December 2016 - Part 2

We have seen some of the first frosts of winter here in Brabourne which has completely changed the landscape, along with the early morning fog it has made for some glorious sunrises over the fields of frost. For the first time, the birds water bowl has frozen over, winter is well and truly here.

The bird stations are still very busy, especially the fat-balls where the birds are stocking up their reserves for the cold weather. There have been no new visitors to the stations, so far over the last couple of weeks, in fact the only new comer has been a Mistle Thrush visiting outside one of the Badger setts.

The '2017 Birdwatch' nestbox is now up and tested, and all seems be working well. In fact, it already has the seal of approval from one of the resident Blue Tits, who has been spending some time in there roosting overnight. We've called him Charlie and here's a little glimpse of him in the box.

He usually arrives just before sunset around 4.15pm and stays until about 6.15am the next morning. It's still dark when he leaves, so we're hoping he doesn't bump into Hooty, the Tawny Owl who is usually just on his way back from a night's foraging about this time. So far their paths haven't crossed.

I mentioned in the my last posting that Johnny the Fox has moved his den into the middle of the Paddock, and that Bella had moved into the lane next to the cottage. Well, I have to say I'm not quite sure of what's happening here.

The Paddock is just under one acre in size which will not really cope with two resident foxes in the same territory. Have a look at this video we filmed at Johnny's original den at the end of the paddock.

It quite clearly shows a dog and vixen fox entering the den. So who is occupying the den in the middle of the paddock? Unless I can come up with some way of identifying the individuals it would appear that they have two dens on the go, which are about 25 metres apart.

Bella the badger on the other hand is extending her territory. Badgers usually live in family structures of about six individuals, so it's really no surprise that their territory is spread across the paddock. Here's a video of one of them surfacing from a fresh sett in the lane, which is about 75 metres from the original sett. 

This badger appears quite nervous and is very wary when leaving the sett. The field opposite is a gathering place for the fox family, and other members of the badger sett. This sett could be linked to the other one via underground tunnels, as the badgers are very good diggers, thanks to their powerful front claws.

Meanwhile, back to Johnny and his partner, we're going to call her Jenny. It's that time of year for foxes, so we will keep an eye, and a camera on the den in the hope that we see some cubs in the fullness of time. It's usually about February/March if she is to produce any. It could be anything from 2 to 12 pups!

2017 Projects.

As the foliage disappeared from the garden, we discovered this buried in between the boundary of the two cottages. We had wondered where the toads were coming from and this appears to be the answer.

We intend to give this area a good tidy up and provide what we call ' A frog and toad abode', I think the name has some cockney connotation in it somewhere. We'll get some stones and pond plants in the old bath once it's had a good clean out, and provide some shelter for the frogs and toads, and try and encourage the amphibious wildlife into the area.

There are always plenty of Damsel flies hovering about in the summer, so perhaps this will be a good place for them to lay their eggs next year. 

We'll provide a ledge and safe ramp where the birds and other wildlife can get in for a drink or a bath, and so that they can get out safely too.

More later...

Happy New Year.

December

November has come and gone and the frosts are well and truly upon us now which has caused an upsurge in the visits to the bird stations round the garden.  We invested in a new one at the Village Christmas Fayre last week and this has gone down very well, especially with the squirrel.  It's situated right outside the kitchen window attached to the shed so it's very easy for him to leap onto it. 

In November we saw the SuperMoon when the moon was at its nearest to the Earth which produced some spectacular pictures.  It also made for very bright nights for a while, which makes stargazing a little difficult.  There is little or no light pollution down this way, so stargazing is quite easy providing there is no cloud.  

 

Venus was also very distinctive over the past week or so, and was easy to pick out early in the evening, showing just below the early evening moon.

We left a camera down by the badger sett in the paddock and this time attached it to a tree which gave us a downward view of all the activity which went on for nearly 48 hours.  It was really interesting to see the different mammals and birds which frequented the area at different times.   Bella the badger must have a problem sleeping sometimes with all the comings and goings on her doorstep. 

It is looking as if either Bella, or another badger has made another sett in the paddock, this time it's more in the open and there is plenty of evidence of the long grass being torn up for bedding, and a distinctive trail to the entrance to the sett.  As it's in quite close proximity to the other sett, I suspect Bella may have moved into her winter residence. I have left a camera down there to see what's going on.

Update on above....

It's Johnny the Fox who has moved home.  He appears to have abandoned the old Badger sett at the bottom of the paddock, and moved house across the way, which is a bit nearer the cottage.  You can just see him here.

 

 

We discovered another home down the lane on the farmer's land this week.  This might just be a new home for Bella as it has all the trappings of a Badger sett, with plenty of dried bedding being thrown out to make way for clean, dry bedding.

We've left a camera there for a few days and we'll see who emerges.

The feeding stations just outside the kitchen window are proving very popular, and have to be filled twice a day.  Most of the smaller birds can cope with the feeders, however, the larger birds are mopping up the spillage down below, so not much is going to waste.

Here's a couple of female pheasants enjoying breakfast this morning. (Taken through the kitchen window).

We've had some pretty spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the fields in the past couple of weeks, and hopefully that will continue throughout December.  Here's a couple of pictures we took last week.

 

That's all for this year.  So, Merry Christmas everyone, and we'll be back with more in January.

 

 

November 2016 - Part 2

November has come and gone so quickly, it doesn't seem like two weeks ago we were remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  St. Mary's at Brabourne was packed to the rafters for the traditional Remembrance Sunday service, and after there was a short ceremony outside the church with the laying of wreaths and poppies.

There was a good turnout from all services at the ceremony, with mainly those who served in WWII, and some others who had more recently served in Bosnia and Afghanistan.  After the parade drinks were taken at the Royal British Legion in Smeeth.

November is starting to turn cold now, and the extra bird feeders in the garden are getting busier each day.  Fortunately, sunflower hearts were on special offer this week at Sainsbury's Homebase, so we've loaded up for the winter, as these seem to be the choice of all the different birds visiting the garden.  The Robin is still content to feed on live mealworms, it's as if he has realised there is little or no competition for these at this time of year. 

The owl box is now up and secured with the camera in place, and we have been monitoring it for the past week or so, but as yet, Hooty and his pal have not paid us a visit, but we know they have been looking around early in the morning. Plenty of time yet!

The strong winds last week did bring a couple of our nestboxes down in the paddock, so these have now been put up more securely.

The sheep are now settled in the field behind us, they all appear to be pregnant Ewes so it looks like it could be an eventful start to the New Year around here.  We've volunteered our services if they need it on the farm. 

We took a trip over across the field to Forty Acre Wood which is where the other Badger's setts are situated, and we've left a camera there all this weekend, this one having a 6v battery attached which should give us longer and better quality videos.  I do hope the badgers and foxes over there are happy to oblige.

New visitors this week.

We are really pleased to have had a visit from a Firecrest this week.  This was the first time we had ever seen one, and he/she was darting around near the feeders and was delightful to watch. 

Firecrest - Library Picture

We have also had the return of a whole family of Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Long Tailed Tits, a sure sign winter is on its way. Neville the Pheasant and his harem still come and go in the garden.

Motty has booked her bed for the holiday period, so it looks like we'll have her as company.

Village Events.

There was a bit of a clash of events last night, with the Gardening Society and the Allotment Society both having their Christmas do's on the same evening.  We decided to go the diplomacy route and tossed a coin, and went to the Gardening Society dinner, where for a fiver we were treated to Cottage Pie with Vegetables and two glasses of wine for a fiver.  You can't say fairer than that.  Village life at its best!

This morning saw the Village Christmas Fair in the village hall, where there was a vast choice of Christmas presents on display, with all proceeds of the profit going to St. Mary's Church.

More later....

November 2016

Now that the clocks have gone back, the nights are beginning to feel a little longer and colder. The leaves here in Brabourne and around the cottage have nearly all fallen from the trees, leaving a carpet of colour on our front garden.  Not only have the leaves come down in torrents but the rain has too, making life that little bit more difficult for the wildlife here. 

The Robin has been battling bravely to get his share of the mealworms during the shorter days, avoiding the Magpies early in the morning.  I have put out another feeding tray for the smaller birds with a wire cage around it, so that only the smaller birds can get through to the food.  They seem to be coping so far. 

The farmer has spent the last two weeks or so gathering in winter feed for his sheep and cattle, and we're fully expecting the cattle barn, just over the back of us, to be populated within the next few weeks.  He has also been putting up some electric fencing over in the fields where we walk, it looks like the cattle will be in there first before the winter weather sets in.  The field is a beautiful lush green at the moment, so they will be looking to fatten themselves up for the winter.

The fields on the other side of the village have now all been ploughed and sown again, and the transformation of colour is wonderful.  If you leave the village via the North Downs you can climb to about 182 metres above sea level and from there the view down onto the village and over Kent is magnificent.  

To the other side, just up over the ridge of the field behind the cottage, there is a public footpath running down to a small copse which has a stream running through it.  There are one or two Badger setts just by the stream along with a Fox den and a host of Rabbit warrens. We left a camera there for four days and you can see from the pictures below just how much activity takes place around the Badger sett at different times of the day and night.

 

We were quite amazed to see the dog who had obviously picked up the scent of the Badgers and other animals which had passed that way.  Even Ratty gets his share of food there.

We have another winter visitor coming to see us regularly now, Motty, the black and white cat who lives down the lane (sounds like a nursery rhyme) and is Min's mum.  

Motty is quite confused at times and appears to be growing old gracefully, but is not backward in coming forward when it comes to a warm lap.  Both the cats here are outdoor cats, and curl up most nights in the estate greenhouse.  They get fed each day by the housekeeper on the estate, and enjoy a little bit of pampering when they visit us.  We've even bought a brush to try and get rid of some of their matted fur, which they seem to appreciate.

Hooty, the Tawny Owl is still looking for a partner.  We've been hearing two owls calling each night, so hopefully they can make a rendezvous in the not too distant future and check out the owl box which we intend to put up in the tree this weekend.  Fingers crossed and we may have some junior Hooty's sometime next March.

This is the Owl box in preparation.  We plan to hoist it about 3-4m up the tree.

As I mentioned before a lot of the community activity in the village centres around the church, and every first Friday of the month there is a small social gathering, with wine and nibbles etc., which is quite different when it's held in a 12th Century setting.  Last week we took along our house guest, who was staying for the weekend.  She thoroughly enjoyed her first visit to a church, and was quite adamant that she should go into the pulpit and say hello to everybody.

This week sees Remembrance Sunday and there will be a special service in St. Mary's which we will be attending. 

New Garden Visitors

Only one this week, and that was the Blackbird.  He's been around since we moved in, but unlike Blackbirds in the town this one if very timid and will take flight as soon as he spots you.  I suspect a few more bits of apple on the lawn might win him over. 

Over the next couple of we are going to try and set two cameras up at the Badger's sett with a view to getting some videos taken from different angles.  Fingers crossed!

October 2016 - Part 3

As with all village life, one of the central aspects of it is the pub and Brabourne is no exception.  Just 200 metres down the road from the cottage is the Five Bells which takes its name from the original belfry in St. Mary's at the time when it had just five bells.

 

The pub is a gastro pub which does a mean menu, and is always good for a cup of tea and cake in the afternoon.  It's fair to say it's not really a local's pub any more and most of the trade are folk on an evening out. 

Locals tend to use the Black Horse, in nearby Monk's Horton which we have yet to sample!

Last Sunday we visited nearby Mersham Hatch, an old established country estate which now has a Deer Park which is open to the public.  There is a herd of Fallow Deer roaming the grounds, some of whom were taking it easy under the tree far away from the footpaths which criss-cross the park.

 

There is also a Heron Pond in the park but we appeared to take a wrong turning somewhere, so perhaps next time we'll get some pictures of that.  

Is it a dog or a badger? 

While we were walking through the park we came across this strange creature.  At first, we thought it was a badger in the distance, but as we got closer it didn't move.  It wasn't until we got right up close that we discovered it was the work of mother nature.  Take a look at the detail, it's incredible!

Nestboxes

All next seasons nest boxes are now up, with the exception of one Wren box and one owl box for Hooty, our resident Tawny Owl.

 

These boxes have been distributed around the paddock today. 

We have also had some very unusual activity in two of the Blue Tit boxes.  The one which faces north appears to have a new nest in it, entirely unheard of for this time of year.   You can just see the nesting hanging from the drainage holes at the base of the box.  Strangely though, we haven't seen any activity at the nest hole. 

However, earlier today I was looking to move one of the boxes from the front garden to make way for an owl box, and as I moved the box a Blue Tit flew out!  Quite what is going on nobody is sure.  Needless to say I've left it where it is, and I'll find a new position for the Owl box.

Hooty has been keeping us awake at night with his constant calling.  It's that time of year when he's looking for a partner, and once has found one he'll be looking for a love nest.  So now's the time to put the box up.  I have found a good spot which gives them clear access to the nest hole, and a nearby branch will support a night camera to monitor their visits.  Once it's all in place I will turn the camera on.  This is not Hooty, but it's a good lookalike.

Visitors to the garden.

Neville the Pheasant finally introduced us to one of his lady friends this week, who came round for a good feed and then settled down in the tree in the back garden.

 

Fortunately for her, her timing was impeccable as shortly after we had visit from Min, one of the cats who lives in the main house just down the lane. 

Min likes a bit of fuss, but is keen to let you know when she's had enough by nipping your hand. Bless!

The Robins are still feeding on demand; they seem to have their own clocks as within 30 seconds of the curtains going back in the morning, they are on the lid of feeder demanding it is taken off so they can get to the meal-worms.   The Wren has also learned that the meal-worms are a tasty meal, and now out of reach of the Magpie.

The Badgers and Foxes are still wandering around in the Paddock with plenty of new bedding material being scattered around outside their dens.  I have set up two cameras there hopefully to catch some more video.

I hope to get the Tawny Owl box up within the next week or so, I'll put some pictures up when I have.

More later....

October 2016 - Part 2

As the Autumn leaves continue to fall and the nights draw in, life in and around the village is preparing for the dark nights and colder weather.  The annual Harvest Supper took place last Friday and a great evening it was.  Everyone brought a dish of their own choice, and fortunately we didn't end up with 40 Pizzas and a lemon meringue pie between 75 people. The variety of dishes was amazing, and the company very entertaining.

As with most village communities most of the activities are centered around the church, and here is no exception.  St. Mary the Blessed Virgin was built in the 12th century and through the years has seen more than its fair share of changes.  It has an original oak staircase leading up to the belfry and one of the oldest stained glass windows of any church in the country. 

St. Mary the Blessed Virgin.  

The church boasts an enthusiastic and very competent team of bell ringers, who practice each Friday night and again before Sunday services.  It's an extremely pleasant experience to sit in the garden and listen to the peels. Who knows, we may even give it a go one day.  The picture below will give you some idea how close we are to the church.

Walking through the churchyard I came across an interesting headstone, that of Squadron Leader Kenyon Bowen-Bravery. As you can see from the picture he was the pilot of the first Lancaster bomber over the French coast on D-Day in 1944.  He was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross and also the Croix De Guerre. 

The Church and surrounding areas also played a large part in the Napoleonic wars where one of the neighboring fields was set up as a field hospital, and is still known to this day as Hospital Field.  

Bird Update

A week or so back we spotted a Goldfinch coming to investigate the feeder outside the conservatory window.  We're pleased to say he's returned and brought his partner with him and they have been spending the mornings contenting themselves with Niger seed. 

We're also hearing a Woodpecker in the paddock but have not had a good sighting of him yet.

We've taken possession of the new allotment, and it looks as if we have our work cut out over the next few weeks in getting it organized, but the weather has been kind to us for the last week or so and we managed to start getting to grips with the long grass with the aid of a petrol strimmer and mower.

We've also been told that there is ample wildlife roaming around the site, and we have seen plenty of evidence of Moles, Badgers and Foxes so far. If they want to join in the digging they are more than welcome. 

Wildlife Update

We've seen plenty of activity from Bella the Badger scurrying through the hedgerow into the neighboring farmer's fields. (Check out the video on Facebook).  You can see from the edge of the field the run she has made to get to the other side, so we assume that food and drink as more plentiful in that direction.   Johnny the Fox and his partner are still evident in the paddock and making sure we are aware of this at 4am in the morning. Bless!

Neville the Pheasant introduced us to one of his harem late last week, and we just caught sight of her scurrying down the lane towards the paddock.  He's now regularly in the garden after polishing off some of the Robin's meal worms recently.

P.S. Unfortunately the video page doesn't work on all platforms, so I'll post the videos on Facebook each time I update the blog.  

More later..... 

 

October 2016

Thursday 6th October.

The nights are now drawing in and the weather is turning a little colder, which is becoming noticeable by the visits to the bird feeding stations we have in the garden. The Robins are regular visitors now that we have introduced 'free' meal worms. They have reached the stage now where 'on demand feeding' is the norm. Unfortunately the ground feeding station we were using for them has been hijacked by the Magpie and Neville the Pheasant, so I decided to introduce a new station for them.
 
  Rather than buy a fancy bird table from the stores, I have used a discarded tree branch I found laying about in the paddock, as I thought that would be a bit more in keeping with the garden.  I trimmed it up and left a little landing stage so the Robin could perch there before tucking in, as you can see.

This should solve the problem of Neville and the Magpie clearing the bowl each time.  That's what I thought anyway, have a look at this picture.

The Magpie is somewhat cautious coming into the garden, so I reckon he won't be taking too much from the Robins, but  Neville will have to forage under the seed feeders a bit more for his meals.

Hooty the Tawny Owl has been very active over the past week or so, emerging at dusk and calling out through the trees.  His silent flight is a joy to watch as he goes from tree to tree.  The leaves are falling rapidly now so we're getting a better view of him each evening. 

His calls are being answered by a Barn Owl, which we think, lives in the Cattle Shed just behind the cottage.  He'll be getting some company soon when the farmer brings the cows in for the winter.  Hooty usually returns early, just before Charlie the Cockerel greets the new day at sunrise.

Bird update.

One new species so far this week, a Goldfinch.  We have had the Niger seed feeder in place for a few weeks, but no takers so far.  The Goldfinch arrived early this morning and eyed up the feeder.  He will be back I'm sure now that it's getting colder.  

Badgers and Foxes.

The Badgers are still active in the sett at the end of the paddock, as are Johnny the Fox and his pal. We're not sure if this is Johnny's Vixen or another dog fox.  I caught these shots on video last week, and as you can clearly see the foxes tails are significantly different.  Both were captured on film within an hour, so whether they share the territory or it was near chance encounter we're yet to find out. 

 

    
 

Bella the Badger has been very active around the paddock, and even venturing up the lane towards the cottage.  Check the video page for the latest film, where we filmed her coming through one of the animal runs from the paddock into the farmers field next door. I am pleased to say everybody is very tolerant of the Badgers and Foxes here.

We found another Badger Sett across the field just off of the public footpath with evidence nearby of both badgers and foxes.   Here's a somewhat startled Badger who has realized a camera has suddenly appeared by the tree.  

I'm running out of names for all these creatures, so I may be asking for suggestions.

Their sense of smell and apprehension to danger is remarkable, and they have all spotted the cameras so far, and no doubt any scent which I left behind.

Other stuff.

We've signed up for an allotment which is handily situated behind The Plough pub in the village and have chosen our allocated space.  The pub, I have to point out is a Shepherd Neame pub, and the allotment site is owned by the brewery and leased to the local council.  Perhaps we should try growing some hops!

So, looking forward to some homegrown vegetables in due course, that's providing the Badgers don't get there first.

More later...