Working late last night

After a couple of days off (rain and a road closure at Natland) we've started on the final first cut acres. James mowed until dark and is finishing off this morning, ready for picking up later today.

And in the porch our Blackbird family were back, also working till dark, adding another layer to the nest, ready for the next clutch.

One fine day

I forgot to say last night, we snatched another 20 acres of silage yesterday. Cut in the morning and picked up in the afternoon, with Henry rowing it up just ahead of the chopper (in case we were caught out by the rain).

There's still about 40 acres to go, but I don't think we'll get any today (still raining) which will be a relief to those of us wanting to watch a Football Match tonight.

And, for an update on the lack of rain in France look at Derek's comment to the post with the video on earlier this week.

Empty Nest

The blackbird nest is now empty - breakfast time this morning there was just one chick left. And when I looked out just now he seems to have made a bid for freedom. He (or she?) has not got far - still in the porch, underneath the nest. Maybe he hasn't quite got the hang of flying (and he doesn't look very aerodynamic). I hope the parents know where he is and guide him to somewhere safer. It's a tough world out there. There's a ginger cat that hangs about and a handsome, but threatening, magpie staking out the bird feeders.



A Day In The LIfe

or Twenty Four Hours From Strickley.

First  - apologies about the quality of the video (the original high definition version is much sharper - but still the same content, with the same shaky camera work - my hands were very cold), but I can't upload too large a file. And, in the end the only way I could get it to work, was as a link to You Tube.

Click here!

It's 9.30 pm and the pit's a lot fuller than in the video - 57 acres of grass. Now all we need is another two fine days to finish off.

Watching

It's a day for watching -

Birdwatching - much activity in the porch (see below)
Silage watching - video camera in hand, I'm stalking the men at work (video later today)
Weather watching - will it stay fine so we can get all the grass we've got down? I think it could be a late night

Just because you've left home, it doesn't mean your parents won't look after you!

And if I had still been at work I would have missed all of this!

First away

Ready to leave the nest?

and don't leave your wellies underneath the nest!