Managed to get the fruit tree’s fenced off and started fencing off the sheep field ready for the lawn mowers.

Shot this video for work down at Falconers Rest using nothing but my iPhone 4

Well, i’ve not been able to do much down the field because of the rain and work committments.
Hopefully I’ll get the chicken coup sorted in the compound, fence off the fruit tree’s, and fence off three acres for sheep grazing.

Not been able to post cos’ I’m too busy at work, not managed to do anything on the field cos’ of the rain, the grass will be unmanageable if it continues.

Half way mowing the field an I get a puncture

The compound is complete ( for now) I finished putting up the last two fence panels this morning. Just need to get the chickens sorted out now!

Rain stops play:0(

Here’s the beginnings of the chicken compound/run whatever you’d like to call it. Just had 10 Harris fence panels dropped off for £70

Had a visit again today from a Red Kite, been seen above the centre about five times now but always on its own. It circled around over the flying field while Shane was flying the European Eagle Owl on an experience.

Just collected another incubator and equipment that has been out on hire, along with four more chicks, these have been put in with the others collected last week, we now have eight in total.
Once grown on, they will be brought down the field.

Just mowed all four acres of grass and I HAVEN’T broke the tractor, there has been much rejoicing, took me around six hours in total.

The mower is fixed (again), it seems that everytime I use it, I break it.
I’m going to mow an acre at a time so as not to over work the little tractor.
Thanks to Andrew for getting me the spare part swapped and to Andy for fixing it for me.
I’ll let you know how I get on with it.

OK, done an acre at slow speed and all is well, so I decided to speed things up a little and do another acre or there abouts, and all still seems fine, I will leave it for today and finish off the mowing tomorrow, that’s if all the petrol stations havn’t run dry because of the panic buying!

Just collected 4 chicks from a school in Notts that hired the incubators from The Owl Experience.
Once grown on they will be kept at Falconers Rest for their eggs.

The weather is beautiful today down here
Clocks went forward an hour this morning.

Watching the wild Sparrow hawk circling over the field, absolutely stunning.

Picked up 200 meters of barbed wire from Clewes in Morley, £36. Thanks Marc for helping me today, finishing off the plumbing and helping with the fencing.

Barbed wiring the existing fence to help keep out the undesirables.

Well that’s me run out of wire, I’ll have to nip to Clewes in Morley and pick up a roll tomorrow.

Does anyone have any Harris fence panels, the kind they use on building sites?
Please get in touch if you can help

Managed to spend most ofthe day on the field today.
The mower is fixed and has performed well today, finishing off the mowing (approx 21/2 acres).
The kids have made a rope swing, I can see that ending in tears?

Great news today, my tractor has been fixed, thanks Andrew.
Should be able to get the grass down now before it starts growing again with a vengence.

Thanks to Paul for giving me a hand all day fencing the field.

Chrissie and the girls planted the first of the fruit trees yesterday, so far we have one apple (cooking) , one plum and one cherry. We plan to have three of each, eventually.

Apple tree.

Well it’s Spring at last, hopefully we’ve seen the last of the cold weather.

Having the field rolled with an extremely heavy roller, hopefully this should sort out some of the tougher grass divots.

Thanks to Paul for coming down and cooking us all a full English breakfast this morning.

Chrissie is down on the field today doing a bit of general tidying, still loads of small branches and twigs that need putting on the burning pile, the dog’s loving the freedom of running around on the field, me? I’m at work just accross the road with clients in all day.

Shane flying the Harris’ on the field

In school this morning in Selston, Notts, for a flying demonstration and talk with the children.
Had a great time at the school, all the kids enjoyed it.

All together a brighter day today, apart from the wild Tawny I had to take to the vet to be put to sleep.

The flying session was nearly cancelled today because of high wind and rain, we decided to go ahead and everyone had a great time.
All three Harris Hawks have had their beaks coped
Just another day at work

There is an open day at the Owl Experience on Sunday April 22nd 2012, entry fee is just £1 per person. Flying displays, Archery plus more. Come and see what we do.

Finished weathering no. four. Ran out of wood now so number five will have wait a while.
Great news, spotted a wild Barn Owl, flying about ten feet above our heads over the field.

Spent the morning painting the studwork for the weathering, cutting the panels and painting before transporting the whole thing in kit form onto the field. Once up it was a quick trip to Wickes to purchase the roofing sheets.

Spent most of the morning in the garage having the Navara serviced, because it’s an import, the parts aren’t easy to match up. So many wrong filters later and the job is done.
Managed to get the next weathering (no.3) painted, it’s 2 feet deeper than the previous two we’ve built so far.

Testing the tractor, managed to get approx a third of the field done and then…… Disaster, it seems we’ve sheared a bolt on one of the pulley’s on the cutting deck, apart from that, i’m well impressed with the little tractor, it coped quite well with the long grass.

Finally managed to start burning off some of the excess wood we have since trimming the hedges.

Borrowed some sheep to cut the grass

Steve digging the trench for the water supply

Replaces the Discovery, this should last me a few years

To all my readers, have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Just had my quote come through from Severn Trent Water to have mains water put onto my field, £570, not bad I thought, mind you, they’ve only got to put in 2 metres of pipe to get to the mains.

Come to a halt on the fencing until I can collect the gates.

My first attempt at fencing, pretty straight and level, not bad, so far…….

I have now sent off my application to Severn Trent for a quote to have water piped to my land. Will keep you posted as to how much, so far we are at £120 plus just to get a surveyor out to have a look.

There is water close by, we found a water meter right outside the gate so the job shouldn’t be too difficult?

Andrew, has fixed my tractor mower, many thanks Andrew, much appreciated mate.

These are just growing in the hedge bottom where we have cut back the hedge, any ideas what species and can I eat them?

The part came for the tractor yesterday and I fitted it, thinking that it would sort out the starting problem, how wrong I was, still nothing. Andrew came over and had a look, but to no joy, he has offered to take it to his workshop and have a go at fixing for me, thanks mate.

Went to pick up my new/used tractor mower last night and there is a part broken on it, so it wouldn’t start, I’ve priced up the part and ordered it so it should be here by Saturday.

Tidying the flailed wood from the headgerow.

One of the small jobs that needed doing, at least now the gate doesn’t swing open

Paul found some hops on the land today

Today we started cutting back the overgrown hedges on the field, in some places they need cutting back around 12 feet.

The gaffer has come to see what I’ve been up to

Thanks to Ben for re-hanging the gate on the land today, there was much hammering and banging

Today we found a water meter on the boundary of the land so hopefully when we strim the undergrowth back we might find an outlet
UPDATE
I called Severn Trent Water and it turns out water meter is for a nearby farm, but at least mains water is close by.

Had a walk around the edge of the land today and had a good look at what wants doing, it seems that the hedges on the inside haven’t been cut back in some years, in some places they are about 6-10 feet deep. This will need flailing back with a tractor and flail, have had a word with a friend of mine and he has offered to do this for me.
There is a stream, natural land drain I think, that runs both front and back of the land making a nice barrier against unwanted guests.
The grass needs a final cut before the winter, again it’s quite long so I think it will need flailing.

This is how the land looks at the moment, just before the hedges were trimmed.

A lot of work to do over the winter months me thinks……..

Just had the hedges trimmed on the new bit of land.

Before……

…………..after

Major changes coming up, hopefully not long if everything goes to plan, fingers crossed, and watch this space.