Autumn's here

St Luke's Little Summer, October 16, was glorious. The trees in Sabden Valley are cloaked in rich autumn colours. Our holly trees are laden with berries.
A sign of a good summer...or a hard winter to come?

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Apples galore

There's been a bumper crop of apples this year, too. These apples must have weighed at least three-times as much as this little tree in our garden.


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Gathering for the big trip

By Sept 12, all our swallows had set off for Africa. There were more baby swallows than ever this year and the sky round the farm was full of their chatter. Roll on early April 2011 when they return.

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Poppies

Thanks to Chris and Terry for the roots, we've got a glorious display of fat red poppies.
Spot the real buzzy bee and the non-buzzy one...



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Summer solstice sunrise over Pendle Hill

June 21, 3.30am: After an hour's walk from the Nick o' Pendle, Sabden, to the trig point on Pendle Hill's 'Big End' above Barley, we were treated to the first sunrise of Summer 2010!




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Freefall gooseander-lings

This gooseander (left hand middle of the photo) hatched out her brood in the gutter of the farmhouse roof...30ft up.
First we knew of it was a loud quacking.
She was in the field, calling her brood together.
We'd no idea where they'd all come from until we talked to a friend. He said gooseanders make their nests above ground. Further investigation - and we spotted the nest high up. Definitely above ground.
These tiny gooseander-lings had freefallen the 30ft to the ground, bounced, got up on their webbed feet and scuttled to their mother. Amazing.
PS - the sheep and lambs wanted their photo taking too...
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Nest building

Guess what are building a nest high up in the barn wall?
The pile of twigs dropped on the yard must be too big for the gap...


which is just the right size for a pair of jackdaws.



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Our swallows have returned today. Hurray. And only 1 day later than last year. This year, 3 have appeared at the same time (only 2 paused long enough for this photo). Usually there's a lone arrival, with the rest landing later over a few days. We usually end up with 3 or 4 pairs nesting in the farm buildings.
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First daffodil of 2010 bloomed on March 22. Two years ago, the first blooms were out on January 31...




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New born lamb hunts for milk

My mum's giving me a real good licking...


It's about time I stood up for the first time...


Finally, I'm on my feet. I can smell
milk. Now where is it?

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Mums-to-be

Ladies-in-waiting...they're due to start lambing this week.








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March 2nd and a pair of marauding gooseanders landed on the pond. They're after the trout that the heron hasn't taken. Our Goose-y is trying to ignore them. And the moorhen (a tiny black blob at the pond's right) is waiting to attack them if they dare get near her nest.

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Valentine's Day for the birds

The birds are flirting, ready for pairing up around Feb 14.

The bulbs and buds are appearing after the hardest winter they've ever known

And Monty, our Jack Russell, wishes he could catch Goose-y

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