Silage Time

The farmers from High Chibburn were getting the silage in today, making the most of it before the rain set in this evening no doubt. When I was a nipper, I used to enjoy silage time, spending hours in my mate's dad's tractor leading the freshly cut grass back to the silage clamp - great fun!

There were about 70 curlew in amongst the rows of cut grass before the tractors turned up, they'll be back tomorrow along with lots of gulls, corvids and hopefully other waders.

One thing is for sure, they're won't be any waders on the Budge fields and if there are, you won't see 'em! It is like the plains of the Serengeti again - herds of wildebeest could be lurking in there... Back in May I told NWT that cows were needed quickly at Druridge, to benefit any juvenile lapwings at the time, the lapwings have gone or more likely been predated.  I've asked them since...still no cows.

I was so optimistic over the winter and early spring, the grazing was working and the site was looking in reasonable fettle for the first time in years. Now I am falling back into a state of despair, I should've known it wouldn't last. They can't even send someone out with a strimmer to cut the grass on the paths and in front of the hides, what hope of a sensible grazing regime?

The whole site has a feeling of neglect.....

On a brighter note, two adult common terns feeding a large young kept me amused for a while

Common terns - adult and juvenile

As did this black-headed gull

juvenile black-headed gull

And this lapwing

lapwing