Pause a minute, listen and smile

[Gong Farmer]

Only sound here yesterday was of neighbours mowing lawns for the first time (then a frost last night!). I've resisted because the primroses are late this year, but they're finally poking through! Best sign of spring.

 

[PSQ]

The skylarks are very noticeable this year - maybe the mild winter meant more of them survived.

Lots of them up in our bit of the Borders, including one brave soul fronting up to a kestrel on the phone wires. Yellow hammers have done remarkably well too. Also seen a pair of magpies, but they won’t be around for long...
As an earlier post said, I can’t wait for the house martins in mid April and that ‘meeting old friends’ feeling. My favourite time of the year.

 

[Chopsy Varmint]

Lots of them up in our bit of the Borders, including one brave soul fronting up to a kestrel on the phone wires. Yellow hammers have done remarkably well too. Also seen a pair of magpies, but they won’t be around for long...
As an earlier post said, I can’t wait for the house martins in mid April and that ‘meeting old friends’ feeling. My favourite time of the year.

The yellowhammers are in good heart down here on the edge of the Fens too. One of my favourite summer sounds is the swifts shrieking round the village in the evening... won't be long now.

 

[5020man]

Hi.

Most of are in the mire, the only thing that changes is the depth.

5020 man.

 

[TripleSix]

Keep seeing a little owl flying around of an evening, plenty of barn owls too.
Saw one of the many buzzards this morning.

Can hear the woodpecker working away up the valley on a morning as well.

 

[britt]

The lapwings are doing their acrobatics and calling in the field by the house, and the sky larks started a few weeks ago.
Lovely to see a clear sky with no con trails and had noticed the lack of flashing lights when locking up at night. We are between Birmingham and East Midlands airports.

 

[primmiemoo]

Always look up.

 

[som farmer]

even though we fed maize for most of the winter, and having a 'plan', the starlings haven't come, we have 40/50 pheasants instead. But nature, in a good mood, can only be described as beautiful, in a mad mood,it's #############. Farmers, are the guardians of the countryside, allways have been, and always will be, despite what some people claim. Like most farmers, I look out for, the first wildflowers in bloom, the return of swallows, the cuckoo, etc, and, subconsciously, plan our seasonal work around them, as long as we don't listen to the weather forecast, we have a good idea what the weather will do, we work by instinct. It is wonderful, on a nice bright morning, to hear the dawn chorus, a sound most only hear, on a tape/record/radio. We have just had approval, for a grant, to replant hedges, and, although I joyfully bulldozed them out years ago, I am looking forward to see them back. We should be humbled that we are able to live in such a beautiful work place, even though we are accused of killing it off !

 

[beardface]

Funny how nature has a way of controlling a parasite and its effect on the world (that parasite being us).

 

[som farmer]

Funny how nature has a way of controlling a parasite and its effect on the world (that parasite being us).

I think it's in control mode, at the moment.

 

[Exfarmer]

Slightly off topic I cannot remember seeing such a display of primroses in the verges as this year. The ditches are full of them, where they are not flooded through poor maintenance, that is.
we have had a Yaffle singing in the wood opposite for weeks now and often hear both him and the spotted woodpeckers drumming. A lot of long tailed tits in the garden too

 

[beardface]

I think it's in control mode, at the moment.

Be interesting to see how many seconds on the doomsday clock we've gained through a massive reduction in emissions!

 

[glow worm]

Picture country lane. Council neglected ditch at the bottom of a decent bank and hedge on the edge of the road backing onto a field. Over the years part of the ditch has become a very mini pond, probably about 6ft by 5ft overhung with untrimmed branches & brambles etc. How the **** did a Mallard find this 'pond' !! Happy as larry he was swimming around in the sun as the traffic rushed by last week!!

 

[britt]

Picture country lane. Council neglected ditch at the bottom of a decent bank and hedge on the edge of the road backing onto a field. Over the years part of the ditch has become a very mini pond, probably about 6ft by 5ft overhung with untrimmed branches & brambles etc. How the **** did a Mallard find this 'pond' !! Happy as larry he was swimming around in the sun as the traffic rushed by last week!!

Mallard prefer to nest by smaller bodies water as they are less likely to attract predators such as otters, mink, herons, pike etc. They take them to larger waters as they get bigger and stronger.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Heard a woodpecker today going full at it. Not heard that for a while.

I have been worried about our sheep this year since lambing at Christmas but in the last two weeks they’ve improved greatly. I’ve changed their diet but I’m sure they’re just enjoying the dry, cold, sunny weather.

We‘ve noticed the lack of planes here too, living as we do under the flight path to Birmingham. It’s never too intrusive because they only ever seem to approach over us, not take off, so their reasonably quiet, but it’s definitely different now.

 

[Werzle]

Picture country lane. Council neglected ditch at the bottom of a decent bank and hedge on the edge of the road backing onto a field. Over the years part of the ditch has become a very mini pond, probably about 6ft by 5ft overhung with untrimmed branches & brambles etc. How the **** did a Mallard find this 'pond' !! Happy as larry he was swimming around in the sun as the traffic rushed by last week!!

Seen mallards nesting in tree crowns here

 

[britt]

Noticed the cock pheasants calling this afternoon and the great tits have been inspecting the bird box outside the office window.

 

[topground]

This cant be happening surely because Packham will be on air shortly same as last year spouting on about the 'silent spring'

 

[4course]

could this year see the resurgence of wildlife that we saw in the year of and following f& m when the authorites shut the bridleways woods etc which due to the virus they may do again.Here it resulted in the following year a noticeable increase in birdlife though only shortlived as the amount of magpies also increased the year after

 

[yellow belly]

Plenty of bid life here
skylarks robins blue tits buisy