H&C

29
Mar
2010

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Spring is trying to spring!

Lapwings, oyster catchers and curlews are back

"Well the snow’s melting at last, so maybe we really are getting to spring finally. The birds seem to think so anyway. We have suddenly seen the arrival of all the waders that appear each spring to nest. There seem to be more than usual and we are seeing lots of Lapwings, Oyster Catchers and Curlews, Snipe as well as Black Headed Gulls and the much rarer Red Shanks. The mornings are much lighter now with it light at 5.45am and not dark till about 7pm, and this will soon move to 8pm when the clocks go to British Summertime this weekend. The weather is much warmer but still not spring like, and the grass hasn’t started to grow yet. We have snow drops in abundance but the daffodils are probably still two weeks or more off flowering.

It is lovely to have all the waders here though. It’s not just seeing them flying about or wading around in the marshy fields but the wonderful sound of bird song that fills the sky, especially when one walks down by the river. The lapwings and oyster catchers have particularly beautiful sounding calls, and the curlews make a very haunting whistle that, by May, you can hear through the night as well.

On a more practical note we are making good progress at renovating our three cottages with the first one nearly ready. Amazingly we seem to be still on schedule! I have also managed to find someone to rent the second one now so only one more to go. It has been easier than I had expected, but now that the cottages are taking shape with new kitchens and bathrooms etc it isn’t hard to see why they are in demand, especially with their glen location . I have also managed to let some of my spare grazing to the neighbouring farmer including the use of one of my barns for his cattle. I have come to the conclusion that renting out is far less demanding on my time, and a more reliable source of income that farming too intensively myself. There is only so much one can do in a day!

My sheep flock is continuing to grow with the arrival of the hundred sheep that I bought from a friend in Dumfries. We now have 300 of which 200 are due to lamb in the next few weeks. We are later than the rest of the country as conditions are harsher so we leave it as late as possible to allow the grass to start growing a bit before the lambing starts. This helps the ewes produce more milk and keeps the lambs stronger. If the weather turns cold again and the grass doesn’t grow we have to feed the ewes to compensate, and this costs a lot of money which eats into our already slim margins. I have decided to build the flock to around 400 head which is easily manageable for someone part time. That number puts little or no pressure on the ground which I believe is a much more sustainable way of farming. I can also then sell all my lamb locally.

I am still looking for other ways I can diversify on the estate, and, as we are partly in the Cairngorm National Park I am currently investigating opportunities for outdoor leisure activities such as nature walks or Land Rover safaris for those less able to walk about. We have a lot of interesting bird life on the hill, as well as the waders mentioned earlier, we get Golden Eagles, Ospreys, Peregrines and Black Grouse. We have a lot of visitors to the glen in the summer months and I hope this will provide a potential customers base for this type of activity."