We're very lucky to have lots of wildlife here at Mill Farm and a friend of ours recently suggested a phone app that identifies birds by their song. (It's called Merlin if you'd like to try it). We used it the other day and in just 2 minutes it identified 9 different birds - Sparrow, Black Bird, Wren, (they're really loud for such a little bird), Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Robin and a Goldfinch!
Neil also went on an evening walk around the lake and first heard, and then saw, two Tawny Owls by the river. He used the app to identify them and then play back their call, and had a little conversation with them...He doesn't know what he said though. Let's hope it wasn't anything rude or they won't come back!
We also noticed the other day that there are several Mallard chicks with mum on the wildlife pond...They're so cute! As well as a Moorhen nest with several eggs waiting to hatch.
Our four new chickens, Fudge, Brownie, Biscuit and Waffle, are settling in well and they wander around the alpaca fields adding to the rural idyll. They also provide us with delicious fresh eggs and I think we need to get a few more so that we can supply eggs to our guests, as they really are totally scrumptious...The yolks are positively golden!
Despite the less than Summery weather that the country has been experiencing so far, the grounds have blossomed, and the scent in the evenings from the lilac trees is amazing. The arums and water lilies on the lake are stunning and the fish enjoy sun bathing among them, disappearing with a splosh as you walk by.
The fish have also been busy growing and multiplying and our guests last week caught the biggest we'd seen so far! We love it when guests share their pictures with us and you can see the beast they caught in the photos.
The hedgerows around Mill Farm are also abundant with flowers this year and they look more like garden borders, stuffed with Foxgloves, Cow Parsley and Red Campion and they've been a delight to see lining the road on our trips out to the beach.
We've had some cracking days at the coast already and even a little dip or two in the large rock pools that can be found on several of our local beaches. We've also enjoyed seaside sunsets with delicious fish and chips and just generally soaking up everything that makes where we live so blooming wonderful!
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Hope to see you soon! Gill & Neil
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