Category: Our Devon Wildlife

It’s not properly February until the frogspawn turns up in Wheatland Farm’s ponds. As normal, we’ve first spotted it in the lodge field pond – on the 5th, though it could have been laid earlier.

We’re thrilled to find Wheatland Farm listed this morning in a Guardian Top Ten list of eco friendly places to stay in Europe.

Thanks to Wheatland Farm guest Nicola Clarke for sending us these lovely images of a fox cub that ‘came out to explore’ right outside Honeysuckle Lodge.

#30DaysWild no. 24: The frog / toad exodus from the Wheatland Farm wildlife pond is in full swing!

#30DaysWild no 23: The sparrows are learning to hover so they can get at the suspended feeders at Wheatland Farm!

#30DaysWild no 22. With the sunshine coming back at Wheatland Farm, so are the butterflies, like this Painted Lady.

#30DaysWild no 20. At Wheatland Farm sometimes we don’t get around to weeding the patio…

#30DaysWild no 18. The Great Spotted Woodpecker has brought its baby to the Wheatland Farm bird feeders. Here’s a clip of the adult collecting some food and taking it to feed the young bird waiting in the relative safety of the vegetation.

#30DaysWild no 17: Our favourite Wheatland Farm robin seems to have finally raised a family.

How exciting! #30DaysWild no 16, the Devon dragonfly recorder confirms that this beautiful beast, which we found yesterday, is a Scarce Chaser, and is the first record for the North Devon region.

30DaysWild no 15: this Golden Ringed Dragonfly, resting in the turbine field at Wheatland Farm, let us get close enough to take pictures with a mobile phone.

#30DaysWild no 13 this startlingly green spider was spotted on stonework as we hung up the acres of washing from our eco lodge ‘change over’ day. Small is beautiful – if a little creepy. Or at least creepy crawly.

#30DaysWild no. 9. This moth, which settled on the doorstep of Balebarn Eco Lodge, blends in almost perfectly with it’s surroundings, and looking it up is our ‘do something wild’ action for the day.

#30DaysWild no. 8. We are delighted to have found a patch of southern marsh orchids in full bloom.

#30DaysWild no 7. We’re taking a moment to stop and appreciate the yellow flag irises that are in full bloom at the wildlife pond below Balebarn Eco Lodge – and also the creatures that live among them….

#30DaysWild No 6. We found this long horn beetle climbing up the window. So we looked it up before letting it fly off.

#30DaysWild No. 5 This bevy of fluffy chicks is packed into a nest nestled in a tussock of grass on Popehouse Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest.

#30DaysWild no 4. Not everyone finds it easy to get out and about. But that doesn’t stop you spotting wildlife from your window. Grandpa B’s window looks into the Wheatland Farm garden and he’s been making a ‘species list’ over breakfast. From the lodges you’ll have an even wider scope.

#30DaysWild 2021 No. 1. It’s hard to believe June is already upon us, and so is #30DaysWild, organised by the Wildlife Trusts. But since we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to May yet, we’re taking a moment to enjoy the flower named after the month – May, or hawthorn blossom.

We’re developing a new strategy to keep rushes under control on Lower Newland Moor, at Wheatland Farm, and monitoring progress with drone images.

Wheatland Farm has several pairs of robins this year, including one nesting in Ian’s workshop opposite Otter Cottage. The female frequently comes to the front door expecting mealworms, and will feed from our hands.

Here at Wheatland Farm we’ve been waiting for the swallows to return, so we can bake the annual celebratory cake!

We’ve put a new kestrel box in the field below Balebarn Eco Lodge at Wheatland Farm. Wouldn’t it be nice to watch a breeding pair hunting over the meadow! There should be a good view from Balebarn’s veranda, or even from inside the lodge.

There’s frogspawn in the ponds near the eco lodges. Now it’s official – winter must be on the turn.

Lovely news, Wheatland Farm’s Devon Eco Lodges have received a Pledge For Nature Award from the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.

And we’re not the only local winners either – Winkleigh’s Biodiversity Group won a community award and local organiser Kim Melhuish was chosen as a Community Champion. Big cheers all round.

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.

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.