Naturalist

Connecting with nature in springtime

There is something magical about Devon in the springtime which I believe is largely due to our network of high-banked Devon hedges, relatively small fields, rolling hills and deep wooded, wet valleys. Although not strictly limited by the eastern and western boundaries of the county, these features are sufficient to distinguish the countryside from other areas that use different ways of dividing the land.

Spring began early this year following a mild but wet winter and the early yellow of celandine, primrose and hazel is already fading, to be replaced by the burst of bright green foliage of deciduous woody perennials, especially the tree species that top the hedgebanks. This still comes as a welcome surprise even knowing that the trees spend the autumn preparing for spring with their new leaves packed tightly inside protective buds, with the shape of the bud being determined by the pattern of the leaves. Even nascent catkins such as hazel are visible throughout the winter ready to burst to full length in early spring.

At the same time birds start their preparations for the annual reproductive cycle, often the first are robins and, if one is lucky, song thrushes can be heard delivering their lustful singing from some nearby vantage point. After a winter where mere survival is the motivation, the twin triggers of day length and ambient temperature initiate the whole process - and even put a spring in our steps! The next phase is heralded with the pink of campions and white of stitchwort, closely followed by the haze of bluebells that seem to have spread out of their traditional woodland habitats into the hedgerows running up from the Tavy valley. Above our heads, blackthorn, followed by hawthorn put on a display of white blossom surely rivalling many flowering shrubs in our gardens.

By the time May arrives our migrant birds have also returned. Many of them are dependent upon insect life for sustenance with aphids high on their list of delicacies. Of these, my own seasonal landmark is a warbler, whose repetitive two-note ‘chiff-chaff’ call, any time from 12th March to the end of the month, greets me as I open a window or step out into the garden in the morning. Birds use our tall Devon hedgerows not just for singing, feeding and nesting but also for security. They may venture out into a field to feed, or visit our bird tables but soon return to cover at the first sign of danger, and small flocks will often move along the hedge as they search for food. This pattern is mirrored below by the small mammals that inhabit the undergrowth and I have watched voles using branches lying horizontally at the base as a sort of hedgerow motorway! No wonder high speed predators such as sparrowhawks haunt the hedgerows. Where hedgerows are contiguous with the trees alongside watercourses even the more aquatic birds like kingfishers are helped to explore further afield.

The significance of trees to our own mental well-being has received some well-deserved publicity recently. I am sure that our hedgerows, especially in springtime may deliver the same benefit to our health. After all this is where we choose to take a relaxing walk along quiet lanes especially if woodland terrain is too steep and boggy underfoot, and moorland too windswept for all but the hardy. Many fine old trees can also be found here, some even dating from the time that the fields were first delineated several centuries ago, retained possibly as a form of boundary marker. It therefore saddens me when I see a mature hedge removed for no obvious benefit, with the debris often burned on site! This country has a relatively good record of creating reserves for keynote species, such as migrating waterfowl and rare plants, as well as areas of landscape value, but it is in danger of neglecting the forgotten spaces in between. Spring does indeed reconnect us to the natural world, just as the natural corridors of hedgerows and verges connect our wildlife populations with each other.

Premier Dog Show

Live Displays

Livestock Competitions

Food & Shopping

Join us for a Celebration of the Cream of the Devon countryside at Devon County Show 2020, Westpoint, Exeter

Visit www.devoncountyshow.co.uk for further details #creamofdevon

You can’t put a price on some things…

Let’s hope that as you read this the rain will have stopped! We are used to the rain, living as we do on this wet rock called Dartmoor, but this winter I have never known such wet conditions. We have been unable to access most of our field with machinery as the tractor would make such a mess. Even the quad has struggled at times! The sheep have had to endure relentless wet, from above and from the ground conditions. I think they have trodden more grass in the mud than they have eaten. At least most of the ewes have been on the moor where they can keep moving and find fresh ground. But if the rain persists as lambing continues, it will make life very difficult as there is nothing worse for baby lambs than the wet. When you get wet and cold it takes a lot to get warm; if the ewes aren’t in good condition and don’t get their lambs on their feet dry and suckling, it could be pretty tough going.

However the price of lamb this season has been better. We have been trading lambs with Dartmoor farmers and it has been much better than usual. I would like to say that was because of all the hard work we put in as a business and the desire driven by the customer to buy local quality meat! But sadly, that isn’t the main driver, the lamb market is driven by the global market and I will try and explain how that works. Usually at this time of year British lamb gets scarce as most farmers are busy lambing the next crop. The market then looks to New Zealand and Australia to fill up the shortfall, keeping the price under check. But this year China has had a massive African swine fever outbreak and has killed a huge number of their pigs to control the disease. This has left China and the far eastern countries very short of protein. So any lamb available in that part of the world is being sucked into that market. Hence you haven’t seen New Zealand lamb on our shelves and our prices have soared. However, that situation has changed recently as our prices rose to a level where we are now attracting lamb from around the world again. All we can control is our own sheep and just try and get the best product to the market when we can. Hopefully trade is strong, but as I have clumsily illustrated, the global markets always win!

See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk have talked before about how I have always enjoyed showing my Whiteface Dartmoor sheep at the show and we will be back again this year. Gem, the boys and I will pitch camp and stay on site. It’s like a farmers’ Glastonbury, but with less mud! It’s always a great line in the sand for me, as it marks the end of winter and the beginning of summer. You meet up with lots of other farmers and trade war stories of the winter just gone, and realise very quickly that you are not alone in your endless battle with nature, the weather and whatever else life throws your way. This year will be a bit different as I have been asked to judge the Scottish Blackface breed at the show. So I will have to get my Whiteface sheep ready for Gem and the boys and leave them to it. Then rush off to the judges’ reception, before judging the Scottish sheep, whilst peeking into the next-door ring to see how Gem and the boys are getting on! It is going to be a bit surreal and crazy but I’m sure we’ll cope - wish me luck!

Mat Cole, Greenwell Farm