November 2017 - stunning sunsets

1st November

A woodcock has returned - they are thought to return on the first full moon of November. Ours was three days early. John does his bit for Red Squirrel conservation. A grey bites the dust.

8th November

Clare and Barry remove two dozen Larches from the verge where they would have eventually obscured the view. They will be replanted at Barry's.

11th - 14th November

John worked on the fallen Ash in the Pit Wood. Sparrowhawk seen there. A second grey squirrel joins the first. Mel helps move 4 self-sown Ashes from the Orchard to the Wetland. Clare, resting an injured hip, misses out on some spectacular sunsets.

15th November

Ponies return to the Top Grazing. 

16th - 30th November

John put up a new squirrel trap and fixed the trail camera to record what happens. He worked on clearing the north-west corner of the Pit Wood. He and Mel cleared and levelled the way into the Pit Wood from the Orchard. John adds to his power tool repertoire with a pole saw. No doubt he will be pole dancing with it soon. 

29th November

Eilidh rides Paul - we hope this will be the start of a long relationship.

30th November

It snows!

These make a lot of...

this, which then has to be removed

Clearing in the Pit Wood

More clearing in the Pit Wood

Sally from Codlaw getting Paul ready for Eilidh's first ride on him

Eilidh's first ride going fine

Paul going fine with Eilidh

This soon put a stop to...

this

October 2017 - Funky fungi

9th October

The path in the Top Strip is a great environment for fungi.

14th October

Field mat installed in front of sheds in attempt to minimise mud. Not sure it will be up to the challenge. We walked round the whole site, heard jays and saw one or more of each of the following: wood pigeon, rooks, fieldfare, blackbird, robin, wren, chaffinch, bullfinch, goldcrest, nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, long-tailed tit (Clare wishes they were still known as bumbarrels), dunnock, pheasant.

15th October

Field Maple planted. John sowed about 40 Sweet Chestnut seeds at home. Eilidh, local teacher and the daughter of a friend from choir, visited with a view to starting Forest School work on Liddells.

20th October

8 Small Leaved Lime planted. Ponies moved to Meadow to graze it off.

23rd October

Juno, Clare's first grandchild, makes her first visit and meets Paul.

31st October

12 Juniper and 5 Small-leaved Lime planted.

A selection of  fungi...

This may be oyster fungus, and it may not 

We'd welcome identification help with these...

and/or these

Adjustments to ease access

The field matting sinks into the mud

Field Maple only has to grow now

Clare and Juno with Paul...

...daring to get closer and touch

September 2017 - "Haul Paul!"

1st September

After a long pause, Paul returns to log-hauling training.

4th September

More path maintenance in Top Strip. Logs sawn and stacked in log shed ready for 2018.

6th September

Paul hauls some more. More path maintenance.

7th September

Clare and John set the bees from the unviable hive free on the Meadow. The queen travels up to the Top Grazing clinging on to the back bumper of the Land Rover. Having failed to spot her inside the hive, at least Clare could see that she was indeed smaller and thinner than expected and therefore likely to have been a drone-laying queen. Yet more path maintenance and work on the roadway by the top gate.

13th-16th September

Still more path maintenance; strimming in the Top Strip.

Paul hauling in fine style

Refurbished path in the Top Strip

This miniature forest was growing on the old path chip

Getting ready for next winter

More path refurbishment

16th September

We say goodbye to Snippets who leaves for Tarset pastures. Paul goes to Codlaw for pony boot camp while we go walking.

22nd September

46 Guelder Rose planted as hedging in the Orchard.

25th September

William the pony arrives.

27th September

Would you believe more path maintenance? It's a long path.

28th September

Site prepared for Field Maple Mel has grown and donated. Juniper maintenance on Crag.

 

Juliet brings William

Guelder rose hedging in the Orchard

31st August - Green Gym Day with Timberwolf and Groundhog

Clearly we have been depriving our friends this year in the Green Gym department - 7 turned up!

We had hired the chipper again and worked our way through mountains of brash from the Top Strip and then tackled moving another pile from the wetland so that too could be chipped. Barry brought his Groundhog and the combination of human effort and ingenuity, and machinery, was brilliantly effective. There was even time to delight in a Comma butterfly in the Scrub. Clare likes to think that her coconut and blackberry squares added to the energy and success of the day.

Part of the brash mountain

Barry apparently climbing into or emerging from a brash mountain

Breaks are allowed - Tim seems to be recommending the coconut and blackberry squares. Clare is guarding them at her feet.

More evidence of permitted breaks. Note that the ground is preferred over chairs. Or upturned waste paper bins.

Enjoying the view? Pointing out yet more brash that needs chipping? 

Eventually John orders people back to work...

...and we all obey

Back to work and tackling the problem of moving a pile of brash with the Groundhog

Men and woman v Groundhog

Mel practising for his part as Good King Wenceslas in the Christmas play

Jane texting Clare for another coconut and blackberry square

August 2017 - Proper use of the hay shed

2nd August

Hay shed completed!

4th August

Roadway finished and the trailer has new mudguards. 

5th August

Path maintenance in Top Strip - weeding and strimming.

6th August

Same again.

7th August

More chip laid on Top Strip path; more strimming; area around sheds temporarily fenced and walkway into shelter started. 

8th - 9th August

More work on walkway into shelter. 

11th August

Chris Bates from Oakwood and Howden Recycling delivered a trailer load of gravel for the walkway and the hollow beside the new roadway. Walkway finished and fencing of that strip completed. Harebells found on Top Grazing right up close to the road boundary wall. 

12th - 14th August

Posts and rails fixed for area in front of sheds.

15th August

The Great Leveller - all was going well in John's post and rail eyes until Clare came along with her spirit level and everything changed. Or rather she insisted everything had to be moved. We're both rather pleased with the result. We found a Horntail Wood Wasp in the log shed - an insect neither of us had seen before.

 

In the spirit of living levelly

In the spirit of living levelly

He knows Clare was right all along

He knows Clare was right all along

I think we all agree this looks very fine. And level.

I think we all agree this looks very fine. And level.

Horntail Wood Wasp. Photo by Billmcmillan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Horntail Wood Wasp. Photo by Billmcmillan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

18th August

Railings round sheds complete. Clare not railing any more.

23rd August

Log clearing from Top Strip ready for Paul to haul. Brash removed and piled up ready for Green Gym Day

24th - 25th August

At last we had enough dry days in a row to cut the Wildflower Meadow. Tom came in with his tractor and cut and turned the hay, John strimmed and Clare resumed her Grim Reaper role for the occasion. John also strimmed in the Orchard in readiness for hedge planting.

Hey! Hay!

Hey! Hay!

Hay in the making

Hay in the making

The Grim Reaper reappears. Any improvement on last year's scythe action? 

The Grim Reaper reappears. Any improvement on last year's scythe action

27th August

Tom turned the hay again. We cleared brash from the Top Strip ready for the chipper. More path maintenance in the Top Strip. Clare discovered that one of her four bee colonies had laying worker bees and was no longer viable. Roe deer seen moving from the Scrub to the Pit Wood at 3.30pm - so much for them being crepuscular.

To everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a season, turn, turn, turn!

28th August  

Hay in.  Having rowed up the hay it was baled, transported and stored in the newly built hay shed.

So 1 cut meadow = 19 hay bales = 1 full hay shed +2 happy ponies + 2 very tired adults.

John approves

Paul approves

29th August

Liddells is a wonderful place to be when there's a great sunset, as there was today. Tim captured this one.

30th August

John fixed shuttering in place for the paths into the sheds. Clare failed to take a photograph of this momentous development in our attempt to upgrade the shed area.

 

July 2017 - make a hayshed while the sun shines

1st July

Rush removal completed for this year. Hay shed started. Yes, this is Shed No. 5. 

2nd July

More work on hay shed frame; all logs taken home for the winter. 

8th July

Improvements made to roadway through wet area on Top Grazing. 

9th July

Trail camera moved to Orchard; Larch maintenance.

11th July

More soil moved from Andy and Kate's to roadway. Trailer over-filled leading to destruction of a tyre which we then discovered was a rally tyre!

15th July

Supporting timbers for roof now in place on hay shed and cladding started. 

23rd July

Stone bed for roadway completed. 

24th July

Hay shed cladding finished on 2 sides. 

25th July

Roof on. 

31st July

Shed complete apart from door furniture; membrane and pallets used for floor. 

We get started...

John thinks he might have made a mistake

The trailer needs a lie down after moving all the stone

Paul tries out the new roadway

The picture of slowing down - no more rush

Clare adds her board-fixing skills

Recycling

Almost finishing touches

May and June 2017 - 3 surveys and a new trail camera

2nd May

Squirrel trap set in Pit Wood. Paul bucked John off twice. John knows this was his own fault, having disregarded advice that he was using an unsuitable saddle which was causing Paul discomfort. The resulting injuries, including to pride, and especially to the fingers of his right hand, meant wearing a splint for two months and a severe reduction in working capacity. Clare was not amused.

6th May

Wildflower survey, tawny owl out in Pit Wood. 

7th - 14th May

Time spent clearing spilt gravel from top grazing and setting up two new hive stands in apiary

15th May

Bird box survey: 13/33 in use. 

14th May - 28th June

Paths strimmed in Top Strip, Orchard to Pit Wood and Orchard to meadow; Thistles cut on Top Grazing (27th June); 3 Willows planted (from Sylvia) on Wetland in area of main pond; Rush released by digger all removed from Top Grazing and holes filled; arena strimmed. 

19th May

Bird survey - John and Keith.

17th June

Rails for enclosing sheds area bought at Mart Sale. 

20th June

One of the bee colonies swarmed into the middle of a Hawthorn and Clare and Barry faced the challenge of collecting it. Happily the bees are enjoying their new home with Barry.

23rd June

Trail camera placed S edge of Pit Wood; deer filmed 4.31am. 

24th June

Violas and Scarlet Pimpernel planted on spoil heaps near Meadow; Field Poppy planted in Meadow.

John apparently enjoying the Bird Cherry blossom however that squirrel trap suggests he might have deadlier things in mind

The swarm is the dark patch in the top of the hawthorn

For your further education, these are roe deer droppings

Clare's Beekeeping - Beyond Beginner

I wrote the following for the Hexham Beekeepers Association (HBKA) publication Honeypress:

I love making frames. It’s an area of beekeeping in which, having learned from experience the consequences of putting the grooves on the outside, forgetting to put nails in the bottom bars and attempting to fix small strips of wax to the bottom edge of a Manley, I feel quite confident. I even brought transferable skills to the endeavour - I’d been an upholsterer in an earlier life so my hammering was quite well developed. So there I was at my third frame-making session and heard myself referred to as the Association’s ‘longest-standing beginner’. Hmmm. I thought about this on the way home and wondered…..

I’d read William Mayne’s A Swarm in May many years ago and it stayed with me as a wish to keep bees one day. I had responded to the mystery and charm of bees that Mayne captured in his story. Decades later, a move towards retirement and a new project to manage some land for biodiversity left me with time and space to make the wish a reality and I took the course at Kirkley Hall. By the end of the theoretical input I felt overwhelmed with information and very confused. Beekeeping remained mysterious and the idea of doing it had lost some of its charm. Fortunately the practical sessions translated some of that into a graspable possibility, though a lingering doubt about whether or not I could encompass all that was required stayed with me. 

My next move, as recommended on the course, was to sign up to the HBKA, and through this I learned about the beginners’ sessions at their teaching apiary near Wylam. Slowly, frame by frame, some aspects of beekeeping began to make sense and with the patient generosity of the demonstrators, I began to believe that I might be able to do this. There were obstacles - being able to see eggs seemed pretty important. Look for things like grass seed, we’re told. Clearly my arms weren’t long enough, the angles were all wrong, the sun too bright or not bright enough, obviously there were no eggs to be seen - yet somehow the demonstrators always managed to see them. I thought maybe I could see something, maybe not and then - oh, I can see them, and they’re so small, much smaller than any grass seed I’ve seen. Maybe my arms are the right length after all - that’s a relief.

Then the HBKA established the Hive Loan Scheme. I cannot speak too highly of this. The scheme offered me a much needed stepping stone to keeping bees. I could have a go and if I didn’t take to it, I wouldn’t have wasted money on the outlay, I could back out without losing face, and I wouldn’t be on my own. I signed up. I arranged to buy a nucleus colony. I was about to become A Beginner.

Pause for modest drum roll.

I set up the hive in our garden, rather than at its planned destination, the theory being that I could spend time watching the bees from closer at hand. Yes, true, and I did. However at this stage I was still operating under some blissful illusion that à la William Mayne story, I would have a mystical connection to the bees and they to me and therefore would wish me no harm and therefore never sting me. Second pause for side-splitting laughter, knowing smirks and maybe just a tiny bit of identification. So my first sting was a rite of passage and very painful and punctured not only my skin but that cherished fantasy. I became a little more reluctant to do the gardening.

The first winter approached and the first of the challenges that face a beginner - Getting The Bees Through The Winter. I had heard that placing an empty brood box below the colony allowed the bees to cluster in that space for warmth - I liked the idea of them snuggling their way through the winter so that’s what I did. Unfortunately, I had heard no reference to, and didn’t think to ask, when to remove said box. When I first opened the hive in the Spring, they had already filled the empty box with wild comb. Help!!

Help of course duly arrived as it has continued to do in times of crisis and uncertainty. I have experienced laying workers, queens failing to mate well, swarming (for a long time ‘swarm control’ seemed to exist only in theory) and a complete absence of any spare honey. I decided in my own mind that as long as I hadn’t had a go at swarm control or tasted honey from my own hives, then a beginner I would remain. There was also another obstacle to my progress - I had failed time and again to spot a queen on my own. And I’m talking marked queens. Spotting a queen seemed to be the sine qua non of beekeeping and I had singularly failed to do so. Time and time again. 

I’m talking three years here, and all this time I was listening to more and more information. Some of it I had heard before, some was new, and most of it fell into the ‘ask ten beekeepers, receive eleven replies’ category. I felt as if I was perpetually behind, permanently confused, and most of the time overwhelmed and without any clear sense of rhythm or pattern to what I was doing or attempting to do. I thought about giving up but my inner terrier decided otherwise. 

The HBKA struck again - bee-buddying. That sounded like a good idea. I signed up. While waiting for the scheme to get under way, I approached someone keeping his bees near mine and we started. We began more as joint bee-keeping, working through our hives together while sharing ideas about what was happening, what we might do, the state of the world, etc.. I noticed that I was less anxious - chatting was helping to dispel some of the tension, and then one day, while not particularly looking, I saw one of his marked queens. (Another modest drum roll would not go amiss.) And then, on the same day, I saw the other. (Not so modest drum roll.) The trick both times seemed to be not to look for the queen and she sort of materialised into my vision. Flushed with success we moved on to my hives and (thunderous tympani) I saw one of my unmarked queens. I caught her and marked her. The other remained elusive. However, something had changed - I was no longer in the grip of that “I’ll never see a queen” belief that probably acts as an effective blinker. And I should probably mention that I had cataract surgery earlier this year. Trying to spot a queen bee through the optical equivalent of a net curtain might have proved a challenge too far. I have since spotted more queens, so it wasn’t an aberration.

Spotting queens has of course made swarm control - or rather undertaking the mechanics of swarm control - more possible. The bees, unsurprisingly, had other ideas about who was in control and one colony swarmed and my bee buddy experienced the same. And here’s an unexpected benefit of buddying - we helped catch each other’s swarms and then rehoused them in each other’s apiaries. Result! 

I began to realise that I felt more up to date with my bee-keeping. I was beginning to anticipate what might happen next and what I might be able to do in response. I was more confidently knowledgeable about what a bee-keeping year looked like. I tidied all the notes and articles I had collected and sorted then into a file. I had a better sense of it all and more importantly for me, less afraid to ask questions and to ask for help. 

So, it only remains for me to taste my own honey - and this year I have a super nearly full of the stuff. Yes, I still have to take it, however it seems to me that I can no longer shelter under the Beginner label. I texted my daughter about this, saying that moving to the next level felt a bit scary and maybe I could call myself an interginner. She pointed out that that looked as if I had an alcohol problem so I have chosen a different label. You heard it first here - I am proud to say that I am a begimediate bee-keeper. And I’ll probably be back at next year’s frame-making session.

April 2017 - the great (pony) escape

1st April

Electric fence activated, ponies moved down to Crag/Wetland/Scrub. Lots of chiffchaffs; long-tailed tits near Meadow; mallard drake on Wetland. A hare ran past us on the drive down from the bottom gate, heading west. Flower survey carried out. Tasks list compiled. 

2nd April

Drama last night! Holly (field neighbour) called at home to tell us the ponies had managed to get through the electric fence and were racing up and down the Orchard. By the time we arrived they were feeding peacefully on the spoil heaps. This morning we added a second strand of tape to the fence, retrieved the ponies and we wait to see what happens. 

First beehive inspection of the year and both hives queen right with eggs and larvae. Pat has given us some Holly seedlings. Mallard duck and drake on Wetland pond. 

3rd April

Massive planning session in which we listed all the jobs we could think of that needed doing all over the site - it was very long and daunting! Horse Chestnut planted S edge of Pit Wood; wildflower seeds from conference sown in Meadow; drainage pipe removed from below spring; survey of northern boundary to assess work needed; partial logging of Christmas tree ends in Pit Wood; Rhododendron removed from Pit Wood. 

12th April

Andrew came and harrowed the Top Grazing. 

13th April

Heron seen flying onto and off the Wetland by the centre pond. 

17th April

7 Crab Apple saplings planted in Orchard - all grown from local Crab Apple pips by Clare. 

19th April

Spindle Trees now protected. Small bank of Violets in Wetland near Pit Wood edge. Treecreeper and Barn Owl spotted in Pit Wood. Bullfinches still around willow warblers arrived. 

20th April

12 of Pat's Holly seedlings planted in Top Strip. Cowslips out in Top Strip and Violets in Wetland. 

22nd April

3 Oaks (grown by Clare from acorns) and a Yew sapling from Pat planted in Pit Wood and some Opposite-leaved Saxifrage. Bonfire in Orchard now built and Orchard dead wood tidied up. Definite nesting activity in box on Orchard, in 2 and 3 in Scrub and in boxes in the Top Strip.

24th April - 2nd May

Digger delivered - land drains put in across top entrance and 2 in arena. Rush dug out all over top grazing. 

Membrane and chip added to new section of path at west end of Top Strip and weeding completed. Heron on wetland middle pond. 

Spindle trees now as deer proof as possible

Violets on the Wetland

Delighted to see this visitor

Step carefully over this stile

A bonfire short of a party

More path work

March 2017 - night vision reveals a range of after-dark activity!

1st March

2 more Willows planted in triangle at east end of Pit Wood; bullfinch seen in front of Willow bower; woodcock in Pit Wood. 

2nd March

Yellow Rattle, White Campion, Field Poppy, Ox-eye Daisy, Chicory, Honesty seeds and Snowdrops and Campion plug plants into Wildflower Meadow. 

3rd March

More planting on Meadow - Honesty, Betony, Campion, Evening Primrose, St John's Wort. 

6th March

Bird and Flower survey. 

9th March

Bird boxes 29-33 put up in Scrub and Pit Wood. 

11th March

Preparations for bringing ponies down from Top Grazing (fencing off bird-watching Willow arbour, protecting new Willow saplings, preparing for electric fence from SW corner of Meadow to SE corner of Pit Wood); seeds from Grassland Conference (NWT) scattered on Top Grazing. 

21st March

Rushes dug out of pond at (W) base of crag - frog seen. Pond near bird hide site heaving with frog spawn!

20th March

Tim put up a motion sensor camera in the Orchard. 

23rd March

Camera moved to gate into Orchard. 

27th March

Camera reveals roebuck, roe-doe, badger, mouse, grey squirrel visiting at night, and pheasant and cat during the day!

28th March

Chiffchaffs heard and seen on Meadow and in Scrub; 3 deer beyond Meadow; plug plants into Meadow (St John's Wort, Great Mullein, Michaelmas Daisy, Sneezewort, Valerian, Poppy) and Mugworts planted near Beech by bottom gate.

Where did I put the tree?

Oh, there it is!

Playing cat and ...

mouse

February 2017 - marking the arrival of Juno

3rd February

John rode Paul again; John helped with path, sawing log edging/step edging. 

14th February

Bird box (27) put on oak at north west corner of NE Strip for Valentine's Day; flower survey carried out. 

17th February

Last of the Corsican Pines felled in Top Strip. 

19th February

20 Field Scabious and 10 Snake's Head Fritillary planted on Meadow to mark birth of Clare's first grandchild Juno, born 18th February!

20th - 27th February

Arena fenced off. Grey squirrel seen on wall at west end of Top Grazing. 

23rd February

Bundles of Willow cuttings collected from Wenda and Matthew at Codlaw. 

24th February

Willows planted in triangle at east end of Pit Wood, near ponds at west end of Wetland, south of bottom driveway and in bower for bird-watching. 

27th February

We were told that 7 woodcock had been seen flying out of Pit Wood on shoot day at the end of January.

Kissing's in fashion

January 2017 - Bluebells in memory of Heather Lindsay

6th January

Bird and flower survey. 

9th January

c60 Larches planted with Mel and Neil's help; mostly in the verge and top strip.

14th January

A pair of treecreepers on the Oak with the barn owl box. Yesterday and today we began making 12 more bird boxes with offcuts from the shed's construction. 

16th January

Woodpecker heard drumming in NE strip. 

23rd January

Remaining (c40) Larches planted in Pit Wood (S edge and western border) and 5 Horse Chestnuts (grown at home from conkers) in SW corner of Pit Wood. Path in Top Strip extended approx 2 metres eastwards over rock outcrop. 

27th January

3 more Corsican Pines felled in Top Strip; paths extended approx 3 more metres east. 

28th January

200 Bluebells planted at W end of Top Strip in memory of Heather Lindsay; 3 new open-fronted boxes erected in Top Strip and one moved from Corsican Pine to a Larch in Top Strip. 

29th January

3 more bird boxes put up - Elder at West end of Orchard (wren); Hawthorn near gate on W wall of Pit Wood (flycatcher); Sycamore on N side of glade near path down to spring (flycatcher). 

30th January

John rode Paul on the Top Grazing unaccompanied; Clare made several more metres of path in top strip - steps down.

It was cold!

Mike with a miniature John on his shoulder

Snippets makes sure Paul comes to no harm

December 2016 - Holly, Hazel, Horse Chestnut

1st December

Sox and Snippets moved to Top Grazing to keep Paul company. 

20th December

Sox left us for his second gelding operation. Apparently a horse with one undescended testicle is called a rid or ridgling. The things we're learning! Snippets to be replaced in the Spring by Noah. 

27th December

56 trees (5 Holly, 50 Hazel, 1 Horse Chestnut) planted in Top Strip. 

First meeting

Putting their heads together

Awaiting understorey

Understorey equipment

Posts = tree positions

Understorey in place. It just needs to grow a bit

November 2016 - a mixed appraisal for new employee Paul

4th November

Mike P and John continued to remove Corsican pines from Top Strip. 

7th November

Paul hauls 6 huge logs from the Top Strip to the log shed - his first proper job!

10th November

John and Mike take down 6 Western Hemlock from the SW corner of the Pit Wood and cut them ready for logging. 

12th November

Mark came to give advice on underplanting. 

13th November

We moved barrowloads of chip onto the quagmire in front of the shed. 

14th and 15th November

And more!

24th November

More trees felled in top strip by John and Mike P. Paul very reluctant to haul logs today!

27th November

Kathryn and Nathan come to plant Juniper on the Crag to mark their marriage.

"Haul Paul!"

"Shan't!"

Henry assisting Kathryn and Nathan

October 2016 - new friends for Paul

1st October

More work on wall repair (2).

2nd October

Wall repair (2) finished!

6th October

More path laid at west end of Top Strip. 

7th and 9th October

Fencing added on top of Crag in readiness for sheep on Top Grazing. 

10th October

Paul pulled his first log! Part of Meadow wall knocked down by local farm traffic - trailer came unhitched and crashed into the wall. Farmer very apologetic and set to repair it tomorrow. 

13th October

Wall repaired. 

17th October

71 sheep from local farmer John arrived to eat theirs hearts out on the Top Grazing.

18th October

Mike P helped John take down and log a Corsican pine in the Top Strip. He loved it and wants to do more!

20th October

Bill, horse logger and woodsman, came to help advise with Paul and logging. 

24th October

Sox and Snippets, Exmoor ponies, arrived to graze the Wildflower Meadow. 

Remember the Plum blossom...

Harnessing Paul's strength

"Go straight ahead..."

Sox and Snippets

September 2016 - progress with Paul

21st September

Fenced added to Meadow to protect hedging from Exmoors.

22nd September

John rode Paul at Codlaw. 

26th September

John rode Paul back to Liddells from Codlaw. 

28th September

Wildflower Meadow fence (for ponies, to stop them nibbling on hedging plants) completed. 

29th September

Wall repair started on one of two areas possibly knocked down by cattle in neighbouring field. 

30th September

Wall repair (1) finished and (2) started; first attempt to fit Paul's harness. 

August 2016 - the adventures of Clare and her flatpack scythe

2nd August

4 Willows planted on wetland and an existing Willow discovered.

5th August

2 huge brash heaps created ready for chipper. 

6th August

Green Gym Day. Mel, Jane E, John and Clare had chipped both piles by noon - 2 hours' very efficient work. Then more chip spread on path with Barry's help and steps started by Mel and Barry while John and John M felled 2 Larches. 

11th August

Nick started scything the Wildflower Meadow. 

12th August

Eggs in hive 1. 

13th August

Eggs and brood in hive 1. Barefoot trimmer came to Paul - both very good!

15th August

Clare assembled her flatpack scythe! Clare scythed while John strimmed and Barry came to help.

16th August

Barry lent us his topper and we finished cutting the whole meadow and started raking rows. 

17th August

All hay raked into rows and tedding. 

18th August

Some green hay spread on top grazing. Steps up path in top strip - section completed. Tedding hay. 

19th August

More green hay spread and tedding. 5 dumpies of hay in store. Capped brood in Hive 1. 

22nd August

Campions grown from seed planted in meadow and 1 x Musk Mallow; hay removed. 

23rd August

More Campions planted; all hay removed; Yellow Rattle seed sown on top area of Meadow. 

25th August

Eggs and capped brood in Hive 2 - both hives viable! More Campion plugs planted. 

28th August

John built cavaletti for Paul. Clare planted Evening Primrose, Meadow Cranesbill and St Johns Wort plugs in Meadow. 

Stylish scything style

Topping is topping!

The agricultural equivalent of IKEA

Paul trying out the newly cut Meadow

John M supervising John H

Mel and Barry making sure the Silver Birch doesn't fall down

Jane tackling Mount Brash with no sherpa

Jane tackling Mount Brash with no sherpa

July 2016 - conkers, newts and queen bee cells

1st July

Tynedale Community Choir included Liddells in their Singing Walk and picnicked on the trailer on the Top Grazing. 

4th July

Becky rode Paul for the first time in the arena at Codlaw. 

6th July

Paul returned to Liddells. 

7th - 10th July

Strimming west end of Top Strip. 

11th July

First Horse Chestnut grown from a conker planted at west end of top strip. 

13th July

Second Horse Chestnut planted as above. Corsican Pine by top wall felled. 

14th July

Common newt found in chip pile. 

14th July - 4th August

Brashing and thinning in Top Strip; west end path re-chipped and extended and weeding 6" either side. 

19th July

No queens but 5 queen cells. 

Becky and Paul getting to know each other

June 2016 - moving day for the bees

3rd June

Green Gym: Mel, Barry and Sally helped: chipper hired - all chip in Top Strip dealt with and pile west of Meadow. More thistles removed from Meadow. 

5th June

Tim saw a Small Heath butterfly on Liddells - a first.

7th June

Bees moved to apiary; Paul second and much improved lunging session; fox seen on Meadow; Paul walked down through Scrub on newly opened up path and back and then escaped back along this path through unclosed gate!

8th June

Grey squirrel on west wall; 2 deer on Top Grazing; Paul long-reined down path through Scrub and back. 

9th June

Clare completed thistle removal on Meadow and environs - 40 bags filled!

8th - 10th June

Much potting on of wildflower seedlings for planting out 2017. 

10th June

Paul has a saddle!

21st June

Paul long-reined to Codlaw for a week's assessment re exercise and training needs. 

22nd June

Keith came to conduct our third bird survey:  family of redstarts in the orchard!

24th June

2 Common Blue butterflies on spoil heaps west of Meadow; meadow pipit seen on Meadow!

May 2016 - Northumberland Wildlife Trust Meadow visit

During May - more maintenance work on path west end of Top Strip - logs used for southern edge. 

2nd May

International Dawn Chorus Day - Clare did a breeding birds listen. 

5th May

Naomi Waite (NWT meadows specialist) walked over Liddells and found Adders-tongue fern in the Meadow. Janet made her first visit to meet Paul with a view to mentoring John. 

7th - 14th May

Janet looked after Paul. 

21st May

Steve Leigh, a barefoot trimmer, came and managed to trim Paul's forefeet. Lots of time spent moving Beech and Rowan logs and brash and ongoing logging and stacking. 

26th May

Clare started removing nettles from under Hawthorns on meadow and then began tackling the Thistles. Evidence of roebuck fraying on many saplings and the Spindle Trees. 

Plum tree in blossom in the Orchard...

and a different fragrance - evidence of a fox