticed that tree, it is beautiful when in flower. If I remember I will get a close up of it tomorrow at about 7.30pm, for five minutes. Someone may know what it is.

Both of Rye Harbour web cams are now working.