Spring?

Another strange spring – last year it was very hot and dry, this year has been very cold and dry – but it’s had the same effect – the lack of rain has effectively slowed the spring right down – growth of plants and trees we would normally see in April hasn’t happened this year until May 😒

Consequently there’s a shortage of hay, since animals haven’t been able to be turned out.  Keeping horses the way we do, they are turned out 24/7 and there is always hay available – all year round.  It’s very interesting to see how, as the year progresses, they spend less and less time on the side yard (where the hay is) and more time foraging around the track.

Our ‘goldies’ (golden oldies) of course are unable to eat hay very successfully, so they are still having their daily bucket feeds but they have more of a ‘spring’ in their step now there is some greenery to munch on.

I love seeing the variety of plants and herbs that grow on our ‘unimproved’ grassland, photos of some of them here:

Curlew Sighting

In between heavy showers this afternoon, I ventured up to the track to see the horses – I heard a bird that was strangely familiar, but which I hadn’t heard for a very long time.  I looked up and there was a curlew flying and calling – I have never seen them here since we moved here 14 years ago – in fact the last time I saw them was when we lived in Staffordshire in the 1980s.  I do hope the one I saw today is one of a pair, or finds a mate and nests here ❤