Back...

An afternoon visit to the field, some noticeable grass growth after two weeks away, but only modest rain has probably checked things a little.

The dog roses in the south hedge have come into flower and the meadowsweet is quite noticeable now as well as new growth on the cut and layered hawthorn.
A few tufts of grey/White/black hair / fur in patches in the grass might suggest badgers - although no obvious signs of tracks.
Quite a few mole-hills, despite the ground being rock-hard from the lack of rain.
Something has been eating at the leaves of the young Black Poplar I planted, I suspect caterpillars.


For the weekend I'm off to Salisbury and on a guided walk of Harnham Water Meadows...

Next week, a few days marking out and taking a chance putting some of the stock of pot-grown trees in - although I'll be revisiting with the water-bowser to give a good chance of survival whilst it's so dry.

A short spell away...

down south...

A foraging course near Lewes in Sussex presented by Nick Weston, author of The Tree House Diaries:



I really should have taken more photos - excellent weather and an excellent course.
Base-camp and preparation and cooking facilities were in a fine bluebell wood and after preparing some rabbits for the pot, a meander across fields, hedgerows and along a waterway collecting edible vegetation and some important pointers for poisonous plants to avoid.

Surprising how much vegetation out and about that I'd taken for granted and now pleasantly find edible and with fine flavours.
I hadn't done any preparation and butchery of rabbits etc. for about 20 years - sometimes it's important to get back to the basics and respect how food (particularly that which moves) gets to our position in the food chain...

One of the things that impressed me with this course, was how the food was presented after gathering and how it tasted.
I was put off liver at an early age by it's texture, taste and smell - but devilled rabbit livers with wild herbs and mustard were rather fine.
Nettle pesto with freshly done flat-bread, 'chicken of the woods' fungus omelette, wood pigeon breasts, carp stuffed with wild garlic, jack-by-the-hedge and baked in a burdock leaf in the fire embers, potted rabbit prepared and well received at a later picnic with friends...

Mowing - and from April into May...

My proper job over ran by 3 days due to fog, an early mow of the field to reduce weeds turned into a rush, as I only had until Monday 25th. of April before heading down south and two days foraging.

The mower and land-rake dropped off at the crack of dawn down at the field.
A little surprised at how much things had grown on and greened-up in two and a half weeks away, despite an incredibly dry April.
Fortunately the short length of layered hawthorn hedge and the stretch of south low-cut hedgerow have all sprung leaves and the large clusters of dog-roses are quite advanced. There looked to be a couple of small pale violas near the hawthorn stumps, but the wood anemones of last month had all but gone.
The female black poplar tree seems to have survived it's planting out too...



The grass was a sea of dandelions - fortunately just into flower and not at seed (and the reason for an April cut). I spotted a new plant - Lady's smock / Cuckoo flower
The meadowsweet seems to be coming back as well and hopefully will survive the mower.

I also spotted that that someone has been using the cover of the north hedge for a relaxing discrete smoke away from the trackway - judging by the debris tossed over the fence, I'm guessing something more relaxing than just tobacco...

Back home and grey squirrels out of the freezer to defrost, then more groceries from
Hawarden Estate Farm Shop and the tractor loaded onto the trailer ready for morning.
The cooking gear loaded up too (Bon-Fire steel pots and tripod for open fire cooking), and then an early night...

Another earlyish start on the Sunday. Down to the field and the mower coupled up to the back of the tractor.
A small camp-fire set up, kettle on for a brew and a large pot of grey squirrel stew slowly set simmering.

Back to the tractor and by now a scorching summer morning (fortunate, as I wanted the mowings to dry and shrink and be handy to rake up).
A visit from my cousin in time for the first serving of stew and the tractor shut down during refreshments...

On with the mowing, to finish across the wider end of the field. The creamy sweet smell of patches of cut meadowsweet now and then on the air as I went back and forth (not too severe a cut, as I'm hoping to start a brew from it's leaves soon).

Another break for refreshments, Earl Grey tea and the remainder of the squirrel stew.
Back to the tractor, and the mower removed and replaced with the land-rake.
Not too sure on this yet - it was reasonably handy lifting the grass and winter river fine debris the other month, but the topper mower leaves a fine residue, so it might be more effective after a day or two drying.

Back home with the tractor before it went dark and an earlyish night to get over the previous weeks night-shifts...
Monday morning and the mower and rake packed away back at home. Another stunning day, although cooler and I'm sure I got caught with sunburn whilst mowing the previous day.
A stroll across the cut field, the more interesting plants in the grassland seem to have survived and the dandelions seriously reduced.

I'd avoided cutting too near to the hedges, preferring to leave a margin of longer grass for wildlife.
A couple of mole-hills compared to the previous day and a brown vole type creature darting out from undergrowth along the north fence line.

Back home and a final flurry to have everything for travelling south.
I still ended up travelling a bit later than intended, but at least the roads were quiet.
A quick scenic stop-off at Warwick - a caffeine fix and dropping off a pack of flour - Walk Mill, stone-ground locally and from local grain.

Onwards to Sussex, I do like the M40 for scenery, before joining the M25.
Overnight accommodation courtesy of the LandRover and up and about the the farm and woodland location for the foraging session...