April news - new field, ducklings, lamb report

 
April the first and it's not a joke - this morning two bright yellow ducklings for Dark Green Duck, our first of the spring.   Mrs Duckel, the grey and white duck, looks on from her own nest - she has three weeks to go.

Field with a View 

We've recently added a six acre meadow for your enjoyment at Watermill Cottages - it's at the top of the lane and has stunning views over Start Bay to the lighthouse at Start Point.  It's great for sunsets (and eclipses) too.  

We're planning a campfire place and rustic seating so it'll be the perfect spot for family picnics and sundowners, never mind watercolours, photography, kite-flying (it catches the breeze), and rolling down the slope.  It's a healthy stroll with the delight of walking down hill home to your cottage.

Sheep Report   Matilda is thriving (still on bottles), here she is with the cuckoo lamb from last year and Jesse the friendly Jacob ram who eats from your hand

Cuckoo lamb, Jesse ram and Matilda

Jesse

   

Bottte Feeding Matilda the Lamb

Matilda's mum only has half a working udder so we're bottle feeding Matilda twice a day at Watermill Cottages smallholding and teaching her to eat lamb food... She comes running and bouncing when you call her name... why does bottle feeding a lamb make everyone so happy!

Teaching Matilda to eat solids is not easy - she is easily distracted and likes to jump for joy... the Belted Galloways, last year's calves, are not impressed...  Matilda was born in mid-February, she's thriving we're happy to report.  She's in the sheep shed at the moment but shall soon be in the field next to the kitchen garden, behind Barleycorn Cottage, where there's plenty of fresh grass for a growing lamb and her mum.

   

 

      

It's spring time!

Snowdrops, aconites, primroses  are out everywhere in the Gara valley.  Violets are peeping out of Rose Cottage's lawn and tiny cyclamen too, crocuses and hellebores in Quack's garden, and the daffodils by the stream are just about to open. Camelias next...

Wild heliotrope is everywhere and in the wetlands and along the leat the tell-tale smell of wild garlic rises from the first leaves.  Wild garlic pesto here we come!

When I looked at the weekend, the orchard pond was bubbling with frogspawn and in the kithen garden the rhubarb is already showing short pink stems.

With so much sap rising, Jade and Ollie rushed to prune the apple trees!

We're expecting lambs to be born here in four to six weeks' time - they'll be pretty ones, Jacobs crossed with Lleyn so hopefully polka dot lambs!

Powdery Duck, an experienced Muscovy Duck mum, is already on a nest so we hope to have a few ducklings at Easter, and Mallard PuddleDuck, our adopted stray has a handsome drake in tow.  He's even flying in for breakfast.

Specs, our dear old dark green Muscovy drake is still going strong but we kept a white drake that we bred last year, just in case...

At feeding time, the ducks are regularly joined by a chaffinch pair, robins, and a squirrel.

The days lengthen - still light at 5:30!  It is springy!

Come and enjoy the early mild spring in coastal south Devon - email christine@watermillcottages.co.uk for availability or call on 01803 770219.  we look forward to welcoming you...