new moon time

New moon at Christmas. And a happy New Year from Spot.

a long way to go

The second broods of martins have started leaving their nests. This little chap was found just outside our front door, he/she could flutter but not fly. There was no obvious injury and he would soon come to grief on the ground, so he was put back in one of the nests (the right one I hope) where he is now to be seen perched on the edge chirruping away.

Notice the little feathers on the legs, a characteristic feature of martins.

Post script 23/08/2014

After another two days in the nest this martin appears to have fledged. Having held this scrap of life in my hand for a few brief moments, I can only marvel that it can make it all the way to somewhere in Africa (no one knows quite where, see this link for more information). 

the gathering

the rooks have heard that some people are complaining about the noise they make early in the morning .... they are planning their next move. Hitchcock eat your heart out.

fledging day

all the young blackbirds flew the nest this morning except this tail end Charlie (Charlene I think). It may well be the bird rescued earlier in the week.

After we checked all was well, it eventually left the nest this evening. It has had quite an eventful start to its life.

walking with Lottie

 Lottie will do almost anything for a carrot, and was impressed by how quickly a human was able to learn her trick.

 She then had to work off all those extra calories by giving free bareback rides (only one, actually)

and of course champions make friends with champions (you know what I mean)

again for more information about this epic journey, please see the link to walkingwithawen and give generously!

walking with Lottie

We were honoured today by a visit from Jan and Lottie who are walking from the furthest point East in England to the furthest point West, both for charity, and for the life enhancing experience (see link to walkingwithawen (aka Lottie)). They have walked from Dartmoor, via Sydenham Damerel, and over Horsebridge into sunny Cornwall.  Dartmoor can be seen in the distance just above the granite gate post.

Lottie quickly made herself at home

deer view

deer in meadows at Upper Downgate, and, looking the other way, the view of our villages, Stoke Climsland and Venterdon, church and chapel, before the momentous events of 14 June 2014. The white structure in the distance is yet another wind turbine, one of many which are becoming more and more intrusive in this landscape.

just missed

It was extremely wet and windy yesterday!

still shell shocked, and hanging on for dear life, or like grim death. (It is interesting that these two similes have the same meaning).

birds of prey flock together

Up to 14 buzzards have been seen sitting together in these bare fields. Buzzards are usually fairly solitary birds, but they seem to be congregating in these fields, possibly to feed on the worms, or to warm up in the morning in the winter sun.

hirundines

swifts are the fighter squadrons of the bird world, they look like scimitars as they flash past, often in formation as below.

swallows are smaller, have much longer tail streamers, and have white breast feathers. Martins are similar to swallows but have forked tails rather than streamers. And they are nesting successfully behind the barrier!

laurel Cottage

It not only looks nice it smells heavenly! 

Marting about

In this picture there are at least seven martins flying around this funny little meadow opposite our paddock. Even though it is a dreary, windy, rainy day there were many more very excited birds darting about. I have no idea what they were hunting but they were protected from the wind and rain by a stand of large sycamores. They are very hard to capture on the move in this sort of light.

Still no nuts

Our walnut tree, planted on Good Friday 1999, in keeping with everything else this year is way behind and is only now coming into leaf. This is the first catkin (male flower) it has ever borne, unfortunately whereas previously it has only produced female flowers this year there are none to be seen. Still no walnuts!

martinville

Somewhat later than usual the martins have returned. Looking back through the records on this blog they are at least two weeks and up to six weeks later than usual. Recently they have taken to arriving and then disappearing for a few weeks, no doubt to fatten up for the breeding season. I am not sure that these two have decided to nest here. They spend a lot of time chattering to each other and flying around just like a married couple looking for a new home to start a family. Almost immediately a male sparrow appeared on the guttering above which does not bode well for a peaceful few weeks.

some sunny day

we are off on our annual adventures on Saturday so Spot will lose his secretary for a couple of weeks. We will be sad to leave the apple trees in full blossom and the forgetmenots looking very bright, and the equine students practising for Duchy College open day

duck watch

anxious duck keepers out early this morning to check on the new arrivals, picture taken by Jo at Farrier's Lodge. Those ducks don't know how lucky they are.

and now we are four

 where are we, I can't bear to look

Elizabeth this is Jemima, Francis, this is Cloe, Cloe Elizabeth, Francis, Jemima, no this is Cloe, that is Jemima. Wait a minute, this is .....

come on in, like ducks to water

well, this is the life

hole in the wall gang

When our neighbours were strimming their boundary hedge wall this robins' nest was accidentally uncovered.

 The robins seem relatively unflustered by the nest being exposed, and the youngsters were only interested in being fed.

The nest site is now discretely hidden so with any luck the brood should survive the constant predations by magpies, rooks and jackdaws. Yesterday I saw the sinister shape of a sparrowhawk wheeling about but it was immediately harried and chased off by an angry and very assertive mistle thrush nesting in the vicinity.

love at first sight

Francis, ever the gallant, gives her a warm welcome. It is love at first sight as they swim away into the setting sun.

Let's hope they enjoy a long and happy life on our village pond.

Elizabeth the first arrives at Venterdon

Harriet arrives with the new duck, now named Elizabeth . At first she (the duck, that is) looked a little lost after the long journey from Launceston, but she was soon to meet the handsome Sir Francis, and life on the Venterdon duckpond would never be the same again.