Farmland and environmental protection

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A bank of top soil that we sowed wild flowers on last year.
 
Saw these fungi growing on trunk of a fallen poplar tree.
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You often heard the saying ' like flies to a cow shite '. This was a popular one.

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Do they come back every year now or will you have to sow again ?

They should come back every year, provided the fertility in the soil isn't too high. It will be interesting to see how persistent they are.
 
Epicormic Buds are buds on the bark of a tree that are suppressed by lack of light and hormones from higher up the tree . When the higher up growth gets damaged or broken off as in this case the bark miraculously turns to buds and sprouts new growth. When you pollard a tree you rely on Epicormic buds for new growth. Some trees pollard better than others .
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I was spraying beans earlier today when I disturbed a lovely buck and doe, I didn't have time to get a photo.
 
Many people seeing Buzzards?
Apparently there was a breeding programme and a good few have been released into the wild. We had one circling us wen we were at silage bales last saturday. He was attacking the crows. Spoke to someone in a shooting club about them and he says that they have the young pheasant population decimated.
In saying that, he was a magnificant bird to watch. He had no fear of machines and was determined to fill his belly with whatever he could pick from the silage ground.
 
Many people seeing Buzzards?
Apparently there was a breeding programme and a good few have been released into the wild. We had one circling us wen we were at silage bales last saturday. He was attacking the crows. Spoke to someone in a shooting club about them and he says that they have the young pheasant population decimated.
In saying that, he was a magnificant bird to watch. He had no fear of machines and was determined to fill his belly with whatever he could pick from the silage ground.
They're 10 a penny in these parts (English/welsh border). Father's neighbour counted 20 on the ground behind the plough a couple of years ago. Between them and the black and white vermin, ground nesting birds are having a tough time.
We have red kites taking a foothold nowadays, that feeding station in Wales near Rhayader wouldn't be 40 miles from us.
 
They're 10 a penny in these parts (English/welsh border). Father's neighbour counted 20 on the ground behind the plough a couple of years ago. Between them and the black and white vermin, ground nesting birds are having a tough time.
We have red kites taking a foothold nowadays, that feeding station in Wales near Rhayader wouldn't be 40 miles from us.

They are very new to our part of the country. We have had a white tailed eagle around in the last 3 or 4 years, but this buzzard is a new departure. If he stuck to hunting crows, I'd be happy.
 
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.... If he stuck to hunting crows, I'd be happy.
He's not going to make you happy. They don't hunt crows, it's more likely the crow was bothering the buzzard to drive it away. We have lots of buzzards but the crows still out number them by some margin.
 
We've had buzzards down here for the last five or six years, I like having them around, they are another predator to control pests like rabbits and rats, have seen them take pigeon too. Our environment is very unbalanced with the abundant food sources produced by farming and many of the natural predators are extinct or in decline.
 
Many people seeing Buzzards?
Apparently there was a breeding programme and a good few have been released into the wild. We had one circling us wen we were at silage bales last saturday. He was attacking the crows. Spoke to someone in a shooting club about them and he says that they have the young pheasant population decimated.
In saying that, he was a magnificant bird to watch. He had no fear of machines and was determined to fill his belly with whatever he could pick from the silage ground.
The gunmen crack me up, they lose the plot over anyone or anything that hurts the pheasant population that they've worked so hard to rear... until Nov 1st of course.

Few buzzards around here too, lads said they would take lambs and cause all sorts of harm. No problem so far.

If we left nature alone long enough all these ecosystems would return to balance. Predator takes over for a bit, reduces the prey population then as prey diminishes so hunger and competition reduces predator numbers.

Live and let live where possible
 
He's not going to make you happy. They don't hunt crows, it's more likely the crow was bothering the buzzard to drive it away. We have lots of buzzards but the crows still out number them by some margin.

One flew into a crow trap I had out a few years ago and made a meal of several crows in it before I released him. Have seen them go for young brancher crows myself.
 
The gunmen crack me up, they lose the plot over anyone or anything that hurts the pheasant population that they've worked so hard to rear... until Nov 1st of course.

Few buzzards around here too, lads said they would take lambs and cause all sorts of harm. No problem so far.

If we left nature alone long enough all these ecosystems would return to balance. Predator takes over for a bit, reduces the prey population then as prey diminishes so hunger and competition reduces predator numbers.

Live and let live where possible
My father is in his 60s and has never seen a buzzard around here before. They just aren't native to this area. This
 
The gunmen crack me up, they lose the plot over anyone or anything that hurts the pheasant population that they've worked so hard to rear... until Nov 1st of course.

Few buzzards around here too, lads said they would take lambs and cause all sorts of harm. No problem so far.

If we left nature alone long enough all these ecosystems would return to balance. Predator takes over for a bit, reduces the prey population then as prey diminishes so hunger and competition reduces predator numbers.

Live and let live where possible
Buzards won't take a lamb. You'll find them eating a dead un maybe. But the crows are more likely too have killed it first by taking the eyes or tongue.

Lots of them this way. Never any bother with them tbf
 
On the road between Abbeyleix and The Swan in County Laois yesterday, slowed down to avoid what at first I believed to be a young pheasant but when I got closer turned out to be a corncrake.
First one I've ever seen. Only heard them near the Shannon previously. Nice to see such a rare bird. Hopefully a sign of a comeback by them.
 
On the road between Abbeyleix and The Swan in County Laois yesterday, slowed down to avoid what at first I believed to be a young pheasant but when I got closer turned out to be a corncrake.
First one I've ever seen. Only heard them near the Shannon previously. Nice to see such a rare bird. Hopefully a sign of a comeback by them.
Was it between Spink and the Swan because that is a wild bit of ground . I think it was @Ugo Schtiglitz told me that there is a lot of insects in that area . It is one cold spot in winter with snow and frost .
 
Was it between Spink and the Swan because that is a wild bit of ground . I think it was @Ugo Schtiglitz told me that there is a lot of insects in that area . It is one cold spot in winter with snow and frost .
I go that way fairly often in the summer @Bog Man, and I've always noticed the windscreen gets the worst pasting with bug guts on that stretch. I put it down to high ditches and less intensive farming. With no insult to anyone from up that way. Its not like the razor hedges and chem blasted ground out my way.
 
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