5th January
Robert displays his next trophy in traditional manner
6th January
John saw the hare running from the Orchard into the Top Strip. It’s good to know it’s still around.
7th January
Although the horses of the local hunt don’t go through Liddells any more, the hunt clearly wasn’t far away. Here is a splinter group of hounds going through the Pit Wood. And a splinter hound from the splinter group.
11th January
John has obviously been missing his post-Liddells-work aches and pains, so set off today to buy gate-making equipment. There are two gates awaiting construction - one giving access from the Meadow into the North-East Strip (necessary if we are one day to go through with our plan to keep pigs there); the other will go through the taped off line by the spoil heaps and head up the path down to the Orchard. We hope all will go smoothly and that there will be no Gategate.
13th January
We heard from our land neighbour that the ponies were in his bottom field. They had obviously intuited the blog and staged a pre-Gategate. They must have trampled the tape (now re-electrified) which prohibited access to the Orchard and thus the Pit Wood. How they got from there on to Mike’s land remains a mystery. Paul had the grace to look sheepish - no bad feat for a pony - when he was led back.
14th January
Gate-making at progress at home. Clare listening to the sound of power tools and hammering. Perhaps not the most sensitive reminder of experiences undergone by one of us recently.
The trail camera has provided us with a mystery. Clare, perhaps a little bored at home, is convinced dark deeds are afoot in the Orchard.
Perhaps John could have done the op….
19th January
John has finished hanging the new gate that leads down to the Orchard. It awaits a catch. He has also started digging post holes for the gate into the North East Strip.
20th January
The OED Word of the Day is Pluviose - the fifth month of the French Revolutionary calendar which began on 20th January and the name was chosen for the rain in this month. Vive La Révolution! No rain fell today.
23rd January
John accompanied a Canadian visitor round Liddells on a frosty morning. The lengths we go to to make visitors feel at home. Graham has been planting trees in a patch of land near to Ottawa and was interested to see what we were doing. Unfortunately the photo John took of Graham by the top gate has inexplicably vanished from the camera memory. Clare suspects this could be related to the mysterious goings on in the Orchard. Or Graham may be a vampire.
25th January
Robbie came to help John today and together they worked on the new gate and fence in the North East Strip and also did some logging there.
This is a strainer taking the strain and you can see that we are using wood from felling wherever we can
These logs are intended as the piles for a bridge over the grip which feeds into the big pond. Watch this space for construction details…..
28th January
Very exciting (for one of us) to see the Barn Owl over the Wetland and perched in one of our Oaks near the Orchard. Clare had her own excitement at home while taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch yesterday - she saw a Lesser Redpoll on one of the niger seed feeders in the garden. We had seen one on the verge opposite the house several years ago however never one in the garden, and none since. She spotted it again today and could confirm that it was a female.
29th January
John reported to Clare from Liddells that it was snowing. Clare asked for a photograph. The snow stopped. And melted. What is it with John and photos. John managed to clean out all the nesting boxes in the Top Strip, firm up some tree stakes and erect the new bat box in the North East Strip. He spotted a Heron leaving the big pond. Clare has been saving ‘ranivorous’ for just this occasion (of an animal, especially a bird, that feeds on frogs). Smarty Pants John pointed out that the family name for frogs is ranidae. Clare thought it was Fisher.
31st January
Another cold day at Liddells. Too cold to work however pleasing to the eye. John did splendidly with the cameras. The ponies had double helpings of hay - two nets in the shelter and extra on the ground. You will notice how Paul stands over most of the hay while William has only managed to secure a small heap at his feet. Off camera William high-tailed it into the shelter to get first go at the nets. He’s a bright little thing.
Top Strip from the Top Grazing, looking west