sourced from the Woodland Trust’s Nature Detectives resource this is a wonderful chart to ID trees in the winter.
Really chuffed to say we have at least one of each and every one of these here at Kintaline
This beautiful creature was sadly found dead, in this very cold spell, close to the house (and 200 roosting sparrows) – it has been confirmed to be a Long Eared Owl – not common. A real treasure to know he had been hunting around our land.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/long-eared-owl/
As we progressively clear up areas around the farm, the challenge is to find new uses for each and everything, rather than think “throw it away”.
These 20 year old broody coops are rather soft but not quite rotten. They are going to be hidden away in corners under trees and bushes around the farm, partially filled with litter etc, and hopefully hedgehogs and other creatures will find them comfortable.
First stage in the build creating homes for bugs, winter shelter, bird bath, insect feeding point.
A great way to use up pallets, old tiles, broken crocks, hollow stemmed weeds, straw, cones, rolled up feed bags, old roofing, left over pond liner.
Now to hope we get more than slugs and wasp nests !!
They may be noisy wee blighters but the greedy starlings are helping to reduce the population of leatherjackets. They are really beautiful.