Posted on

Make a Splash at the North Devon Wake Park

Rain or shine (well, you’re going to get wet anyway…) the inflatables or wake boarding at the North Devon Wake Park are great fun for kids and adults.

Continue reading “Make a Splash at the North Devon Wake Park”
Posted on

An Independent Trip Into Exeter

Sometimes not everyone on holiday wants to do the same thing. Sometimes kids are growing up and want a bit more space. So we thought we’d ask the boys to do a series of short videos about their independent Devon days out. Here, they go into Exeter to the cinema.

Continue reading “An Independent Trip Into Exeter”
Posted on

Marbled White Butterfly

We spotted this stunning marbled white butterfly in front of Balebarn Lodge this morning. We think this is a male. We’d rather it was a female so we got some more butterflies… So here’s to hoping he finds a mate.

Continue reading “Marbled White Butterfly”
Posted on

Peacock butterfly caterpillars munching nettles

We promise this clip isn’t speeded up! The peacock butterfly caterpillars are munching their way through the nettles near the Wheatland Farm wildlife pond. Soon we’ll have fresh adults flying in the lodge field.

Continue reading “Peacock butterfly caterpillars munching nettles”
Posted on

Bumblebees Revelling In Poppy Pollen

Each sunny morning, more poppies flower by the Wheatland Farmhouse, and the bumblebees seem to be almost drunk with delight! The buzz in this video clip is the glorious sound of our Devon summer.

Continue reading “Bumblebees Revelling In Poppy Pollen”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 30 Wild camping on Dartmoor

It was a last minute decision – a late afternoon walk on Dartmoor, an overnight bivvy, and back to Wheatland Farm in time for morning coffee.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 30 Wild camping on Dartmoor”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 29 Caterpillars are out-pacing plant growth!

#30DaysWild No. 29. We might have been too successful in attracting wildlife to the lodges. We bought these little alder buckthorn plants because the larvae of brimstone butterflies eat them, and we wanted more butterflies at Wheatland Farm.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 29 Caterpillars are out-pacing plant growth!”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 28. More than just a puddle

This is one of the scrapes we dug last year. They’re still muddy, and it will be a while before they bursting their banks with tall reeds, but already they are attracting 6 species of dragon- and damselflies, as well as supporting baby frogs.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 28. More than just a puddle”
Posted on

#TheTimeIsNow and #30DaysWild No. 26

#30DaysWild No. 26. Today was #TheTimeIsNo mass lobby of MPs in Westminster. Organised by a coalition of major charities, including WWF, RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, several faith-based development charities etc etc, it called for strong action on the twin issues of climate change and nature recovery. We felt we had to be part of it.

Continue reading “#TheTimeIsNow and #30DaysWild No. 26”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 25 Learning from Devon farmers

#30DaysWild No. 25 Today’s action for nature is to learn from others – Ian is attending a workshop on managing soft rush at Rose Ash Farm, run by Cyril Cole.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 25 Learning from Devon farmers”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 23 Waiting out the rain

#30DaysWild No. 23. Sometimes it rains. Well, it has to. Even in Devon. So we wait, like this bumblebee. At least the plants are getting watered and the ponds topped up.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 23 Waiting out the rain”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 22 Summer is about butterflies

Another spectacular day – and another ‘new for the summer’ butterfly at Wheatland Farm. Small tortoiseshell are flying over Popehouse Moor.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 22 Summer is about butterflies”
Posted on

#30DaysWild. No. 21 Happy Summer Solstice!

#30DaysWild No. 21 and it’s the longest day. So at Wheatland Farm we’re celebrating the roses of the summer – the wild ones. Happy Solstice!

Continue reading “#30DaysWild. No. 21 Happy Summer Solstice!”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 20. Ten minutes of bumblebee watching

Today’s #30DaysWild random act of wildness was to spend 10 minutes looking for bumblebees on the marsh thistles around Wheatland Farm’s wildlife pond. We found garden, red tailed, tree, white/buff tailed bumblebees. But what is this?

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 20. Ten minutes of bumblebee watching”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 18 Visiting the Cows

#30DaysWild No. 18. Today’s wildness was to spend a few moments with the cows. Agricultural rather than wild, you might think, but they are doing a valuable conservation job for us at Wheatland Farm.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 18 Visiting the Cows”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 17 A rescued cricket

#30DaysWild What a creature! Probably a dark bush cricket. Look closely and you’ll see it’s a bit damp, having been rescued from a hot tub by Balebarn Lodge. Random Act of Wildness No. 17.

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 17 A rescued cricket”
Posted on

#30DaysWild No. 13 Banded Demoiselle

#30DaysWild No. 13. We were going to picture the bedraggled bumblebee we fished out the of the little ponds near Balebarn Eco Lodge, but this male banded demoiselle we spotted nearby is so much smarter!

Continue reading “#30DaysWild No. 13 Banded Demoiselle”