Categories
webcams

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

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

The Goose in her frock.

4 more weird and wonderful creatures collected from the sea bed from on board Rogers ship the RRS James Cook. Carol Wolves

At about 6.30pm last evening when we went to put the Geese away we found one had blood on her breast. On closer inspection we found that she had an open wound all from the top to the bottom of the breast. All of her breast flesh could be seen where loose skin had flapped open. Close by the edge of the Stable corral area, was what at first looked like a dead Dove, we found a very large clump of Goose feathers attached to a small piece of Goose skin. We did not see how the injury happened but it was a Goose that would try to steal Branstons feed as he was eating. We can only assume that Branston had kicked out and his hoof had just glanced the front of the Gooses chest. If a kick had hit the Goose full on she would have been dead. Although only a small piece of skin had been torn off the whole of the breast was open.

We phoned the Veterinary, he was just on his way to call out, to a Bull who had tried to mount another Bull that had caused a lot of swelling to his bits. So the Veterinary would not be back to the Surgery until 9.pm. Just as I was going to feed the Badgers we got the call telling us to make our way to the Surgery in Minehead that is about 20 miles away. Feeding the Badgers delayed getting away by 10 minutes and some how we managed to get behind the slowest driver I have ever met on the Minehead Road. There are not many overtaking places on the road and the dithering slow driver was making a 25 minute journey a marathon. A traffic lighted roadworks that I would normally curse made it possible to push in front when the lights were against us. The driver wasn’t best pleased. The Goose was a good passenger once we had covered it head. Daft when you think about it. If some put a bag over our head all hell would let loose, but the Goose hardly made a murmur once it was on.

The Veterinary was a little wary that the Goose would peck him as he made an examination but she was very good considering her ordeal and the journey. The wound was cleaned and it was obvious that the flaps could be stitched together. It wouldn’t be pretty as there were feather stumps in her skin and feathers in the way that would have caused the Goose a lot of pain if they were plucked. It took over 20 stitches to close the injury. Other than a few little honks she was a very good patient. After being given an injection of pain killer and antibiotics we made our way home. Guess what, I reckon that we must have met the slow drivers brother who we met on the way to the Veterinaries on the way back to the Farm. This time we were no able to pass and we arrived home after 11.pm.

We had to give the wound some protection against dirt and the Goose preening herself. A pillow case seemed the answer and after cutting it about for the Gooses legs and head it was fitted over her. Although she was looking a bit uncomfortable after her ordeal she was housed with the other Geese. I checked on her after midnight and she was looking a bit better. This morning I was wondering what I was going to meet when we let the Geese out, as usual she was very sprightly coming out with the other Geese but dressed in her pillow case. I am going to give her antibiotics for a few days and as long as the wound does not get infected she should make a full recovery.

At the time of putting tonights Diary on at 5. pm the Goose is still looking alright.

Categories
webcams

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

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

ALL TOOK AT RUFFORD COUNTRY PARK. LYNNE.

We let eight of our Geese out yesterday. It would have been the first time that they had ever had the chance to graze. To our surprise it wasn’t that difficult to get them out of the stable that they have been kept in since we got them a couple of weeks back. We put them onto the lawn area by the Holiday Cottages where it was easy to fence them in with sheep netting. They looked lost and didn’t really know what to do at first, but soon realised that the grass was what we had been cutting and giving them over the time that they have been here. The lawn is a large area and I don’t think that they could believe that they had all that freedom. The lawn is by the side of the Stream. This part of the Stream had been widened and made a bit deeper by previous owner of the Farm. This afternoon we have fenced off an area on the other side of the Stream so that the Geese can go into the water tomorrow. Getting the Geese back into the Stable of a night was also a lot easier that we had thought, it was just a case of walking behind them. If they strayed slightly, a little movement to our left or right put them in the right direction. That was until Thornton decided that he would help tonight. He is normally out with the Sheep until a little later, so we were taken by surprise when he turned up as we were getting the Geese in. The Geese were a little surprised too and went in the opposite direction that we were sending them. After chasing Thornton off the Geese soon went the right way.

Elsie, the Male Gander is still on the Lake. He disappeared a couple of times during the day. (May be he is playing away) but is always on the Lake at night.

Michael the SWT IT person was up at the Fall of the Clyde today. It was his intention to get the Peregrine Falcon webcam working, but unfortunately there was a problem. It may have been a faulty part that I sent. I posted a new party today, so with a bit of luck the webcam should be going next week.

We have managed to find a Sponsor for our egg hatching webcam. Some years ago a Veterinary who did an inspection for the suitability of our facilities for Ostriches, now runs a Incubation Sales business. Banbury Cross Incubators. By chance I found the business and recognised his name. He is going to supply us with a hatcher and various other bits that we need. He is a working Veterinary and has suggested that we may be able to broadcast operations from his Surgery. I will look into it over the next week and let you know more. The Veterinary still works with Ratites (Ostriches, Emu and Rhea) so we may be able to get an egg or two from those species.

Categories
webcams

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.

Categories
webcams

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

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

HATHERSAGE VILLAGE ON A FROSTY MORNING. LYNNE

MY FRIEND IN AUSTRALIA’S LATEST WILDLIFE RESCUE HE’S CALLED LEVI. LYNNE

MY REGULAR GARDEN VISITOR. LYNNE

NUTHATCH ON THE PEANUT FEEDER IN MY GARDEN. LYNNEHATHERSAGE VILLAGE ON A FROSTY MORNING. LYNNE

As Thornton had shown no signs of eating overnight I decided that he needed to see the Veterinary. We are very busy and really did not have the time to wait around the Farm Yard for the Veterinary to arrive so the best option was to drive Thornton to the Veterinary Practice in Minehead that is over twenty miles away.

As my vehicle had a Horse Trailer attached I had no option but to take one of my Lads cars. He wasn’t best pleased when he was told that Thornton was to be a back seat passenger. Like most Lads he was running the car on air so my first stop was a petrol station on the way to the Veterinary. The Garage is only small but we still managed to get a few comments about a Sheep in the back of the car. People must have thought that I was not all the ticket.

Thornton was examined at the Veterinaries, the only positive comment being that he was in very good condition. He was treated for possibilities rather than a positive diagnosis, receiving a jab of antibiotics, a jab of a pick you up and a dose of liquid paraffin that I insisted on, just in case he had a blockage in his gut. It has alway been our concern at what Thornton may eat. Most Sheep in the world graze on grass in a field, with the odd corn feed. Thornton feed on any thing that he see that he fancies. We constantly are taking wire, paper, string and lots of other bits that he nibbles at.

The Journey back home from the Veterinary was a nightmare. Thornton would not keep still. On the way to the Veterinary he was the ideal passenger, the complete opposite on the way back. I had to stop the car three times as he somehow managed to finish up on the floor stuck between to front and rear seats.

Thornton has been in the Farm House all day. He is having a little nibble at his feed and paper that he managed to pull down, and laying down half a sleep. This evening although he still not eating he is very much alert and getting into mischief pulling a tea towel and any thing else he can get to off of the work top. Hopefully he will start to eat soon.

Categories
webcams

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

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

No more photographs left to go on the Photo page after today.

These were taken at my aunt

Categories
webcams

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on the Photo page from Lindsay. There is only a few photographs left for a couple of days.

There were masses of Marsh Marigolds in all the ditches on the Isle of Lewis,Outer Hebrides. Lindsay.

A Skylark on the Isle of Lewis.I don’t think it had ever seen a human being ! It was quite tame. Lindsay.

There was absolutely no rubbish on these beaches.This was the Atlantic Ocean near the Butt of Lewis,Outer Hebrides. Lindsay.

Sea Pink grows all over the cliffs .This is the Butt of Lewis with nesting Fulmars’.This was the most northerly point on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Lindsay.

The Standing Stones of Calanais.Isle of Lewis. Outer Hebrides.These reminded me of Druids standing around but are very much older. Lindsay.

The live streaming web cam at Rye Harbour can see the first (of 26) wind turbine tower erected at Walland Marsh and will be able to watch the blades being installed when the wind calms down. To view the cam, go to the Web Broadcasting Corporation web page click here. Scroll down and click the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve webcam 1 link. To get an idea of scale you can just see the top of the massive electricity pylons to the left of the turbine. The camera is moved by our volunteers and visitors, but I have asked that it be left on the developing wind farm

Categories
webcams

font color red As the Badgers don t use clocks…

As the Badgers don’t use clocks, we will be feeding them from 5.30pm ish as from Sunday when the clocks go BACK.

Both Bliss and Misty are dong very well being broken to ride. Both have been backed and didn’t flinch when sat on. There is still a lot of work to do with them, but being able to sit on them without any protest is very good. Mind you I have said it before, both of the Fillies are very laid back. That only comes about when Horses are handled well from birth and are treated with kindness. They then have no fear of anything that you do with them, just completely trust you. We never have had any youngsters that have been a problems when breaking them. We have had a family on Holiday this week, with two young girls, they both ride, they have helped us when Bliss and Misty were worked with this week, whilst being broken, leading and long reining them. It is good for the Fillies to have other people handling them, and I am sure the two girls benefited working with the Horses. As both girls and their Mother can ride, they rode out on Arnie with us. They were both a little concerned to be riding such a big Horse as Arnie, they had never seen such a large Horse, he is a big lad at 17.3hh, I struggle at times trying to put his head collar on when he doesn’t help and lowers his head. He really is a gentle giant. I have been offered large sums of money from a few people who wanted to buy him. I can honestly say that no amount of money would buy him or Breeze.

This afternoon the Veterinary came to give Bliss and Misty, their flu and Tetanus injections for when they go to France next month. Again both were very good and didn’t make any fuss at all. Lady is the complete opposite, I am sure she know the sound of the Veterinaries car, if she is in her stable she will go to the back, I am sure she is hiding from the Veterinary. When the Veterinary goes into her stable, her ears go back and she is not very cooperative at all. There is a good reason, I am not sure if I told you about when she was deliberately cut. Let me know, if I haven’t I will tell you tomorrow.

Elaine, I wasn’t watching the webcams this afternoon, and I haven’t seen any Birds feeding others on the feeders. That’s not to say you didn’t. Any thing is possible with wildlife, but you not would expect them to be feeding their young at this time of year. Mind you I am no Ornithologist or expert on Birds.

Categories
webcams

The Veterinary came out today to scan Lady to check…

The Veterinary came out today to scan Lady to check if she is in Foal, blood test Willow and do her markings for her passport. Breeze was also examined, and he also had to look at Blisse foot.

As we expected Lady scanned in Foal. I was confident that she was, but we needed to make sure that she was not having twins. It is not good for a Horse to be in Foal with twins. If they are it would be more than likely that they would abort within nine months of the pregnancy. If Lady had of been in Foal with twins, one of fetuses could have been aborted.

Willow had to be blood tested to confirm her parentage and also have her markings taken for her passport. The Veterinary marks on a printed pictures of a Horse, both sides and a front picture of a head. all the different marks such as socks on their legs, stars or blazes on their head and whirls on their coats. It is a little difficult to explain, but every Horse will have a different marks that are unique to the Horse. All thoroughbred Horses have had passports for many years, so that they cannot be passed off as another Horse on the race track. Probably a better word would be nobbled. Now all Horses have to have passport, an EU directive, partly for identifying for theft, but also for the European Horse meat market to identify any drugs that Horses may have had for illness.

Fortunately Breeze is not in Foal, we were very worried that she might have been with the extra weight she was carrying. The Veterinary gave her an internal examination that confirmed that she was not pregnant. If she were pregnant the Foal would have been born in October, I really could not think of a worse month for any horse to have a foal in the northern hemisphere. The Foal would have very little, probably no time in the fields in the first important time of growing. Breeze would not have had any enjoyment of her first Foal. I will seriously think about letting her go to a Stallion March next year.

Bliss came in Thursday night, slightly lame. She wasn’t to bad when she went out that night. The next morning she came in crippled. I got the Veterinary to confirm what I had found. She must have pricked the frog of her foot on a sharp stone. It is a little soft and pussy under the hoof, and is very painful for her to walk on. Mind you this is the first time she has ever experienced pain, she sure doesn’t like it. Although it looks like she is in severe pain by the way she is walking, it is exaggerated being her first pain experience. If the puss hasn’t found its way out by the morning we will poultice it to draw the poison out.

Categories
webcams

Woody has been quite ill for the past two days…

Woody has been quite ill for the past two days, so much so, they for the past two nights we have had to keep her stabled, I also thought that I would have to get the Veterinary in to have her put to sleep. She was lying flat out and obviously in a lot of pain, when she did get up she was tucking her legs up, showing that she had pain in her stomach. We controlled the pain and eventually she was able to stay on her feet. We have let her out in the field with the other Horses tonight and she is grazing happily. I will have to make the decision over the next couple of days, but I know that with the pain she is getting, although we are able to control it to a certain degree, I can not let it carry on for much longer.

The Veterinary is coming this Friday to scan Lady to see if she is in Foal, I will get him to check Breeze over to see if she is also in Foal, it wont be necessary to scan Breeze, if she is in Foal the Veterinary will be able to tell by an internal examination. The Veterinary also has to blood test and microchip Willow. Willow being a thoroughbred, it will confirm her breeding.

Willow is turning out to be quite a size. A few of you have commented on the length of her legs. To notice that on a webcam shows just how long in the leg she is. I cant remember any Foal on the farm being as big as Willow at her age. Looking in the Stallion guide her Father, Lucky Owners is 16.0hh about the average for a Stallion, Lady her Mother again is average size, so I really would not have exspected Willow to quite so big at this time. She is also a very good shape. If she continues to grow with the size and shape she is, she will be a very nice Filly.

The Buzzard did pick a good spot to perch this morning. The post it was sitting on was to run the wiring across for the new IR lamp, to see down the farther valley, when I eventually got the time. That changed and the wiring can now be run on the stream bed. I had meant to take the post down as I had another place for it to be used. I will leave it were it is until the Buzzards stop feeding the youngster.

Categories
webcams

When we came down this morning we found that Jade…

When we came down this morning we found that Jade our fourteen year old Springer Spaniel had died in the night. We had intended to take her to the Veterinary this morning, half expecting to have had to put her to sleep. We nearly decided to take her to the Veterinary last night, but the journey to their open surgery was a distance away, and it would not have been fair on her. The local surgery is little more than a mile away and would have been open this morning

Jade had been ill on and off for the past few months with the problem that she had with her epiglottis that was making her choke. The Veterinary had told us that it would not be advisable to operate on her at her age, although it would be eventually kill her. She has also had a growth that was very large, again inoperable. In spite of of her illnesses she was able to still get about the farm slowly. Even yesterday she managed to get herself outside and lay in the porch, maybe she knew that it would be for the last time. We have buried her by the lake with Cass.

Without any hesitation I would say that Jade dieing in the night was preferable than having to have her put to sleep this morning. She looked very peaceful when we found her with Tass lying by her side. Tass knew that Jade was dieing last night. We found her pawing at Jade trying to get her up, as she had done with the Puppies when she was with them. Jade was responding to her by wagging her tail. Even Kye has been paying more attention to Jade over the past week by licking round her when she was lying out. Jade dieing with Tass and Kye being there, seems to have made it easier for them. They both seem to forget and look for her, but soon get over it.

Jade was a very kind and faithful dog. She had never to our knowledge growled at any one. She would at any puppies that were in the house. She couldn’t be done with puppies, although she had a two litters herself and was a very good mother who produced very nice Puppies. The only trouble with Jade was everyone who knew her, liked her and she would take advantage of it, by scrounging food from people. We called her a user. If a holiday quest gave her food, they would be Jades best mate. When she went missing you knew where she could be found, with whoever had been feeding her. She would put on so much weight that we needed to tell people that under no circumstances was they to feed her tit bits. None of them really took any notice.

We nearly lost Jade when she was a puppy. Two walkers came through Denbury with a Springer Spaniel on a lead. Without me realising Jade followed them. It was over an hour later that I realised that she was missing, and thought that it was possible the walkers had stolen her. I drove around the footpaths like a maniac, through places that even my Landrover had a job to negotiate, I eventually realised that I should go to any car parks in the vicinity of the farm, that walkers may have parked their car. The first one had a car parked in it. As I was about to go to the next one, I saw the walkers. I waited to ask them if they had seen Jade. As they approached the women was hiding Jade under her coat, obviously trying to steal her. When I told them that it was my dog the man got very aggressive and went to hit me. I was a lot more aggressive and very easily got Jade back. But what I will always remember Jade for was that she was the best ratter that I have ever come across, when ever I screamed she knew that I had seen a rat, and more often than not she would get it.