Bird friendly silage making

The old schoolhouse in autumn.

We have always made late cut silage in order to allow ground nesting birds to safely fledge their young and to let the wild flowers set seed.

This year our silage is going to Sgriob-ruadh Farm where they make the delicious Isle of Mull Cheddar.   Farmer moved the fields with our mower and Sgriob-ruadh brought their tedder over so he could turn the grass before they came to bale and wrap it.   The weather was perfect, so the silage will be as good a quality as it can be, being cut this late in the year.

A beautiful day for it.

Studio sunroom is being rebuilt this winter, so this is probably one of the last photographs of it in this state.   There are lots of leaks and cracks in it, and we are making a doorway in the new one straight into its little garden.

Our vegetable garden has been very productive this summer.  

I love this view of Shieling and Studio. 

And this one of Shian and Duill.

Grasshopper level

Flowering

The fields are beginning to bloom.  We have had very little rain, so there is not an abundance of grass growth yet.

I haven't written a list while out walking but these are the ones I remember seeing yesterday when walking here at Treshnish.

Heath spotted orchid,
Rockrose,
Bluebell,
Pignut,
Cow parsley,
Red campion,
Daisy,
Tormentil,
Dandelion,
Buttercup,
Heath pea vetch,
Wood bitter vetch,
Early purple orchid,
Northern marsh orchid,
Forget-me-not,
Speedwell,
Bloody cranesbill,
Butterwort,
Milkwort,
Lousewort,
Yellow rattle,
Eyebright,
Common twayblade,
Broad-leaved helleborine..

In other news, Farmer is watching the water supplies carefully.   So far so good.  We may have a borehole but unfortunately we are waiting for it to be connected up to our water supply!

Guests have been enjoying good sightings of 3 otters in the rock pools along the coast beyond Port Haunn.