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I never realised how long ago that I last managed…

I never realised how long ago that I last managed to do a Diary. It seems just a few days ago that I sat down and wrote.

The Kingfishers have been seen a lot more this year than last. I reckon that last year we missed them as they were landing on the wire and not the branch. I will remove the branch so that the is not a choice for the camera to be trained on, although this morning a Moorhen used it for a perch. Talk about the Moorhens we have a lot more on the Lake this year than we have ever had. I have only seen one Coot probably because the Moorhen has been taking the Coots Chicks as they have the Mallards. Just as well as it has been an exceptional year for breeding on the Lake there now being so many Mallards they are taking the Swans feed before they have a chance to eat it.

WE eventually made our hay. Not very good as it rained on it for well over a month and we have only managed to make half of what we normally would make. No good complaining for if we needed to buy it in it would cost a fortune if we were able to get any. You could reckon on paying about

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I never realised how long ago that I last managed…

I never realised how long ago that I last managed to do a Diary. It seems just a few days ago that I sat down and wrote.

The Kingfishers have been seen a lot more this year than last. I reckon that last year we missed them as they were landing on the wire and not the branch. I will remove the branch so that the is not a choice for the camera to be trained on, although this morning a Moorhen used it for a perch. Talk about the Moorhens we have a lot more on the Lake this year than we have ever had. I have only seen one Coot probaley because the Moorhen has been taking the Coots Chicks as they have the Mallards. Just as well as it has been an exceptional year for breeding on the Lake there now being so many Mallards they are taking the Swans feed before they have a chance to eat it.

WE eventually made our hay. Not very good as it rained on it for well over a month and we have only managed to make half of what we normally would make. No good complaining for if we needed to buy it in it would cost a fortune if we were able to get any. You could reckon on paying about

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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.

Edds Emu Chick.

Edds Emu Chick with his dog and three of the late Asbo prodigy that Edd hatched.

Another of the Chick

Edwin our Emu who prefers human company.

Emu feather. As you can see one main quill that branches off into two feathers,

I believe I told you in November when I found my first Emu egg. I didn’t bother to try to incubate it as I was unsure how old it was. I left it on the side in our kitchen for a good three weeks before mentioning it to Edd a Farmer from where we get our corn to feed the animals on the Farm. A week later when I returned to collect another load of corn I gave the egg to Edd telling him that I was not over confident that it would hatch. Yesterday afternoon Edd phoned me to tell that the egg was starting to hatch. Edd has just phoned me to tell that he has a live Emu Chick. I am jealous. At least I know that we may get some chicks from the nearly a hundred that are now in the incubator. The Emu have layed over 140 eggs up to now.

Most of the Chickens have been kept in their houses since we lost the last one. Yesterday and today we let those that are just outside the Farm House kitchen door. Two White Silkies, a few Buff Orpington and Dennis. As Mrs.Farmer went to feed the Badgers last night the Fox had just taken one of the White Silkies, just a few yards from the kitchen door. The same Fox that was eating at the Badgers feeding area very soon after. Mrs.Farmer is well upset.

Mick I really am pleased that I was not your neighbour when you were feeding your dead chickens to Fox. Every type of animal or bird has it own scent. Once a Fox takes a Chicken he will remember that scent as an easy kill and will continue to take the easy kill until he can get no more. If Mr.Fox could not get to your Chickens because of your electric fencing, for sure he would have been looking for your neighbors tasty birds after you giving him a taste. As you said Mick the Fox soon learns.

As for those who have suggested trapping the Fox and taking it to another area. I don’t think that you could have seriously thought about the implications. Or would you think it right to give some other person your problem so that their Chicken are taken by Mr.Fox. Or release the captured Fox in another Fox territory. Have you thought about that the other Fox might just not want him there. As for trapping, I don’t believe that any of you would be successful. As the saying goes crafty or as sly as a Mr.Fox. He is not for catching easy. So we wont be trying the trapping angle.

We are getting our Fox problem because we are in the middle the Fox mating season. For sure the Fox taking our Chickens is a young Dog Fox intruder being drawn in by a Vixen on heat. We have Fox close to the Farm. Other than about ten years ago they never gave us any problems. There are for most of the time someone working outside with our two dogs close to the Chickens and other animals, not a place a Fox would want to intrude on unless very hungry. They wont put themselves in unnecessary danger with our Dogs when ample food is available in their close territory. As you can see on the webcams we have more than enough Rabbits, Pheasant and other food sources to keep a Fox more than well fed. The Dog Fox intruder will hang around until the Vixen becomes receptive. Depending on what part of the Vixens cycle the Dog Fox arrived will depend how long he will hang around. If it is a long time he will become very hungry. Not being familiar with the area he will take the easiest food he can find. Our Free Range Chicken. Even after the mating season is over he will still hang about whilst he can smell the scent of easy food.

It is well known on this Forum that I have always been against hunting with dogs, but I never believed that peoples rights should be taken away with the ban. We need more referendum’s in this Country. If a referendum had been held on hunting with dog there would still have been a ban, but it would have been easier for the hunting fraternity to accept it. Since the ban I have had to question part of the ban. In a few circumstances it is causing animals to suffer by more than alternatives than hunting itself. Fox are now being controlled by snaring and lamping. Caught in a snare a Fox may be left to die in agony for a week or more with the snare wire cutting deep into it neck or body, making the Fox struggle more and more trying to escape. Lamping in usually when people guns are lined up on the rear of a Land Rover type vehicle. The vehicle goes around farmland with very bright lamps looking for Fox. When they see a Fox they chase after it taking shots at the Fox with a shotgun. With the vehicles bouncing about over farm land, getting an accurate shot is difficult and very often the Fox escapes through a hedge wounded. The festering gangrene wound may take weeks to finally kill the Fox. Some times the hunts did illegally drag a Fox from it earth, a hole or pipe. Blame those enforcing the law, but it still died a lot quicker than being wounded by snaring or being shot by people lamping.

I can not see any reason for deer hunting. If there are an over population of Deer they will start to encroach on crops, it is then for the Farmers to cull by shooting. Done by professional the Deer will not suffer. It is the Poachers who hunt in the night that injure rather than kill. Mick and Marie/NJ argument about we are inhabiting and taking over the Wildlife’s natural area is ridiculous. The worlds population is increasing unless you are prepared to stop humans mating as they partially do in China or go back to living in the open, caves and woods. You are not going to stop it. Don’t know about Marie but Mick has mentioned his Son. If he was sincere in his argument he should of and any others who feel the same should have kept their pants on and not had Children.

I don’t pretend to know every thing about Country Life and ways. But I live the life daily. I know when we have a problem, and I know when we need to do some thing about the problem. Our web stats for our website shows me that over 95% of our visitors live in towns and cities, so I can understand that there are many who speak with their hearts rather than their heads. I did when I lived in a City.

I can not find the entry on the Forum but some one thought that I may take offence at the criticism about shooting the Fox and close the website. I believe in free speech and I don’t mind being criticised, so it would not make me shut shop and disappear. I hope none of you take offence about the recent Diaries. Although Mr.Fox may.

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There are photographs but I have just finished work and…

There are photographs but I have just finished work and have not had the time to alter the size of them to put up. If you know how re-size photographs we need them to be 640×480. Some of you may.

TOMORROW I WILL BE FEEDING THE BADGERS AT 8.20pm.

Work starts tomorrow on supporting the stream bank to stop the erosion that is risking the Lake from finishing up in the Stream. At the end of last year we had a so called experienced erosion expert look at the problem. Fortunately we did not use them the sort the problem out as what they identified as being the problem was not. The problem that was wrongly identified was erosion by the stream at the bottom of the bank. The problem we have is the weight of the soil at the top of the bank that is exaggerated when we have heavy rain over a prolonged period, as we did in July. It is causing the top of the bank to collapse causing large parts of the bank from top to bottom fall away. The walkway in between the Lake and the Stream is narrowing so we have got to do the work as soon as we can. So it will be started tomorrow.

There is a stretch of over 25m that has to be supported with metal baskets up to 2m high filled with stone. It will need about 40 tonne of stone. It will need the top of the baskets to the top of the bank and back filled with soil. Another 90m of the stream will be staked about every 30cm. Behind the stakes there will be heavy galvanized netting. That to will be back filled with soil. Willow will be put in the soil next spring to let a willow bank form. We then need to hope that it will solve our problem.

This afternoon when we walked around the Pond next to the Lake. Tass and Kye found the scent of where an Otter had entered the Pond. They also found the bone of an Eel that the Otter had caught in the Pond. It is an easy food source for the Otter and I will need to electric fence the Pond as I have the Lake as there are Large Fish in the Pond. What also has concerned me is that inside the fenced Lake area we noticed a path where something had entered the Lake. It may be the Swans although I have not seen them use that place. I have altered the infra-red lamp to light the area and I will record the webcams so that if there is anything in the area using the path we will know what it is. It will be on webcam three after the Badgers. Let me know on the Forum if you see any thing.

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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.

Here are a four more pics of flamborough and whitby taken by my daughter sue. N Notts

Looks like Arthur is arising from the waves to save us – might be a bit late! Peter.
Gloucester

The Swan is about the same as yesterday. Tomorrow is the last full day that we intend to keep him in the stable as the last day of the antibiotic course ends on Tuesday. As soon as the last injection is given Tuesday morning I will return him to the Lake. There is still a lump in his neck caused by the hook and we have got to hope that it is not going to be a serious problem. As much as I want to believe it will not be a problem, I will not stop believing that he is going to survive for some weeks. Just a case of waiting and seeing.

The more I look at the other two Black Swans the more I am convinced that they are Pens. Although they are together a lot of the time now that the Cob is not on the Lake, very often when I go to give them a feed they are at either end of the Lake. When the Cob was on the Lake he was always pairing off with what I believe is a Pen.

Since we made the Lake until this year we have never had the Wildlife I had expected on it. This year there has been a lot more Ducks, Moorhens and Coots. One Moorhen is feeding with the Swans, the first time ever. Through the Winter I expect the Swans being on the Lake will encourage more Wildlife to it.

What I have got to sort out is how to make sure the Geese return next year. The Swans wont want any intruders now that they are establishing themselves on the Lake. I have a couple of ideas they will need looking in to.

As you have noticed Google has stopped the advertising on the website. The reason being that they believe it to be a serious risk to their advertisers. I appealed against their decision, but the appeal was not allowed.

Contents in the appeal decision makes me believe that the initial reason for the stopping us taking advertisement was because of a complaint. It could well be that the complaint was made by a person known to me. If I am correct, it is a pity that there are people like it.

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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.

Freshwater East is so different from Freshwater West. Much more sheltered and much safer for children to swim. Jacqui

Freshwater West, South Wales . My boys enjoyed their swim. Jacqui

We have large Fish in the Lakes at Denbury. Last year a Carp was caught weighing 22lb in the Lake and a larger fish was seen in the Pond. We didn’t put any Fish in the Pond, the fry over the years have got in there through the overflow pipe from the Lake that keeps the Pond full. There are now a lot of large Fish in the Pond. Two days ago one of our fishing Holiday Guest saw a lot of large Fish just under the surface of the water.

Over the past two weeks three of those fishing the Lake have told me that they have had their fishing lines broken by something very big. One of them who had the Kingfisher land on his rod was broken a few times, and he was using a 15lb fishing line, so what ever it is is very large and strong.

Another of our guests caught a very large Fish last week. I was there when he hooked it. The Fish was so strong that he needed to hand his rod to another guest as his arm were aching. He had trouble getting to land it and the Fish managed to get into the reeds. It was decided to use the boat to get the Fish in the landing net. Just as he got to where the Fish was in the reeds it got off of the hook. We think that it was the same Fish, or what ever it is that is breaking the lines. One of this weeks guests without me mentioning it also had his line broken. He is going to fish on an 18lb line.

We need to know what is breaking the fishing lines in case it is a predator. Two predator breeds of Fish that could cause the problem are a pike or a Catfish. Both we would not want in the Lake for they can grow very large and will eat a lot of our Fish. We have never put any Pike or Carp into the Lakes, although it is possible that some person with the same problem did. It could also be a large Eel. Quite a few Eels have been caught in the Lake. Some years ago when I cleared the sediment from a small pond in the Farm Yard we found some very large Eels. I wont be concerned if it is an Eel that is breaking the lines as they do a good cleaning job.

I don’t ever allow the use of keep nets for those fishing at Denbury, but I have put one close to the Lake so that if what ever it is causing the problem is caught we can move it away if it is a predator, Although it may well be a very large Carp.

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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.

For the first time for over six week we have started to get low on photographs.

Silver birch trees.

Looking at the sky through the branches.

Exmoor ponies grazing.

A newly dug bog with bullrushes.

Birch bracket fungi on tree stump. Jill xx

Karen the Geese have not been back since the pair returned. I am sue that a pair will nest. As soon as any show any signs I will increase the height of the electric fence.

The rats around the Badgers feeding areas are now becoming a major problem. Part of the problem is that the Badgers are not feeding all together at the same time as they do for most of the year, causing the feed that I put out to be available all through the night. It has given the rats the opportunity to have plenty of food through the colds spell where without the food and extreme cold many would have died.

I cant put poison down as I have seen both the Tawny and Little Owls take a rat. And of course if they catch a rat that has been poisoned they will also die.

We have tried trapping the rats with very little success. We have considered using an air rifle to shoot them, but on trying that around the Lake when we had a problem the rats were so fast it was difficult to hit them. We were able to poison the rats in that area and we got most of them with only a few days of baiting the area with the poison. Also the lighting at the feeding area is infra-red so it is pitch black. It is a problem that we really need to find an answer for.

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There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting…

There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven. As we have lost our email inbox we have just a very few photographs left.

I told Karen of Stoke that I would send her some party photos of the raccoons. Hope everyone gets a laugh.

Party time in a ravine in Toronto

Me, I don’t like parties. Isabel.

Pine Marten on SWT2 cam. Not excellent quality but they were taken on the spur of the moment. Judy.

Piglets having a drink at Sherwood Forest Farm park. Vicky.

Marie/NJ seems to be having a problem logging into the webcams. Is any one else having the same problem. I have asked people that I know and asked them to try assessing the site. None have said that they are having problems.

The Swallows look as if they are nearly ready to fledge. Those on the webcams are the last nest that we have seen at Denbury, other than the Doves. The nest is the only one that we managed to see from the beginning. I nearly missed it as it was well hidden behind a beam in the Barn. Very often the Swallows use nests that have been used before so we tend to look in the old nests. This year only one old nest was used.

We have not had a reply from Elsie.

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There are five new photographs on the Photo page from…

There are five new photographs on the Photo page from number eleven. We are starting to get low on photographs.

Some more photos from Clumber Parks Steam and Country Fair. I couldn’t resist the photo of the two young lads working on their engine. Whoever thought to dress him in a “white” polo shirt.?? Another problem for Ariel ! From Judy.

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I am not putting any new photographs on today as…

I am not putting any new photographs on today as the page at the moment will only allow for ten at a time. Many more will only cause the page to open slowly, when you try to access it. The option would be to reduce the size of the photographs on the page, but I would think that it is better to see the photographs as they are. I will replace some over the next couple of days.

I am still doing the remote control Duck to put on the lake. With going away to France and other work, I have not had a lot of time to be making it. The first one that I started I did wrong, the second one didn’t go to well either. I had put in the engine and steering, on testing it in water, to make sure that there were no leeks, it started to fill up with water. I refitted all the parts again, making sure that it was water tight, but still water poured in. It turned out that I had wasted my time redoing it as the water was coming in some where else, that took me about three seconds to stop. It wont take to much longer to finish getting it motorised. I can the start to fit the camera. That is not going to be that easy. The other problem that I could get is that the parts that I am fitting may be to heavy, causing the Duck to sink. The battery that I have got for the Duck has got to control the electric engine, the camera with IR lamp and the wireless connection. It is very small but quite heavy. I am hoping that the Duck will be able to go for up to half an hour at a time, with every thing working. So the battery is going to be the biggest problem. I made need to fix some shaped buoyancy under the Duck to keep it from sinking. The best material would be cork. Cant imagine were they sell that now. The other option could be another duck in tow, being attached by an umbilical cord between the two, and put the battery in the towed duck. Why did I give myself the problem?

We were woken very early this morning, with what sounded like banging from around the Farm Yard. I went and had a quick look, but there was nothing to be seen. We put it down to Branston knocking into, or knocking down something in the yard. At about lunch time I went into our dining room to find a very sooty Dove. It had obviously fell down the chimney and that was the noise that had woken us earlier on. The chimney is for a very large inglenook fireplace. We put a liner chimney in it when we first moved to Denbury, for a wood burner. We moved the wood burner to a different room but left the liner in, so the dove fell down a very long small pipe. We have had a few smaller birds fall down the chimney, but the Dove was the largest. It made a fair bit of mess for the short time that it was in the dining room.

I have been watching the camera in the small Barn where I saw the Stoat or Weasel a few weeks back. I have seen a few Mice and a couple of Rats, but that is all. I have been recording a lot of footage of the webcams. When I get time I will check the recording and see what I get on it.