Despite the recent bad weather, we seem to have had some lovely butterflies in the last few sunny days, so Steve took their portraits and has posted an album of them –
http://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/blasdale-picture-gallery-2009/2009butterflies/
We have yet to add their names – Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admirals (is one just faded into that “Orange” Admiral?), Comma, Painted Lady.
Rosemary was doing an ad hoc check of the field, when she spied some odd activity and so got the binoculars out. It looked like a large bird of prey was eating a late breakfast.
A few minutes later, large bird had gone but something remained….. the breakfast? Surely not a lamb? Rosemary went out to investigate and found, amidst some feathers, a buzzard, lying on his back, looking near death but with his stomach still going up & down. His eyes were open but his head looked at an odd angle and a bit bloody. He didn’t respond to her shadow over him. Fearing the worst, she went back to phone the RSPCA for advice. Several phone calls later, she awaited a call from them and went to check up on the patient. This time he looked brighter and moved his head and opened his beak. She assured him help was on its way and went back to the house wondering how to pick him up (to take him to the vet) without hurting him and without making contact with his beak.
But wait, Miles & his mum were in the pick-up in the field checking on their sheep. They paused by the bird. Rosemary shot out. “I dispatched him,” said Miles. Oh goodness, thought R. “He’d got himself cast, so we righted him with my stick,” said his mum, Annie. Ah! breathed R with relief. “I didn’t realize that could happen to a large bird,” she babbled to Miles. “Well how do you get up if you’re stuck on your back?” asked Miles. He had a very good point. Everyone decided the buzzard probably flew into a nearby powerline and stunned himself on impact.
R phoned the RSPCA to tell them to cancel the call and the lady on their helpline was also surprised to hear buzzards can get themselves cast.
So now we all know it’s not just sheep that need righting, keep your eyes open and binoculars & stick handy.
Country Landowners Association Game Fair Saturday 26th July. We visited the Game Fair at Blenheim Palace on the Saturday. Fairly early start and no real problems getting in. Previous day we had heard of people turning around and not making it because of all the traffic.
The day was very hot and sunny, the place was packed with stalls selling various country goods from posh tables, wood stoves, wood central heating, wellies, guns, and the latest 4 x 4. Notable exception was that Landrover did not have a stand.
Took a look at the birds of prey, and watched some flying with Jemima Parry-Jones.
Spent a considerable time down by the river watching the dogs retrieve their dummies. Later met up with Ann and Chris, we were going to see Chris perform with his gun and dog, but alas the stand had finished.
Very pleasant meal (BBQ steak) with Ann and Chris in the camping site attached to the Gane Fair. Left after dark, took a little while to find the car parked on its own in a dark and large field. No queues leaving at 11.00pm
[jalbum_iframe_album:http://www.blasdale.com/pictures/2008/CLAGameFair/index.html,100%,600px]
During one of Rosemary’s ad hoc, but frequent, sheep counts of the field flock, a discrepancy was noted. One extra. More stringent stocktaking showed the reason – a tiny, newborn lamb. It is June, isn’t it?
Rosemary has reported that my weeding of the pond has caused disruption in Moorhen World. The weeding from the pond is still on the bank, (allowing the pond life which was removed to wander back into the water at their leisure). Alas they are too near the bank, and the increase in height compounded by the slippery mud has made it difficult for the moorhen to get out of the pond. Rosemary was attracted to this plight by considerable squawking and splashing as the moorhen tried to surmount the bank side. Why it didn’t try an easier route is anyone’s guess.
Did a bit of weeding of the pond on Sunday. Removed the floating island of waterlily and various other plants including a bramble. Trimmed back the shallow water plants which were creating their own rafts.
Had to do some wading to achieve this. Remembered to remove my mobile phone from my jeans before I started, but alas left my credit cards and notes in my pocket. Ah well, they dried out and the cards, of course, still work.
Replanted a bit of the waterlily back into the depths, so hopefully it will live and show as some nice flowers this year.
Now looking forward to the storm predicted to break during the night.
The weekend saw Rosemary and I travel to Norwich to stay with Mike and Ann. Took masses of photographs which will be up the the site soon. Saturday saw us go to Winterton-on-sea for a walk along the beach and sand dunes in the bright clear sunny weather we are at last having. The windmills on Scroby sand acting as a futeristic backdrop.
Sunday was a broadland day at the South Walsham. Here they have walks through the wood which is cut through by masses of dykes. Lots of wildlife, very quiet and peaceful. Took masses of photos of which one or two are reasonable. There was the opportunity to take a boat trip on two broads, Soth Walsham Inner & Outer ones, which allowed me to take some close-ups of the bird life. Rosemary will fill in the names of these.
Rosemary’s nephew’s better-half Kirsty has just launched a new business Be Styled Interiors for interior design, home staging & de-cluttering in West Sussex & Surrey. Should be very exciting her and we had a look at the new website for them. I reckon we know quite a few homes which could benefit from the de-cluttering!
Local birds are behaving very oddly. Over the past few weeks and for the first time in the 20 years we’ve lived here, the local blue tits are repeatedly tapping at windows and leaping up & down at them, too. Is it the same single bird? Not sure, not many distinguishing characteristics, but I don’t think we’ve had more than one window attacked at the same time. Meanwhile, we spotted a buzzard in the field. The farmer whose sheep are very kindly eating there said there were buzzards nesting in the wood near him, well blow me if a buzzard hasn’t come here and sat on the fence into the “coppice” part of the field. However, he doesn’t appear to be that bright cos he was sitting very near a collared dove and there were bunnies running around beneath him. Surely he shouldn’t have been that friendly with meals?