Meadow Lodge Farm

 First signs of spring are emerging at the farm with apricot trees starting to blossom, the apple tree breaking in to leaf and the first blossom buds showing colour on the pears.   We have done lots of mowing and marked out the wildflower meadow area and have been pruning some of the apple trees with everyone helping and collecting up all the branches.   apricot blossom plum blossom buds apples shoots just breaking through collecting up the branches pruning - start them young! its more fun to make splashes with a stick! trailer full! using the chain saw wildflower meadow  just mown

 Whenever I top up the bird feeders I put a handful of peanuts and sunflower hearts on a slice of tree trunk for the birds that prefer to feed on the ground.  I only see a few tits and robins take these but they seem to disappear and there is none left the next time I visit.  So I set up my trail cam and waited..... Sure enough I caught the culprits and it wasnt what I was expecting!    I also saw an unusual visitor which I realised to my delight, was a brambling!   I have only ever seen one once before but unfortunately cant add to this years list as didnt see it in reality!  I shall have to keep an eye out for that one in the future.                                                                              ...

 Having seen a fox on several occasions I decided to put my trail cam up to see if I could catch him on camera and I wasnt disappointed!  In fact he tripped the camera about 8 times in all and on two occasions a second individual was also spotted.  I noticed that one fox a lot of white at the tip of his tail but the second one had very little,  so maybe a way of differentiating the pair.    Also on camera I caught muntjac and roe deer,  a badger, squirrel, hares and rabbits.                                                                                                 2 foxes   fox   fox                 ...

 I popped over to the farm to retrieve my trail cam and stopped to take some photos of long tailed tits that were on the suet block. Whilst waiting for them to get in a suitable position I noticed a small bird with rosy coloured chest that I assumed to be a chaffinch but when I zoomed in I saw it was indeed a linnet - the first I have seen this year and the best opportunity I have ever had for a photo of one!  EDIT  I have since discovered that it is actually a Redpoll!!   I never dreamt of seeing one there! I then retrieved  my trail cam which showed a couple of hares and magpie but the night camera revealed a nice surprise - a badger!   Strangely enough no hares seen today but here is a photo I took the other day.  I saw a pair of  moorhens on one of the ponds so wonder if we will see moorhen chicks in the summer.                               ...