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Too late!
Two weeks ago, I missed the chance to take a nice roe yearling off the Chayne. Walking over the mossy banks at the back of the hill, we were spotted by vigilant eyes, and before we could do anything, two white bottoms bounced down over the dyke and into the forestry blocks. There aren’t many… Continue reading
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A question of rabbits
Rabbits come and go on the farm. Five years ago, we had a plague of them settling in the deserted garden of the old crumbling barn. The hillsides were hollowed out over a few short weeks, and the rushes were filled with scrambling bodies. They spread and spread until that open area of pasture and… Continue reading
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Grit where it’s needed
Six weeks ago, I set up some grit stations for the grouse. Working on the basis of where I last saw the birds, I turned over six peat turfs within ten acres of moorland and covered the exposed black soil with flint grit. When I went up to check them this morning, only one has… Continue reading
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The secret is out
After a lengthy search, we have found a major fox earth. Off in the farm’s extreme south westerly corner, two gravelly humps rise out of a dank and rushy bog. Sheep tracks lead back and forth through the wet ground, but the humps themselves are well drained and covered only in a carpet of short… Continue reading
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“The wettest grouse moor I’ve ever walked”
Of all the problems on the Chayne, drainage is probably the most serious. Moorland managers discuss burning and reseeding in great depth, but neither of these important regeneration techniques are worth a thing unless they have their foundations in correctly drained soil. Conducting the grouse count took me to areas of the farm that I… Continue reading
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Another type of fox to worry about
Insect life is booming on the Chayne, and the first swarms of midge are starting to swirl over the bogs. There is still frost at night, so I was surprised to find a number of caterpillars clambering along the grass stalks and over the heather this morning. Apparently fearless of attack from birds or animals,… Continue reading
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Grouse counting with the NOBs
The grouse have paired up on the Chayne, and they’ll soon be beginning to nest. It is the perfect moment to conduct a count and work out precisely what territories are where on the farm, but not having the know-how or the resources to carry out the task on my own, I needed help. I… Continue reading
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The Night of the Toads
Something rather unsettling is happening on the Chayne tonight. From every sodden, murky corner, toads are emerging to congregate in the darkness, staring beadily at one another as if observing some ancient ritual. Along the short mile of track from the farmhouse to the start of the tarmac road, I saw more than thirty little… Continue reading
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An identity crisis
In a previous post, I mentioned that I had found a female black grouse feather on the farm. After a few hours of reflection, I was not so sure. The yellow feather is around three inches long and has two dull grey bars across it which almost meet in a point two thirds of the… Continue reading
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Expanding the margin
As well as planting a juniper stand along the boundary of the forestry block, it is probably a good idea to stretch out the woodland margins as much as possible. To this end, I came up with a plan to plant a scattering of scots pine trees and silver birches a hundred yards out from… Continue reading
About
“Shout on, Morgan. You’ll be nothing tomorrow”
Swn y galon fach yn torri, 1952
Also at: https://andtheyellowale.substack.com
Bog Myrtle & Peat 