Lately it’s been cold and frosty, and we have not had any rain for weeks. Ideal in some ways as the ground would be far more poached around the gates and feed troughs, but it’s holding up. It is a tough time for wildlife though, and what is around is having to take more and more risks to get something to eat.
Badgers are clearly coming right up onto our lawn, their footprints and dig marks left in the frost. Robins hang around hopefully whenever we do any digging, and in fact we just pile up the cockchafers to one side, and they snack away.
It’s a potential problem for us, particularly to our birds; *something* bothered the chickens the other night.. still don’t know what. but also nice for us, as we get to see more wildlife.
Yesterday, when driving up to the mill, we saw five buzzards in various places, all sulking on posts. I guess there was no wind or they would be airborne.
But the best one recently, was on new year’s eve, on our way out, we saw a tawny owl , which was really nice. We have often seen barn owls, particularly in a certain location, and have heard tawnies, but this is the first time I have actually seen one. We three stared at it.. and it stared back. Then we all went about our business – us to celebrate the new year, him to hunt.
