Pause a minute, listen and smile

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
So many overwhelming things happening to all of us with rocketing costs etc, worldwide disaster just a twitchy finger and madness away, but I had my pause, listen and smile moment today. A reminder to SO appreciate our farming life and HOW important it is to fight for its future. April 24 2022. You could swear it was Summer. 07.30. T shirt, blissfully warm, and I do mean warm, breeze. Blue skies, fluffy clouds. Pussy Willow in full tassel. Birds in full song all around me .. at least 14 different species. 4 Deer enjoying our future silage! I know, I should be mad but its such a lovely sight. NO Starlings! They left about a week ago. The lack of chattering and clean cars is bliss! Tradition based on previous years is that another wave will come through in about a weeks time bringing scour problems in the herd but maybe we'll be luckier this year .. and that's not today. The smell of crushed grass and damp earth from some field work. The first Summer migrant heard last week .. a Chiffchaff., always the first here. I wish I could bottle it all to bring out when life becomes overwhelming again. Next week is forecast to be considerably colder but just for now, I'm going to lean on the gate and just enjoy. Any good pause, listen and smile moments in your area? Maybe checking stock outside? Cold breath caught in early sun rays? Cobwebs stretched across brambles with dew suspended in them? Fresh calved cow licking off steaming calf? Go on! Share the other side of the cold hearted farmer that so many townies only see us as.

Is it April already?

Blimey
 
We always seem to have enough lingering mud patches in and around the yard for the swallows to build with , but I would have no hesitation in putting the hose out strategically if not . One can only do one's best . Sitting out on the old milk stand today in the sun , plenty of wildlife . Numerous red butterflies , a bumble bee prospecting holes in a dry wall , the inevitable blackbirds aggressively defending their territory , woodies and maggies , TOO many jackdaws , a wren or two busily going in and out of a dense climber bush . There's a robin building a nest inside the top of a one tonne bag of sand by the side of the yard . Son reckons it must be a bit thick because the feral cats will sure as Hell get it . We shall see . He also tells me that a few of the partridge incomers have probably gone back "home " now that the shooting's died down .
 

Jonp

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Gwent
The starlings disappeared a couple of weeks ago here, there are sparrows everywhere building nests (especially on the shed roof beams). The green woodpecker is back clinging to its favourite telegraph pole and there is a lesser spotted pair busily hammering out their usual hole up in the woods. The bats are out at dusk flitting about. And today I saw the first pair of wagtails in the sheep field, soon there will be hundreds of them darting about between the sheep...does anyone else see this?
 

Radio

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Radnorshire
The starlings disappeared a couple of weeks ago here, there are sparrows everywhere building nests (especially on the shed roof beams). The green woodpecker is back clinging to its favourite telegraph pole and there is a lesser spotted pair busily hammering out their usual hole up in the woods. The bats are out at dusk flitting about. And today I saw the first pair of wagtails in the sheep field, soon there will be hundreds of them darting about between the sheep...does anyone else see this?
Good to hear that you have Lesser spotted as they are supposed to be very rare.
 

glow worm

Member
Location
cornwall
The starlings disappeared a couple of weeks ago here, there are sparrows everywhere building nests (especially on the shed roof beams). The green woodpecker is back clinging to its favourite telegraph pole and there is a lesser spotted pair busily hammering out their usual hole up in the woods. The bats are out at dusk flitting about. And today I saw the first pair of wagtails in the sheep field, soon there will be hundreds of them darting about between the sheep...does anyone else see this?

The starlings disappeared a couple of weeks ago here, there are sparrows everywhere building nests (especially on the shed roof beams). The green woodpecker is back clinging to its favourite telegraph pole and there is a lesser spotted pair busily hammering out their usual hole up in the woods. The bats are out at dusk flitting about. And today I saw the first pair of wagtails in the sheep field, soon there will be hundreds of them darting about between the sheep...does anyone else see this?
We have them attacking the mirrors on the tractors and the open windows in the parlour. Today we had our 1st Bumbles about. Oh, how the dogs HATE them!!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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