Ann's Farm Journal

Keep up with all of our updates from the farm including what’s new in season!

Amazing Wildlife

Amazing Wildlife

Hello Everyone,

We hope all is well with you.

Sunday morning and Bob and I had a chat about what we should put in the email for you all this week. I suggested that I tell you all about the choice of herbs you are getting in your herb bouquet……describing the foliage, smell, taste, usage…..all that sort of thing. If I have time, I will but it may also be in another week’s email.

As the day moved on from getting up to having breakfast, the son (Matthew, who with his girlfriend Clarice, is stopping with us during lockdown) came into the kitchen and said with delight; “there is a duck in the pond with loads of ducklings”.

We all went outside, really excited, and sure enough there was a mum with fourteen newly hatched babies. They were soooo cute. Our evacuees were delighted and camera phones came in very handy. Unfortunately, no one had a phone for the Saturday evening when we watched a heron fly up into the trees around the orchard field. So, they made sure that they took plenty of pics and videos of the tiny, fluffy ducklings. Bob was also able to take great photos with his camera….a proper camera (remember them?).

Then to top it all off…. during the afternoon of Sunday, while we were all in the kitchen having a snack when I heard our local owl. I did say the afternoon…We have been hearing the owl for a number of weeks, normally in the evening. This was in the middle of the day! I opened the window and, yes, the owl was making a very low hum. We saw it as clear as clear can be, in the tree just beside the house. It didn’t move and it’s eyes were firmly on the nest, which is in the next tree.

Around the nest, three crows were trying their best to enter the nest hole where the baby owl and the other parent were. Obviously, the crows wanted the babies but both parents were being extremely protective with one by the babies and the other playing bodyguard. Cameras and phones were all being used and one of the best photos from Bob can be seen – see photo above. (More pics are on Instagram).

The weekend was such a glorious time for the birds. Alongside the drama we saw lapwings, barn swallows and moor hens. We have turned into a seasonal bird sanctuary.

Ann