- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Very nice, but what part of the country please?
This thread, in particular, is so much more informative when we know the location; Ideally county 1/4, i.e. East Yorks. Just saying.
Mid Wales powys
Conservation Thread
- Thread starter Kevtherev
- Start date
Mid Wales powys
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Took the girls to slimbridge this morning thoroughly enjoyed it
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Work in progress - new pond site. Nothing was planted in it, but 5 years later....
This pic taken in early March so a bit wintry still, but spent a few minutes there last week and it's heaving with life now. We have 9 other ponds on 300 acres.
Barn owl box put up about 15 years ago, raised many broods in that time, they hunt over our hay meadows and rough grass margins.
Otters about on the river, plenty of spraint sites and paw prints.
Nest boxes aren't just for sexy species like barn owls. Lots of little ones dotted all round, here next to a stream, little pond and little spinney of trees we popped into an awkward corner.
Forestlands
New Member
When I first came to Suffolk there were slow worms, grass snakes, adders, lizards and amphibians in an abundance. Have tried protecting them by providing habitat, not doing enough, they need habitat to survive! A project would be useful! Encouraging folks to clear patches of banks and make ponds, along the lines you have mentioned, would be good!
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Some of the beneficiaries of the habitat work I put up earlier...
harvest mouse emerging from a straw bale in winter, we have seen several nests about in rough coarse grasses like cocksfoot in the margins
grass snakes enjoy the rough grassland areas near to ponds and stream, often lay eggs in the cattle yards after turnout. Found this one in the porch when I opened the kitchen door one afternoon...
These chaps like the margins too, never used to see any on our mainly grass farm, although local cereal farmers got plenty.
Plenty of tree sparrows about....
White legged damselflies (a farm speciality)
Female banded demoiselle
Male of the same species
Emerald damselfly - they can be very fussy which ponds they breed in.
Bullfinches thrive - I think they like the hawthorn blossom, we have a rotational hedge trimming policy and a lot of actual shrubs (photo possible thanks to our collaboration with local BTO ringer).
Was great to see this kingfisher fly over when I was hosting a farm walk - caught by ringer less than a minute later!
Wish I had more time to wander round enjoying what we have created.
harvest mouse emerging from a straw bale in winter, we have seen several nests about in rough coarse grasses like cocksfoot in the margins
grass snakes enjoy the rough grassland areas near to ponds and stream, often lay eggs in the cattle yards after turnout. Found this one in the porch when I opened the kitchen door one afternoon...
These chaps like the margins too, never used to see any on our mainly grass farm, although local cereal farmers got plenty.
Plenty of tree sparrows about....
White legged damselflies (a farm speciality)
Female banded demoiselle
Male of the same species
Emerald damselfly - they can be very fussy which ponds they breed in.
Bullfinches thrive - I think they like the hawthorn blossom, we have a rotational hedge trimming policy and a lot of actual shrubs (photo possible thanks to our collaboration with local BTO ringer).
Was great to see this kingfisher fly over when I was hosting a farm walk - caught by ringer less than a minute later!
Wish I had more time to wander round enjoying what we have created.
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
I was just sitting out in the garden an hour ago lazily gazing around and watching the Swallows dipping and diving, when into view swooped our Barn Owl with something clutched in its talons.
Chuffed to bits because I haven’t seen it a while, I watched whilst it gently landed tight into a hedge to enjoy its meal.
Within 20 seconds, four fecking thieving crows had scared it off, meal left behind. One chased it for maybe 200m across the field before returning. None of them were interested in the meal.
A message to Packham and his bunch of feckless, fawning eejits: I don’t hold a shotgun licence or own a gun of any sort, but I would gladly have marched into the house, took the gun out and had a blast at the filthy thieves, legal or not, and I reckon most people would have done the same despite this lame excuse to swell Packhams ego and business interests.
He’s had a hand in fragile species having, at the very least, their food taken, if not their lives and it’s a scenario repeated many times across the country, no doubt.
Within seconds, no barn owl and no swallows . I know they could most likely be back soon, but why make it more difficult for them whilst protecting vermin?
You, Mr Packham and your sycophants are a bunch of total cockwombles. I despair that this country is taking any notice of your type at all.
In other news, I saw a pair of weasly/stoaty critters earlier, playing around in the sun having a right great time.
Sorry I couldn’t be more specific, I’m not the most knowledgeable countryman. But at least I know what’s important.
Chuffed to bits because I haven’t seen it a while, I watched whilst it gently landed tight into a hedge to enjoy its meal.
Within 20 seconds, four fecking thieving crows had scared it off, meal left behind. One chased it for maybe 200m across the field before returning. None of them were interested in the meal.
A message to Packham and his bunch of feckless, fawning eejits: I don’t hold a shotgun licence or own a gun of any sort, but I would gladly have marched into the house, took the gun out and had a blast at the filthy thieves, legal or not, and I reckon most people would have done the same despite this lame excuse to swell Packhams ego and business interests.
He’s had a hand in fragile species having, at the very least, their food taken, if not their lives and it’s a scenario repeated many times across the country, no doubt.
Within seconds, no barn owl and no swallows . I know they could most likely be back soon, but why make it more difficult for them whilst protecting vermin?
You, Mr Packham and your sycophants are a bunch of total cockwombles. I despair that this country is taking any notice of your type at all.
In other news, I saw a pair of weasly/stoaty critters earlier, playing around in the sun having a right great time.
Sorry I couldn’t be more specific, I’m not the most knowledgeable countryman. But at least I know what’s important.
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Corvids are pure vermin nothing else.
Packhams thinking is very flawed.
Packhams thinking is very flawed.
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
I’m also disappointed I’ve resorted to calling him names on a public forum, bit childish, but he’s made my blood boil.
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
I’d actually like to meet up with him and take him around land and farms in the area to show him how it all works.
Fight with facts.
Fight with facts.
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
I doubt there would be such common sense demonstrated.
May I suggest that any farmers wishing to "SERIOUSLY" invite Chris Packham to visit their farm contact w.w.w dfmanagement.tv , whom is Chris Packhams management agent. Unfortunately I do not have a farm to show Packham as I am now a retired tenant farmer. I have suggested to @ChrisF that they contact producers of BBC Country File ,so that they go to@Clive farm and film what Clive is doing to help the soil of his and his farm and wildlife. If all of you farmers and managers do the same , BUT you get a negative reply (which I fear you may get) it proves to me and hopefully yourselves what a faceless character Chris Packham really is.
I suggest that you Google "Chris Packham contact" for yourselves in case I have posted the incorrect info.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
You would be welcome to bring him here Kev. We have woods and lakes.......nobody would ever find him.
But more seriously (before anyone gets their knickers all bunched up), we have a lady from the RSPB that has been doing monthly bird counts on one of the lakes here since before we arrived. Despite being a ‘true believer’ of the nonsense Cwis spouts, she keeps telling us how well things are doing, both in terms of species and numbers. This is in spite of us farming much more intensively than the previous tenant.
FarmerBruce
Member
- Location
- Yorkshire
What would be the best mix to sow along a stream, 4-6m wide? No end of wild life here and would like to enhance it. Was in ELS for 10 years but can’t make CSS work for us but would still like to do this along the river!
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
That’s the thing. As above with @FarmerBruce loads of farmers are doing stuff off their own back at their own expense.
I have over 200 customers in my book and could take you to easily half of those actively helping conservation along. I suspect the rest aren’t holding it back.
I don’t rent the ground where I live (all permanent pasture) but it is never sprayed, receives only one light dressing of fert, is cut once for hay and then lightly grazed by sheep for a few weeks in winter. I’ve seen it being used like that for over twenty years.
It’s alive with critters round here.
Edit: to be fair, I do remember it being sprayed once. Maybe 10 years ago.
I have over 200 customers in my book and could take you to easily half of those actively helping conservation along. I suspect the rest aren’t holding it back.
I don’t rent the ground where I live (all permanent pasture) but it is never sprayed, receives only one light dressing of fert, is cut once for hay and then lightly grazed by sheep for a few weeks in winter. I’ve seen it being used like that for over twenty years.
It’s alive with critters round here.
Edit: to be fair, I do remember it being sprayed once. Maybe 10 years ago.
- Location
- South West Scotland
Thought this was worth sharing.
Cab-over Pete
Member
- Location
- Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Is there any sight that lifts the heart more?
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Unless your Mickey Mouse then no
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
A wild flower mix plus something for the birds to eat.
Bit of triticale millet and sunflowers as well.
There are many pollen and nectar mixes available off all the seed companies.
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
They often need re-drilling and disturbing soil so close to a water course not a good idea. I would leave as rough grassland (or sow a suitable grassland mix) that will be permanent, possibly plant some aquatic margin plug plants if the water table is high. Let a few shrubs get established eg goat willow and you'll have some nice stream margin habitat which will encourage water voles, otters etc. Coarse grasses great for the meadow butterflies and many farmland birds will nest in a tussocky sward too. Just top if every few years (not every year), ideally not all in one year. .Some useful info here https://farmwildlife.info/how-to-do-it/wet-features/streams-and-rivers/