Queens invite & our moorhen family

I caught these young sparrows talking on a fence this morning, I imagine  the one on the right is asking the one on the left  'what on earth are you doing?' 
and the one on the left replying
'Practicing bowing of course! I'm off to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen!

Here are our moorhen family who were out searching for food in the orchard this morning. It is the first time I have seen all 4 chicks and their parents out of the water on the grass together. They have really grown and are still quite fluffy

It's amazing what sunshine can do!

The sunshine has brought some unusual guests right to the door here at Rains Farm. We had a little visitor at our door asking if we could do bed and breakfast for the night, I was tempted to let him in as I thought he would be a hoot to have as a guest!

How much?!! I only want a roost for the night!

Wet day and a very wet Little Owl chick!

Today I went outside in the rain and there was one of the Little Owl chicks on the car parking area. He was stood in a puddle looking very sorry for himself. Luckily the rain has now stopped and hopefully he will survive the wet and cold to enjoy a wonderful life.

I wonder if my mum has a towel, I'm soaked!
later yesterday I found him sat under our car and he was nice and dry!

Mothers and daughters!

Here's Mrs moorhen and her daughter dutifully stepping out behind her!

Moorhen chicks, owls and deer!

Here they are the moorhen chicks on the pond as promised! They are gorgeous little bundles of black fluff!
Earlier today I spotted the Little owl perched on our washing drier taking a good look at me!The other 2 photos are of a deer that wandered into the orchard this evening, I grabbed my camera and first only managed a blurry shot and the sharper one is literally of the deers bottom as he shyly goes into the field next to our orchard, the crop of beans make good cover for the deer. My camera then informed me the memory card was full!!! It would happen just then wouldn't it!

I am watching you!

         

New camera, new photos!

I have just invested in a new camera which will help with my wildlife photography....I hope! Here are a few of my first photos. We are very excited as the moorhens have 4 chicks! We spotted them all togther today and I am determined to get some photos of them as proof!

Goldfinch on feeder.

Our pond where the moorhens live.

Moorhen leaving pond today.

Jubilee celebrations at the farm

After a wonderful few days celebrating the Queens Jubilee here is the aftermath! Cally my gorgeous little dog is shown  celebrating and singing the national anthem after a glass or 2 of Moet & Chandon!!!
Please note: no animals were injured in the taking of this picture, the photographer was the one who just had to drink the Champagne to create this image and the only damage done was to the photographers  pride when Cally could actually sing better than her!

Mother pheasant returns with her chicks!

Remember the empty nest syndrome when  our wild pheasant decided to have her nest in the garden and she bravely sat and incubated her eggs through all that dreadful wet weather and the first day of anything like decent weather they hatched and were gone. She would take her young chicks away from here to try and keep them safe as pheasants are very nervous and shy when they have young with them. Today she returned with four chicks who are now quite strong and growing. I managed to sneak a photo of them whist they were searching for bits of peanuts that had fallen out of the bird feeders hung in a tree in the orchard.

Hen pheasant returns with her chicks

And the winner is.....ME!!!!!!!!

I won!!! and I am now officially the AA's Friendliest B&B in the whole of the UK!! I have added the official picture today. We had  3 wonderful days in London and  stayed 2 nights at the excellent  Royal Horseguards Hotel where the awards ceremony took place. The first night we went to see Noises off at the Novello Theatre and roared with laughter the whole show. The next day was the awards luncheon and the champagne flowed, perhaps a bit too much for some! Not for me thank fully, I did manage not to  trip up or fall off my high heels! The AA presented each of the 25 finalists with a beautiful engraved glass decanter and framed certificate to show that they had been a finalist. This is in itself  a great achievement when you consider that the AA chose the 25 finalists out of 3,500 places they inspect for their quality standard star ratings. Eventually the compere said "We are down to the last 3,  the 2 runners up and the winner" I thought I must be in with a chance or they have forgotten me! When it was announced that I was the winner I was thrilled, surprised and quite over whelmed but it is brilliant and apparently Chris Evans mentioned me and my win on his BBC radio 2 breakfast show the next day a couple of times, thank you! Here are some pictures taken at the awards ceremony.

All the finalists

Guess what! It's sunny today!

Today we have been blessed with a sunny day and some warmth with it too. I took a couple of photos to show you our Lake.....pond! The first photo is from across the pond looking towards the farmhouse with our summerhouse in view. The second is from a slightly different angle.

New arrival in the village.

We are 1 mile from the nearest village and today I spotted a new arrival for spring. This gorgeous foal is in a field by the stream that runs through the village. His mother is saying "he's my baby and I am watching you!"

Empty nest syndrome!

I have peeped very briefly every day at the pheasant sat on her nest incubating her eggs. Throughout all this dreadful weather she has stayed put and I was very fearful that the eggs would hatch on one of those cold wet days, the chicks would have struggled to survive the low temperatures and soggy weather. Hurray! I went today and she had hatched her eggs on this lovely bright sunny day. What a relief, at least they stand a chance of surviving and finding food now it is drier. Here is a photo of the nest with the broken egg shells. You will see there are 3 that have not hatched. They must not have been fertilized. The mother will have taken the chicks away from the nest now and will not return. Sometimes if we are lucky we catch a glimpse of them running after their mother, so cute and fluffy!

The pheasants nest after the chicks have hatched!

Winning smiles!

I must share with you some brilliant news. We are inspected by the AA organization for our star rating regarding the quality of our accommodation.  I have received a letter from the AA informing me that I have been nominated by the inspector to be one of only 25 finalists out of 3,500 places in the country who are inspected by the AA  for the  award of 'AA Friendliest B&B of the year 2012'  It has nothing to do with me entering a competition or anything like that. The nomination is by the inspector who stayed at our farm.  I am so thrilled, it's a prestigious award and a great Honour. We are invited to an awards ceremony in London and only then will we know who has actually won and who the two runners up are. It is such a thrill to be recognized in this way, especially for a job I love doing! How lucky am I? The AA is such an historic brand that people can trust it makes the nomination doubly special.
Lorraine

Deer appear!

Deer in the orchard

Around mid day as I walked through the orchard towards the pond I was startled by a deer, it was eating in the corner amongst the trees. As soon as she saw me she launched herself over a fence and galloped away across the adjoining field. They are such beautiful, graceful creatures and I love to see them.

 I am afraid it has been another very wet day, I am hoping the moorhens have their nest in a better position this time. I am still waiting to catch a glimpse of their chicks!

Roof roost return of Little Owls!

Yesterday I noticed part of a worm on the patio at the corner of our farmhouse. That made me smile, now why would part of a worm make me smile? The same thing happened  last Spring and it was a while before I realized that a Little Owl had her young on the roof of our farmhouse. Tucked in where the topping stones come down the side of the roof under the edge of the slates were some fluffy Little Owlets. The parts of worms were the meals the mother was bringing to feed her young and they must occasionally drop the odd one. This photo was taken last year of a young Little Owl almost ready to leave the roost and getting a bit too big to hide under the slates!

Can you spot the Little Owl sat on the spouting near the edge of the slates.