Devonshire March April 18

The COUNTRYMAN
CHRIS TAYLOR
The COUNTRYMAN
Chris lives with his wife, Brianne,
in north Devon at the confluence
of the Mole and Bray Rivers.
Raised on a farm, with a degree in
Agricultural Zoology, Chris moved
into Farm Management and more
recently into Estate Management
and Consultancy. Over the past
50 years his passions cover all
aspects of the countryside, wildlife,
conservation,agriculture and
country pursuits.
Photos copyright C. Taylor
Spring is newly sprung!
Spoonbill
Widgeon
The very first vestiges of
spring were evident at the
end of February, snowdrops
were nearly over as expected
and many gardens had daffodils
out in profusion. The endless rain
over the winter has meant my few
ewes and lambs have been brought
inside each night and it is then and
at first light, that spring seems
so tantalisingly close. As soon as
there is a glimpse of dawn in the
sky, blackbirds are singing and
accompanied by pigeons and rooks
all stirring and numerous other
tentative bird song, with tawny
owls calling until the sun rises.
is an objective of mine to cover
the entire orchard floor with them
in my lifetime, still a long way
to go! Winter pruning of the
apple trees and hedge laying have
successfully grafted apple trees
in the first week of April, though
this is not the time of year to
expect success, don't let me lead
you astray.
Kestrel
Dark bellied Brent Geese
Fortunately, lambing was condensed
into 10 days this year,
so those cold, wet walks across
the fields to the unlit lambing
shed at all hours of the day and
night haven't been as many as in
previous years. Now to hear and
especially smell the fresh morning
spring air is so welcome.
At least once a day, I take a walk
through the small orchard and
as yet only a few wild daffodils
are protruding through the tufts
of rough grass. These will be in
full bloom by mid March and I
will be able to see then, how well
last year's transplanting went. It
Breach in the outer sea wall near Horsey Island
been a pathetic affair this winter,
this essential work can carry on
through March, if the weather
remains cold. However, I wouldn't
recommend this in the milder
coastal areas of Devon. Situated
in the bottom of the Mole Valley,
this is a real frost hollow which
delays the sap rising all the time
we have night frosts. I have even
Cooperative ewes and the lack of
dry weather has allowed me to get
out more and there is still plenty
of time to enjoy what I have been
exceptionally fortunate to see in
late February and early March.
Bird life, whether it is just sheer
numbers, numbers of different
species or rarities... we have had
them all and most are still about.
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