April Nature Notes

The sunny, dry spring weather this year makes it feel more like mid-May than mid-April.  Everything's out early and  the hedgerows are a picture.  Quack Cottage's cherry trees are heavenly and the valley is scented with blossom.

Lambs and ewes are grazing the meadows, the orchard pond is wriggling with tadpoles, and ducks are sitting on eggs. 

Along the leat path through the woods, bluebells and white wild garlic mingle with the pale pink flowers of ladies smock and purslane - it's sensory heaven with the stream tinkling, birdsong, and warm earth and crushed garlic underfoot, soft new leaves tickling your face as you stroll to the wooden bench by the fallen weirs.

 Butterflies are in profusion over the gardens; we've seen orange tips, holly blues, small whites, tortoiseshells, red admirals and even the sulphurous yellow of a Brimstone. 

The pair of dippers are often walking underwater upstream to feed. They nest between the old stone bridge and Crownwheel Cottage, near Mill Cottage, on the stream walls.

The bobbing long tails of the grey wagtails and their distinctive yellow feathers are fun to watch as they dip along the river and perch on the stones.  Last year, they nested on the side of the bridge.  

And the swallows are back and busy building a nest on Barleycorn Cottage, swooping and chattering as they catch flies amongst the lilac.

The kingfisher has been seen zooming along the stream, as the heron barely stirs.  From the woods, the woodpecker calls and hammers.

Small brown trout are jumping in the stream, after the mayfly larvae, when the kids and dogs are not splashing in there with them.

Strange dens appear in the woods, and teepees on the lawn, piles of stones and fishing nets by the stream - is it fairies, or happy children playing?

Testimonial from Barry Wheelock of Calmer by Nature

Testimonial from Barry Wheelock of Calmer By Nature on his first visit to Watermill Cottages in November 2010.  He has just visited us for another week and hopes to return in spring to film.

Calmer By Nature films magical moments in nature then creates DVDs & CDs without people or voiceovers, to help people relax, escape to and enjoy the natural world whenever they feel the need.  The DVDs are used in care settings to help help people with stress, sensory problems, autism, dementia, anxiety & insomnia. 

''When I arrived at Watermill Cottages I desperately needed to re-charge my battery. There was a warm welcome and when I went inside Quack Cottage I was surprised and pleased to see a generous slice of homemade cake waiting for me and the rest of the party.

Despite a lot of wet weather that weekend, the beautiful remote setting, ducks wandering around and the sound of the river running by, combined with a log fire, good company and walks along the river bank and through the woods between showers enabled me to return home refreshed and ready to go again.

Can’t wait to return in the spring to capture on film this special place!''


Barry Wheelock
http://www.calmerbynature.com/

Beesounds - Midsummer Acoustic Music Festival Weekend 17-20 June 2011

FRIDAY 17^TH JUNE – MONDAY 20^TH 2011  Beesounds

MIDSUMMER ACOUSTIC  MUSIC FESTIVAL WEEKEND mainly at The Underwood Discovery Centre, Beeson TQ7 2ED and at venues around Beesands. Come and make a slate xylophone, listen to the band, join the dance, sing to the sea and much more.                      

FRIDAY - ‘KICK OFF CELIDH’ AT THE DISCOVERY CENTRE WITH ‘FURTHER-AFOOT’.

SATURDAY - WORKSHOPS, CONCERTS AND EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY

JACKIE OATES is now the honorary president of the festival and will be giving a workshop and performing at 7.30pm on Saturday.

SUNDAY -  PERFORMANCES BY LOCAL GROUPS IN BEESANDS CHURCH  AND THE CENTRE INCLUDING ‘BESPOKE BEESOUNDS’ LOCAL MEMORIES AND A POET TO BE HEARD AT THE CENTRE

MONDAY -  CONCERT BY THE CARRIVICK SISTERS AND SOLSTICE BONFIRE CELEBRATIONS

The event supports the Mbale Youth Bands in Uganda which are made up of  boys and girls who  overcome great difficulties just to play. Music gives them hope and direction.

  

Individual workshops and concerts from £5.

For further details and tickets contact  Valerie Belsey on 01803 866916  or underwoodorganic@onetel.com

Why not buy a ‘Beezounder’ ticket for £25 to cover all the concerts and events

December in The South Hams

Start Bay from the lane down to Slapton

Soft winter light in the Gara Valley

The light in winter is enchanting, it captures the soft shapes of the land, like muscles beneath the skin, and the coast shimmers with slanting, gilded light.

Snow on the beach at Blackpool Sands

Ice reflections on Slapton Ley

Even we had snow for a few days, though it's now gone from the coast and from Watermill Cottages. Walks on the beach have been glorious in the sunshine, and the Venus Beach Cafe at Blackpool Sands is open every day except Christmas Day, so we've enjoyed hot drinks (yummy hot chocolate) and lunch with friends, tired, happy dogs at our feet by the wood burner. Enjoying the sea and sunsets.  The beach and cafe are dog-friendly from the end of October to before Easter.

Our Gara Valley from the sheep shed

Our gardens from Quack Cottage

I hope you enjoy the photos, taken in the past weeks, and we wish you all a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year,

warm regards,

Christine and John , and all the other animals...

Sunset on the Gara Valley from the top

Three little piggies!

 Three little pigs arrived in the old orchard last week.  They are ten-week old weaners, Welsh Lop-eared/British Lop-eared cross, and are settling in well to their new home under the oak tree, plenty of acorn snacks through autumn. 

John designed and built their sty, locally known as The Piglet Hilton

Summer Duckling Report

Lots of of our visitors want to know what happens to the ducklings and/or eggs they see when they visit so here's an update.

Easter Eggs
Of the Easter ducklings we have one female, deep dark greeny black called Saffy, and two males.  Sir Francis Drake, the dark green male, and Grey Drake are beginning to challenge big Old Man Specs for his position as Top Duck.

The Heron Three
Of the seven ducklings that hatched on the wall by Mill Cottage in June we have three teenagers.  Sadly, we lost three to a hungry heron, and Polo, the duck with the web with the hole, didn't recover from the attack. The Heron Three are fit and healthy with adult plumage, two grey and one dark green and black, and are beginning to take flying lessons.


Violet's Nine

Violet hatched nine ducklings and we stood in awe as some of them pecked from inside their eggs and blinked damply at the world.  They are fit, strong and healthy and we hope to breed more from them as they grow.  Their father was Alice, who turned out not to be a girl, tho he has since lost an encounter with a fox and is no more.

 

The Two-Mum Duo
Grey Duck hasn't really ever got it.  She abandoned her twelve eggs to play aunty and foster mum to Mrs Duckel's Easter three, going swimming with them and baby-sitting.  This time, she's hatched two ducklings and is playing aunty again - White Duck has abandoned her eggs and taken over as mother.  The cutest soft brown duckling is hers. 

July 2010 The Eden Project Big Lunch at Watermill Cottages

A perfect summer's day for The Big Lunch - food to share, a bbq, a cask of local beer, homemade elderflower cordial, and lazing on the lawn.  And of course our Eco Raft Race - a mini raft made from material in the woods and hedges and then raced down the stream, under the bridge to the finishing rock by the lawn, where the dogs skewed the result by dog-napping various vessels.

This year categories included: Titanic (the first to sink), Junior and Senior Champs, and the prettiest raft.

pre-race raft display