Nature on your farm.

Cos of its migratory nature they are a tricky bird to re-introduce. Though they are trying to in East Anglia were the bird has been extinct since Victorian times. I guess any future projects on these islands will be based on that experience over the coming years. They do however randomly turn up well outside their current range in some years - there is strong evidence that a pair may have bred in Dublin in 2006, though I guess the best chance of luring one in would be to have your place as close to the current serving locations as possible ie. Western Coastal counties.

Should have got pictures.

But I was out today spreading dung on grass that was the greenest I've ever seen it for this time of year. Had a flock of crows following the spreader going through the dung. And two buzzards swooping over and low, putting not a bit of bother in what I was at.

Thought I was in the Okavango.

are the numbers of garden birds down this winter or is the mild weather meaning they are not using the bird feeders? A fill of nuts lasting longer than usual.

I saw the local flock of Whooper swans heading back home on Monday morning.

Anybody know how much trees have to be planted for the new CAP.

Talk about Bumblebees,

Its the first time ever I've gone a full year in seeing either a wasp, bee or bumble bee in each month of the last 12 months. I'm Located in Dublin.

I saw a cuckoo flying over earlier this afternoon.

A few cows tails were clipped in the crush.

Forgive the pic quality. Zoom on the phone is not great. And the dirt at crush. 😆

A pair of jackdaws packing their bags with as much as they could carry.

A few swallows back too these past days.

I've been throwing the eye skywards in the past few days awaiting the return of the swallows and house martins. Last year the house martins arrived about a week before the swallows and got busy repairing their nests under the eaves of the house/sheds.

Saw this article yesterday and thought it would definitely be of interest to people on this thread:

Check this out on Agriland - €5m pilot Farm Environmental Study opens for applications https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/e5m-pilot-farm-environmental-study-opens-for-applications/

I see we have a heron on the farm the past few days. We dug a small pond out a couple of years ago and it was absolutely thick with frogs earlier in Spring, he's obviously got a buffet for himself. The pond is quite close to a buzzards nest but I never see them bothering with the frogs or sitting in the trees overlooking the pond.

Loads of rabbits about this year for them though.

Looks like a hen pheasant and she probably had young, just hatched in the area, so she's keeping a tight eye on the fox and trying to direct his attention.

Barn Owl is one of my favourite birds.

Congrats Sir - did some work over the years for other farmers via installing nest boxes for them but they are a very hard species to attract in!!