Harvest time

The geese enjoy temporary access to the lawn.

Early morning in the meadow. Waiting for the sun to rise.

Thursday 9th August 2012
A thick mist hung in the air.
It took a while for the sun to appear.

High pressure made for a still, misty morning. The silk webs in the meadow clung onto the moisture from the air while a Sedge Warbler, beak full of grubs, rattled its warning from atop a reed in the dyke. The geese contentedly cackled to themselves, having finally realised that, temporarily, they have access to the lawn while the fence is being replaced.

But the morning's peace was to be shattered as the countryside came to life.


It's not every day one of these beasts
rumbles past your door.

It was time for the rape seed to be harvested and the air was full with the chugging and rumbling and dust of tractors and combines as every farmer took advantage of the warm, dry weather. It's a far cry from my harvest, where I potter around digging up the odd spud, plucking peas and beans or nibbling on a juicy raspberry. But it's still reason for celebration. The combines work late into the night, steadily eating up the ground and transforming the landscape.
I was hoping for a glut of birdlife to move in and take advantage of the displaced insects and other wildlife...


A rare catch for Gerry, this field mouse clearly had a very bad day.
Harvest is when the rodents move in, displaced from the fields,
so we will have to be extra vigilant for a while.

... but it was not to be. From the number of farm vehicles trundling past on the road today and the plumes of dust rising from surrounding fields, I guess there were many fields from which the birds could choose.


Well, if your rural peace and quiet is going to be disturbed, may as well go the whole hog...

And so it was that today was also the day for the road outside to be resurfaced. Don't let it be said that nothing happens out here in the middle of nowhere!

Lorries, steam rollers, tractors, combine harvesters.
Another peaceful day in the countryside.