Thursday, 13 June 2013

Beyond Haunn - orchids

The day after Open Farm Sunday I disappeared off to Skye on a mission.  I got back last night. After lunch I went with Farmer to check the cows.

In the three days between my last walk at Haunn and beyond, the wild flowers have come on so quickly.  There are now dozens of Heath spotted-orchid and carpets of Birds Foot Trefoil in the field beyond the Haunn field.

The cows are in the same field, but they are not interested in the short grassy areas on the tops of knolls, they are keeping to the longer lusher grasses.   We have to 'sacrifice' some fields at this time of year, in order to protect the fields in our strict management agreements.  If we had put the sheep in this field, the orchids and any other flowers would not have survived thus far! Sheep love to eat flowers.