An interesting and mildly challenging few months...
After little trouble for a while, an incident of fly-tipping along the access track / footpath.
Normally I'd use the local council reporting pro-forma which initiates some minor forensic i.d. attempts and appropriate disposal,
Most of this was food waste / kitchen contents and stinking on a very warm day, so it went on a green waste bonfire in my field. Last bag on the fire revealed some significant i.d. details, so they have been passed on appropriately...
The meadowsweet flowers were harvested and 10 gallons now brewing / fermenting to the recipe in Nick Weston's book 'The Tree House Diaries'
This year as well as reasonable fruit on its way in the orchard, quite a few sweet chestnuts and hazelnuts, including filberts (a corruption of 'full beard' from the husk around the nut...
Because of some previous health aspects (mainly Crohns Disease secondary issues), I hadn't made any great targets for the field this year, apart from subtle incremental management and seeing how wildlife was doing.
Quite a noticeable number of owls in the evening and leaving the main grass area in its entirety for a few weeks longer, there is certainly evidence of small mammals and a few frogs and toads in the long grass.
Now the meadowseet is beyond the best of its flowers, the mower and tractor will be put to use in the next week or so (as well as a simple hay-turner / mounted rake).
The possibility of some interesting extended projects around the corner, but as they involve initially third parties, there are some aspects and a look-ahead to define and sort, before I get too involved...
Interesting. Never heard of filberts before. Most of our common hazelnuts have been gobbled up right now ( by the usual suspects ), except for a few that I covered up with netting earlier on. I shouldn't risk the birds getting entangled in nets, I know, but I'm determined to sample at least a few of our homegrown nuts.
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