Bog Myrtle & Peat

As the first lambs arrive, I need to prepare for the inevitable onslaught of vermin which is always associated with lambing. Crows are whetting their beaks in anticipation of juicy eyeballs, and foxes have already started filching the first of the new arrivals. If I can make a good impact on those thieving devils over the next few weeks, I will have a solid base to protect black grouse eggs and poults when they start to materialise at the end of this month and into May.

Interestingly, one of the ewes from last year who had her eyes pecked out in December during a bout of illness has produced twin lambs over the past few days. Totally blind, she leads her two charges around as if there was no problem at all. It just goes to show the incredible unpredictability of sheep. If they want to die, nothing can stop them from shuffling off their wooly coil, but if they want to live, then they’ll survive anything.