Eco Lodges in Devon
Despite the month, early flowers are poking through at Wheatland Farm’s Devon Eco Lodges. Not lots, admittedly, but the snowdrops and daffodils say it is almost spring.
Continue reading “Early flowers at our Devon Eco Lodges”
Our 2020 bat survey results are back. We had just 6 different types this time. But the equipment recorded well over 1000 calls. Of those, more than 900 were myotis sp, a group that might include several similar species.
Continue reading “Over a thousand bat calls recorded near the eco lodges”
Updated 13 November 2020
We look forward to welcoming you again at Wheatland Farm’s Devon Eco Lodges. We’re continuing our ‘covid secure’ measures, and have clarified our refunds policy. See you soon!
Continue reading “Wheatland Farm’s Corona Virus Statement 13 November 2020”
With a new national lockdown coming into force on Thursday 5th November, Wheatland Farm will be closing from Wednesday evening, at least until the restrictions are lifted.
Continue reading “New National Lockdown”
Today we walked the cows back up the lane to Higher Punchardon Farm, as the conservation grazing here at Wheatland Farm is finished for 2020. But not before George got a few selfies with Elgin…
Continue reading “Cows leave Wheatland Farm’s Devon Eco Lodges for the winter”
We’ve had a few beautiful days, and the dragonflies have been enjoying it as much as our guests staying at Wheatland Farm’s eco lodges.
Continue reading “Dragonflies in the September sunshine”
Great news! With lock down easing the bat surveys across Devon are back on, with help from the Devon Wildlife Trust.
Continue reading “Bat Detecting at Wheatland Farm’s Devon Eco Lodges”
Only a mother could love these, someone has commented on facebook! But here at Wheatland Farm’s eco lodges we love all our Devon Wildlife, even the pigeons.
Continue reading “Cute ugly pigeon chicks”
Pond dipping with the guests from Nuthatch Lodge turned up this little creature – a water stick insect.
Continue reading “Water stick insect spotted during pond dipping”
updated 13 July 2020
We look forward to welcoming you again at Wheatland Farm’s Devon Eco Lodges. We’ve made booking easier, final payment due dates later, and refunds better.
Continue reading “Wheatland Farm’s Corona Virus Statement 13 July 2020”
It’s the last day of this year’s #30DaysWild, and it should time time for #TheTimeIsNow mass lobby of MPs. That may well be so, but sadly our MP Geoffrey Cox is ‘too busy’ to hear our thoughts on climate and biodiversity crises…
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 30. Contemplating the weeds”
For #30DaysWild we’re renovating the tandem, and other bikes guests at the eco lodges can borrow this summer… and noting down some ideas for really local Devon excursions you can try (once the handlebars are back on).
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 29: A bicycle re-made for two”
Back in July 2018 we dug some new mini ponds at Wheatland Farm – one to take the waste Hot Tub water from Beech Lodge, some just to provide some new habitat. This time last year for #30DaysWild we were looking at their progress, and we thought we’d do the same again in 2020.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 28: The Mini Ponds”
For #30DaysWild today we’re housekeeping in both senses, catching up on Wheatland Farm’s biological recording but also getting the eco lodges ready for the July reopening.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 27: Biological Recording”
The last Friday in June is National Cream Tea Day, apparently. Some things are really important, and deserve a national celebration… All we need to to is make it a bit wild so it works as our Random Act of Wildness for the day.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 26: Al fresco scones”
We only see one or two hummingbird hawkmoths a year at Wheatland Farm’s eco lodges, so it was nice to spot one close enough to photograph. Having said that, to understand why they’re so striking you really need to see them flying – they are easily mistaken for a tiny humming bird.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 25: Hummingbird Hawkmoth”
June in Devon – a great time to be enjoying English summer fruits. These came from the now-wild Wheatland Farm fruit cage, which we share with the birds.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 24 Feral Fruit!”
Today saw the first Emerald damselfly of 2020 gracing the eco lodge wildlife pond here at Wheatland Farm.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 23: Emerald Damselflies Emerge”
We were delighted to find a Silver Washed Fritillary Butterfly on the brambles at Wheatland Farm today – it was our wild moment for #30DaysWild No. 22.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 22: Silver Washed Fritillary Butterfly”
We’re enjoying a local Devon cider in the Wheatland Farm orchard this evening to celebrate the solstice.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 21: A Cider In The Orchard”
For today’s #30DaysWild we welcomed the cows back to Wheatland Farm for their summer grazing on our Devon culm grassland and Popehouse Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild: 20 Cows Return To Wheatland Farm”
It has been English Flower week apparently, so here’s a few of our Devon wild ones….
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 19 English flowers”
On a wet day, our wild action is just to look up some moths we’ve recently spotted around the eco lodges, like this ‘speckled yellow’, above. These are moths we happened upon, but we’d also like to do some moth trapping over the summer with guests.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 18: Identifying moths”
Ian has been tending our ‘green living wall’ – the ivy cladding the outside of Otter Cottage. Every so often we have to keep it out of the eaves and away from the barge boards, requiring long ladders and makeshift PPE.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 17 Tending Our Living Wall”
Today’s #30DaysWild Random Act of Wildness was just to enjoy the buzz at the wildlife pond below Balebarn Eco Lodge, and admire the butterflies.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 16 Enjoying the buzz…”
#30DaysWild 15: Ian went running, starting from the eco lodges and heading down into Hollocombe. He has mapped out a simple 6km route with a section through the woods along a bridle path. Going down the road into Hollocombe and back up again gives it a bit of a gradient in it, but maybe that’s an excuse to have a bit of a walk…
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 15: A Local 6km Run”
We’re claiming a small success for #30DaysWild today: this orchid has appeared by the wildlife pond, at the edge of the mown path. It’s the first one we’ve found at Wheatland Farm that’s not growing on Popehouse Moor SSSI.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 14 An unexpected orchid”
Today’s wild treat was wild strawberries to top a cake. We encourage wild strawberries around the eco lodges on our Devon farm as they are good food for birds. But this scattering actually came from our own garden.
Continue reading “#30DaysWild 13: Wild strawberries”
Last year Maggie joined The Time Is Now mass lobby of MPs about the dual climate and biodiversity crises. This year the lobby is going virtual. Wheatland Farm’s Random Act of Wildness for the day was to sign up for the 30th June event. Will you do the same?
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 12 Planning to lobby our MP”
Kingfishers are occasional and much loved visitors to Wheatland Farm’s Devon Eco Lodges. But we’ve never seen a young bird, until….
Continue reading “#30DaysWild No 11. A kingfisher Visits The Eco Lodges”