By the Barn Blog

Big, fat light grey Wood Pigeons sit heavily on roads and fences, clumsily flapping and leaving it until the last minute to get out of the way, flocking into the fields to clean them of grain.

Dirty, sweaty wool also provides a nursery to flies and resulting maggots can cause irritation and suffering if not treated.

Although there is increased automation and mechanisation in the agricultural industry, it is a clever robot that can decide a strawberry is just at its peak.

Our sheep and lambs have taken advantage of fresh spring grass and should be growing fast, being vaccinated and wormed appropriately to ensure healthy stock.

Our workload continues as the main flock begin to lamb. We have moved the earlier ewes and lambs to pasture, the pens have been cleaned out and we have replenished our lambing supplies.

Our newly layed hedge will be coming into leaf, as do all the others and it will be interesting to see what other plants flourish now that the light has been let in- such as ground ivy, violets and celandines.

Clashing with the white of the snowdrop, if we are lucky with the weather, will be the bright sulphur yellow of the Brimstone butterfly, which feeds overwinter on Holly and Ivy and lays its eggs on Buckthorn- both are a welcome sign that spring is just around the corner.

The foxes will be mating and this upsets Ted as they call to each other at night, the young cubs appearing later in spring and scent is strong as we walk down the farm drive and pass through where they have travelled across in their nightly excursions.

Our calves have been weaned and we have a couple of noisy nights as they get used to missing their milk.

Our woods have been spectacular with the colours of the turning leaves, banks of which collect in the corners of the yards,where they have been blown with the gales.