Rambling Russells

Our local Natural History Group had been to Williamwood for a visit on a lovely summer evening, and we had taken our moth traps to set out afterwards. Michael and Shirley had invited us on a couple of previous occasions to moth trap on their farm and it had been a while since we last tried. Visiting was therefore an ideal opportunity to have another go! We have four traps -  2 run on batteries and 2 on mains electricity. On a warm, still evening we were going to put out all 4 traps around the farm. The 2 battery traps were set on the edge of a wood, and by a railway bridge on a disused track. The mains traps were both set within a newly planted wood with a thick undergrowth of grasses, wild flowers, reeds and rushes. It was getting towards 10pm by the time we put out the last trap and we could already see moths fluttering about. As tempting as it was to stay and catch some with a net, we went home. Many more were attracted by the car lights as we drove home...

  Michael Clarke had told members about his style of farming when he came to talk to the group earlier in the year. We were pleased to accept the invitation to have a tour around the farm, see the Nature Trails and some of the livestock. Luckily the weather stayed fine for us and a special executive trailer was provided for those who would struggle walking round the Nature Trails.   The remaining visitors started their wander along farm tracks and through newly planted woods towards the nature trail loch.   We then returned to the farm buildings to meet up with the special passenger trailer for a guided tour along further tracks and into fields where we met up with Highland Ponies, Highland Cattle and other crossbreeds from the herd.               We were then treated to more close up views of Shirley's Highland Ponies in the farmyard        Now back at base we were treated to refreshments and a ch...

There was fantastic weather at the beginning of the month - quite a heatwave. The sun has been shining and encouraging the faces of many flowers to smile. There has been an explosion of colour in the garden and there are more and more flowers to look at all the time. They are of every colour in the rainbow.     Some flowers make great clumps of colour - such as the geraniums and chives. Like the sage they attract bees galore on a sunny day. Others are more subtle with their individual blooms, like the paeony.     The foxgloves have been reaching up to great heights this year and several plants together make a lovely sight. They seed themselves around the garden too. The oriental poppies have had huge blooms this year too, looking great with their black velvet centres.     The warm weather has meant lots of beautiful scents around the garden too, especially in the evenings. Our dw...

There have been plenty of birds in the garden this month, and as the month has gone on there have been more sightings of juveniles feeding and gathering together. They make quite a noise too - the juvenile chorus goes on all day and the feeders empty very quickly. We are still filling the feeders as the adult birds are having second broods and still need food for themselves. It has been quite comical to watch the young birds flying about and then suddenly flapping like mad because they are not too sure where to land! The goldfinches have been around just about every day, eating the seed heads on our centurea plants. I usually dead head them to stop them seeding everywhere but might have to rethink that for some of them now.     Monthly max is as follows: Blackbird - 4 adults 2 young Blue tit - 2 Carrion crow - 2 Coal tit - 1 Dunnock - 1 adult, 1 young Goldfinch - 4 adult, 1 young House sparrow 47 adult, 6 young Jackdaw - 12 Rook - 3 adult, 1 young Starling -  adult,...

    Williamwood Farm is where farming and nature go hand in hand. It has about 300 acres of grassland, producing beef and lamb - but nature and conservation are very important too. Improving biodiversity is very important to Michael and Shirley Clarke. Plantlife is working with farmers to help them provide homes for wildlife on their farms, but are also working with politicians and the general public to recognise that the wildlife we have depends on farming.   Williamwood were hosting a visit from Plantlife yesterday and encouraging visitors to go for a Wild Flower Walk with them on the farm. To give visitors an insight into some of the wildlife that is on the farm - although not always visible during the day! - Michael had asked us to put out our moth traps on Friday night and see what was about. We were quite lucky on Friday night as the wind died down and the anticipated rain showers held off, so with th...