Mother Nature's Update

One of the things that we were intending to do with this blog was to provide a record of all that is going on around the brewery, in respect of the copious amount of wildlife we have round here. Of course this means more regular posting than we have achieved so far, so here is a catch-up & update on things, in the hope that we'll be more regular in the future....

So far we have seen the Pheasants produce their first clutch, and the Partridges (red & grey) should by now have done likewise, although as yet we have not seen any chicks ourselves. We have had the honour though of seeing a group of Lapwing chicks being herded around by a lone parent. Apparently lapwings have an informal creche arrangement, whereby the adults take it in turns to look after a group of chicks. No doubt the off duty adults then go off shopping, dry skiing or suchlike. The local pair of barn owls seem to have young to feed judging by their hunting efforts, often starting around lunchtime, as well as their more usual nocturnal activities (when at least one Tawny Owl can be heard). Indeed the Barn Owls have no fear of us it seems, often flying, and hunting, very close by - which gives a fantastic opportunity to witness these beautiful creatures close at hand. Their lack of noise whilst in flight offers stark contrast to their haunting night-time calls.

At least one pair of kestrels has a full nest nearby (in a box placed for barn owls...), and no doubt the local buzzards have some young to deal with. One of last years highlights was visits by a female Marsh Harrier (a rare bird in the UK, especially away from the Suffolk coast). This year she has returned to us, and a male has apparently been spotted as well (but not at the brewery, yet). We don't where they are nesting, but we suspect it is a few miles away at Fowlmere, where Marsh Harriers have nested before. Our own reed bed is too small for them, but must at least help in attracting them out this way on hunting duties. It is however adequate for the sandpipers and snipe that stop by on passage elsewhere. The resident moorhens have raised chicks this year, and most recently they have been seen chasing mice. No doubt it passes the time...

Other birds include the ever-active swallows, blackbirds, sparrows, greenfinchs, yellow-hammers, goldcrests, corn buntings, spotted flycatchers, starlings, jackdaws, jays, crows, rooks, pigeons a-plenty, wagtails & robins - to name but a few. At the moment though, the Skylark(s) are highly active, their long high altitude singing and tumbling stunt flight antics being an almost constant accompaniment to most days.

The local hares are as active as ever, and in seemingly plentiful supply. One or two of them are even happy to come within a short distance of us, especially in the evenings - but they soon scarper if we do more than watch. Toads & frogs seem to be exiting the pond in large numbers, and some seem to be able to escape the clutches of the many flying predators to come and sit under empty barrels, and so cause much delay on barrel washing days as we endeavour to ensure we don't squash them, or leave them exposed to the drying sun with no escape.

It is amazing how little we are plagued with flies. Of course I suspect that the various small birds (and others) round here that eat them are the reason for this. And this is just how it should be - nature is a very good pest controller when allowed to get on with things. And the same goes with slugs. Any gardener knows that a little drop of beer makes for a good slug trap, so just how good must hundreds of gallons of the stuff be. Whilst we can of course keep the brewery slug proof (by shutting the doors - it's that simple), outside is another matter. Last year they were queuing up to in on damp days, but this year, there are but a few sliming around. And why? Well, the hordes of toads must be thanked I guess. And none of them show any interest in coming inside. Our pest controller finds only a small amount of rodent evidence around the outside of the building, and nothing inside. And again, the answer lies in the predators outside. In fact, last year the rodent population was believed to too low to sustain the barn owls (who never nested last year), and so the farm has factored in mice friendly-planting into the conservation areas. Rats of course are another matter, and thankfully in short supply round here. Just as well, as my suggesting of introducing pythons to control them has so far met a great deal of resistance.

I am ever hopeful though that my thoughts on increasing the local giraffe population will meet with support. There is bound to be some good PR in offering brewery tours against a back drop of giraffes browsing amongst the trees, thistles & grasses....

PS I am just finishing this at 1445, and outside the office I can see the male barn owl hunting. On the down side though, distant thunder seems to be drowning out the skylark... Oh well.

Buntingford - The Beer From The Real Real Country.