Essex

The Beast from the East

”It won’t happen” they said on Monday morning. ”The forecasters are never right”. Well the weather forecasters were correct, and you don’t need me to tell you that an eastern freeze has held the UK in its grip this week. We’ve all felt it to varying degrees, and at this stage it looks as ifContinueContinue reading “The Beast from the East”

BTO Wetland Bird Survey January

At the end of last year I began volunteering alongside a local birder for the monthly BTO wetland bird survey. Our patch, which runs around our farm at the Naze, covers a roughly 7 mile walk around the peninsula, trekking firstly up the beach alongside the salt marsh towards Stone Point and then back toContinueContinue reading “BTO Wetland Bird Survey January”

Countryside Stewardship Application Accepted!

It was with great relief when I opened the envelope from Natural England and read that the farm’s application for a new higher tier countryside stewardship scheme has been successful. It will begin in January next year and go through until December 2022. For our farm, conservation management is not only important for the wildlifeContinueContinue reading “Countryside Stewardship Application Accepted!”

Meeting Defra

Late night posts are never usually a good idea, but having just returned from an event down in mid Essex it seems right to pen my thoughts straight away, while it’s fresh in my head. This evening I went along to a Young Farmers Club event near Chelmsford, chaired by the ever inspiring Ed FordContinueContinue reading “Meeting Defra”

Little auk at the Naze (wild Essex)

We kept our heads down as we battled the wind on our way up to Stone Point, albeit occasionally stopping to gaze through binoculars at passing curlew or oystercatcher in flight or little sanderling running about on the beachline, joined in their never-ending task by chestnutty turnstone. The walk to the Stone is one thatContinueContinue reading “Little auk at the Naze (wild Essex)”