Daydream fund challenge part 4

ukmaggie45

I'm shocked to hear you use glyphosate Davesnave.

I dunno what's going on round here in Bwlchtocyn, but we have few bees and few birds. I'm feeling very sad about the state of things here - last year we had lots of insects, lots of birds. This year hardly any apart from the buzzard and the gulls flying over. Most swallows seen is 4. Today OH saw 2 goldfinches on feeders. We've been here around a month, and this is first time we've seen more than a single bird of any description on feeders. Something is wrong here I think. Weeps.

Davesnave

ukmaggie45 said:

I'm shocked to hear you use glyphosate Davesnave.

I haven't exactly kept it a secret. I don't know why you are 'shocked' though. Obviously, I'd rather use and pay for nothing, but  there are jobs for chemical controls to do, and they're not fired about willy-nilly,  like most are around here. There's the alternative, which is what we inherited. Here's a corner of the lower field in May 2009. How would you like to tackle those docks by hand and then repeat the same over the rest of the land? There is only one of me!
This is the corner of the same field in June this year, complete with woodland area. No docks but still plenty of dandelions and other wild plants before the hay crop takes over.

I'm not saying the field above is superior from a wildlife POV, but it is productive, whereas the first is not. I also know which I'd rather look at.

Davesnave

By the way, swallows and martins have had a good season here. We counted over 50 on the wires outside a few weeks ago.

Davesnave

The 4 legbars gained access to the outside world today. We thought that they might freak out a little, but they were calm. So far they've not wanted to fly the low fence to join the Sussexes.*

* No, not those Sussexes.   The Legbars may be flighty, but even they couldn't get across the Atlantic!  

Davesnave

Is there anybody there?????

We are nearly off the front page!!!

So, I will just say that it looks as if two of our three Rhode Island Reds may be males after all. Why else would they be rearing up at each other and using feet as well as beaks at 3 weeks old?

But I live in hope....

rozeepozee

I'm here, Dave! Bet you didn't expect that
We are almost at the point of "finishing" our project in that, eight years after moving, we have pretty much all the infrastructure. House is almost finished (gone from three bedroom bungalow to six bedroomed two story/dormer). On our five acres we have eight sheep, six geese, plenty chickens, duck eggs under a broody, two dogs, two cats, beehives....  Veggie garden (attempting No-Dig), polytunnel, greenhouse and pond. I was hoping to get into the garden today to play catch up after being away from a fortnight but my mother in law is ill and the weather is awful.

How is everyone? I still see a few of you on Facebook

Davesnave

Good Lord, it's rozee!  You're right, I wasn't expecting you, but I'm so pleased to read how well you've done on your plot and the rebuild. Is it really 8 years?

We are 'almost' finished too, but  stalled, due to a variety of things. It's mainly Mrs Dave being incapacitated, having lost her physio and other NHS input  due to Covid, but also a postponed wedding and a distinct lack of ££££. I can just about hold things together, but current progress is minimal.

It's been a very weird year....I'll PM soonish.

lucielle

The field looks great Dave.  Needs must sometimes where weedkiller is concerned.  I have issues up north with ragwort and no amount of pulling is getting on top of it
L

rozeepozee

Yes, Dave, eight years. Good grief, it's been hard. If you'd asked me half way through, I'd have said "Why the hell did I do this?" but now, we're glad. There have been a fair few traumas along the way and money, as always, has caused us worries. I'm hoping that we can now reap the benefits for the next twenty or so years. Lovely to catch up with you

Davesnave

lucielle said:

The field looks great Dave.  Needs must sometimes where weedkiller is concerned.  I have issues up north with ragwort and no amount of pulling is getting on top of it
L

Thanks. I have never sprayed anything apart from the docks, thistles and ragwort, but they were quite a lot of what was there to start with. Now they're not even 2%, so hardly any is touched by weedkiller. There's better diversity among the grasses too, with fewer rough ones, but that's down to the sheep, not me!