Latest Pictures from the Estate

Ongoing work

Diary entries have been scarce of late, not because of a lack of interest or photographs but the wide range of work continuing to improve our estate.

The hide is going well, the pond is about to be lined and the stream diversion opened. Unfortunately it still looks rather like a building site right now but will be fantastic when it is done. We currently have our Oxford Art Student Millie Janska working with Rick on some drawings of how we expect the area to look when completed and left to grow for a while. The wildlife don’t seem too perturbed by all the works as we still see countless deer, foxes, rabbits, birds etc while working in the area. In fact, now the birds have discovered the feeders placed around the hide they are there in abundance.

Another project we have started, for those curious about the digger in the middle of the top field, we are trying to start a wildflower meadow. As you walk up the nature trail through Bibsey wood you would have come out on a mowed field, now this will be a meadow. Reason for the digger, I’m sure you’re wondering, is that I am told wildflowers will not grow through grass, if we simply stop mowing we will just end up with very long grass which is not the effect we are hoping to acheive. So if we drag the top layer off the flowers will seed and we should get a good show for next year.

Pictures of the above, various wildlife and some sightings from our delegates and staff to follow.

Marsh/Willow Tit

This is a little bird who has been a regular visitor to our bird feeder and we can’t decide wether he is a Marsh or a Willow Tit as they look exactly the same in the books. As usual if anyone out there has any useful information on what he may be we would be more than happy to hear from you.

More on the hide

Over the last couple of days the Estates Team has been diverting a stream to create a small pond in front of the hide to help encourage the wildlife to the area. The plan so far, put together by our very own Rick Hartwell, is to let wildflowers grow around the pond and introduce some dead wood to encourage the bugs, etc. This in turn should encourage the larger wildlife.

While all this has been going on we have also been busy constructing nestboxes which we intend to leave all over the estate to see what turns up in them.

Trail Camera

This is one of the latest pictures from the trail camera, a very good close up I’m sure you will agree.

Hide

Over the last couple of days the Estates Department has been hard at work putting together a hide just off the nature trail. We have cleared the trees around the front to form a meadow and made the windows more camera-friendly. We will be putting the finishing touches in next week, (signs, etc) and everyone is welcome to see what they can see. 

Our next project on this area of the trail is yo put some natural bird feeders and to find ways to encourage as much wildlife to the hide as possible.

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Butterflies, bees and bugs

If you have time there is a fantastic area at the far side of Brook House that has been left wild, there are the most gorgeous flowers, etc there which in turn has attracted a great many insects, here are a few:

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We have looked up some of the names and as ever we welcome any comments in case we are mistaken.

Poplar Hawk Moth

This is a picture of a poplar hawk moth taken by Mark, one of the security officer’s in the control room. Apparently this is quite a common moth and has it’s name because it feeds mostly on Poplar.

“Young fox in car park, stayed while I took a photo. Not afraid, stayed for about five minutes” – from Farncombe Diary.

Red Kites again

Am leaving this one for everyone else to decipher as we keep arguing, I believe these to be the first pictures of a Red Kite on the Estate but Buff is not so sure so, the picture on the left here is a buzzard and the other two are what I think is the Kite.

It seems we either have a different Red-legged partridge family or ours has made it’s way towards Farncombe as a mother and her chicks were seen up there.

Some new pictures of the dragonflies which still abound all over the estate

5.45 Male fox, good condition by redwood tree outside Farncombe kitchen.

Partridges again

Caught up with the Partridge family and unfortunately, despite our efforts it looks like we are down to just five chicks now.

Watched a young fox walk across the front of the Barnyard, he stopped to look at us but was not worried by our presence and continued at a leisurely pace

Small Barn Owl spotted flying across first car park (Farncombe) around 9am.