Bog Myrtle & Peat

Progress comes at dawn and dusk, and the land is visibly filling with spring. We are building again, laying cement and pounding stones around the roots of old railway sleepers until they stand up like slabs of oily black steel. The work is slow and heavy, but a steady breeze and a bright, cool sun give… Continue reading

The first wet night in March is a moment of tremendous significance. Deep beneath the trees, the soil begins to move. Fallen leaves are parted by slow, clasping fingers. Toads haul themselves out of the earth like monsters and begin to creep quietly through the moss towards open water. It’s a watershed moment for the… Continue reading

Starlings tell us where they’ve been. Their voices are growing towards spring, and now they produce an endless, chattering babble of song across the farmyard. The birds are talented mimics, and most of their commentary is a remix; a digest of samples borrowed from the world around them. Starlings record and play back with the unthinking… Continue reading

There has been a muttering online about “snoil”. The word was coined on social media to describe the erosion of topsoil in dry weather and high winds, particularly when the “blow-off” becomes obvious in drifts of snow. There are some really impressive examples of “snoil” photographed in England, but it’s worth recording a little snoil… Continue reading

I was sorry to find that an old familiar friend has gone to meet his maker. I’ve been seeing a partially leucistic blackbird every day since October, and his distinctive black and white markings have made him a local celebrity. He had a white bib on his breast, and at first I thought he was… Continue reading

Cold winds and clear skies drove the water away. The sloppy fields had been freeze dried, and it was time to make a start. A jumble of swans flew at first light; heavy whoopers which made the sky sing like wind over empty bottle tops. The old plough was raised up on hydraulic arms, and… Continue reading

Skylarks have returned. The first songs are usually heard on Valentine’s day, but it’s hard to hold the little birds to a specific date. Valentine’s day was slashed with sleet and snow this year, and perhaps it’s no surprise that they should have kept their heads down. But the following morning, a single bird rose… Continue reading

It’s been interesting to look back through feedback on my recent article about hay meadows (Striking a Balance 22nd Jan). If you missed the article, I was chewing over the relative pros and cons of reverting a productive silage field into a more natural and diverse state. I had some great comments by email and… Continue reading

We have been working with cattle for thousands of years. Ancient Celts were herding folk, and their livestock provided the basis for an entire culture. The Celtic year was divided according to cyclical patterns of grazing, harvests and rebirth – the fundamentals of that life. Measured against modern priorities, perhaps it’s no wonder that the… Continue reading