Birdwatching

The Big Farmland Bird Count encourages UK farmers to observe and report on the variety of wild birds that see in their fields in February each year. Run by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the BFBC is an important initiative that helps to record the effect of any conservation schemes currently being initiated by […]

It’s our favourite time of year again – the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch!  At 41 years old, the Big Garden Birdwatch originated as a way to encourage children to spend a weekend admiring nature. The very first weekend in 1979 was promoted by Blue Peter and garnered 34,000 sign-up forms from eager children. Fast forward […]

May is a wonderful month for us here on the Ivel Valley farm. We’re lucky to see lots of different species of birds, both urban and rural, and our very favourite time of year is fledgling season! Here are some pictures of the young birds we’ve managed to spot in the last couple of weeks. […]

The start of 2019 has been just a little different to last year. The 2018 Beast From the East gave us one of the coldest Februaries in recent years, whilst in 2019 we saw the hottest on record! Although a mild start to the year is welcome for the farmers here planting our alliums, this […]

We know we shouldn’t have favourites, but here on the Ivel Valley farm we do have a soft spot for Fieldfare. It is believed their name originates from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘Fledware’ which means ‘traveller of the fields.’ Fieldfares are part of the thrush family. They are large birds with a beautiful black and white […]

Autumn is one of the busiest times of year for many wild birds as they fly to warmer climates where they are guaranteed a plentiful supply of food. Although we lose many of our summer visitors including Swallows, House Martins, Warblers and Flycatchers, their place in the garden will soon be taken up by birds […]