http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/natureblog.html Wildlife and conservation news from our Devon Farm and SSSI Nature Reserve http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/bloglatebees.html November isn't known for its sunshine, and we've had our fair share of grey. But when the sun comes out, so do Ian's bees, heading straight for the ivy, flowering on the old barn. You can see the bulging yellow pollen sacks on the legs of the bee in the photo.... http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/bloghayroad.html We decided we needed to do something to counter the mud from the pond reshaping, so we've laid a hay road down to Popehouse Moor nature reserve... http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/blogmagicpond.html Thanks to all who helped us get light back into this lovely woodland pond last weekend.... http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/blogadmiralcomma.html It may be autumn, but red admirals, commas, specked wood butterflies and even dragonflies are still flying... http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/bloggloriousmud.html The digger has arrived to re-shape the lake, reinforcing the dam and creating new wetland areas... http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/blogsummerintoautumn.html The summer has slipped by,but the flowers are still out, and here's a colourful moth larvae I found crawling across the greenhouse a while back... http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/blognewpond.html We've started on our next project,reshaping the big pond. And it began with trying to give away some of the fish. Neither the shape of the pond nor the carp in it are good for wildlife. The shape doesn't give enough variation in depths, and the carp, being bottom feeders, dig around, uprooting plants and stirring up the silt. The plan is to reshape the pond in the early autumn, and turn more of the field over to wetland, with wet scrapes, shallow and deep open water, and maybe a kingfisher bank (that glorious flash of turquoise is back again)... http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/blogbetonybirdsfoot.html The July flowers are coming now. Bird's foot trefoil is blossoming amongst the long grass and betony is peeping through. Gargling with wine and a betony decotion is said to alleviate toothache. I think I'd stick to the wine myself. http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/bloggrowinggoslings.html I couldn't resist some more gosling pictures. Every evening the geese wander up the mown path from the big pond to take it easy and crop the short turf around the top pond, by Otter Cottage. They're not quite so golden now, but are beginning to be more elegant. http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/bloggreenhairstreak.html I think everything must be just about as green as it's going to get now. The shorter grassland is studded with heath spotted orchids, and many butterflies are out - including this green one. Well, the undersides of it's wings are green and that's what you see when it's at rest. It's a green hairstreak. http://www.wheatlandfarm.co.uk/blogscrubbashprogress.html Pictures of Popehouse Moor SSSI before the scrub bashing day in January) and its recovery - up to May 2008