THE RAMBLINGS OF A STRUGGLING ARTIST ON LIFE WITH TWO TERRIERS, A PONY WITH ISSUES AND OTHER WILDLIFE AND BIRDS THAT CROSS OUR PATH

9 July 2012

NEWTS IN TUPPAWARE AND LAST CHANCE BEFORE THE GIVEAWAY DRAW


What a strange few days, from weather warnings to bright sunshine yesterday, to persistent light drizzle today. Washing machine full of stuff that I can't put out. Over the weekend, we noticed that, in the small-ish round tuppaware tub we sank into the ground to house the rescued tadpoles in April, there are a pair of common newts. The tadpoles seem to be taking a very long time to mature  but have now got legs to go with their tails. I keep replacing their pond plants as they eat them. I just can't believe how small a piece of water can attract so much wildlife. It's less than a foot in diameter:


Tuppaware wildlife haven


I've decided, after hearing a piece on frozen shoulder on 'Inside Health' on Radio 4 and discussing it with my GP, to cancel my scheduled 'procedure' later this month. It was said to be very old-fashioned and not what is generally recommended these days. My hydrotherapy physio said she wouldn't dream of letting anyone do it to her and that things have moved on radically. I feel very relieved and will now be getting a second opinion and seeing a shoulder specialist, which I didn't do before. It was just assumed that, because I have type 1 diabetes, am female, and am pushing 50, that it was a frozen shoulder. 

There were loads of things I was going to talk about but they've all slipped my mind, so here are some nice pictures instead!


The herd about an hour's walk away on Sunday morning


Another skylark....there really are thousands of them here


A buzzard in the better weather yesterday


Swallow who was making a huge amount of noise


This lamb seems to have been born incredibly late; all the others are four times its size


This is Lizzy...I think. She appears to be changing colour and be developing white stockings. Looking at earlier pictures of her, her legs are paler than her body. The chestnut who originally had the white stockings (number seven) has totally different facial markings so I'm pretty sure this is her. She was close to Betty but they're all getting so independent now it's difficult to pin them down. 



Betty and foal number 3, still a very small boy


Eyebright; so tiny that I've only just noticed it's not bedstraw. The flowers are about a millimetre wide and there's not a lot of it about yet, unlike the bedstraw. I originally wondered how anyone would collect enough to go under their sheets, but now there's enough for a whole town's worth of beds.


And finally, some cotton grass for Bovey Belle, not looking great now but still hanging on

The draw for the Sleeping foal prints is tomorrow so there are still 24 hours or so before my son gets home from school and pulls the winner out of whatever container we decide to use. Good luck and thanks to everyone who's already entered.


8 comments:

  1. Thank you for the cotton grass pic Em. That has brought back so many different memories (hmmm, including Fox Tor Mire!!!)

    Lovely to see the foals developing - wonder if it will be a case of 4 white stockings for Lizzy? Reminds me of the old horse-buying rhyme.

    As for the Larks - we only get them if we go onto the uplands here, and I do miss them so. Just made myself well up by listening to one on You Tube, and now listening to Vaughan-Williams' "Lark Ascending" (which has the same effect). That's what lack of sleep does!

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    1. I'll try and take a video with my old camera (which has sound) when they're singing. It's so loud sometimes I'm sure if you turned the volume up it would be pretty good. All I need is a nice day to do it, so don't hold your breath!

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  2. P.S. Great news about your newts too. Mine are less easy to see at the moment at the recent wind and rain has blown the Iris leaves in the pond near to the surface so there's a lot more cover for them. My tadpoles are late developing too - have hind legs and still have tails but no forelegs yet.

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    1. Sounds like you've got a lovely pond. I was really sad we didn't have the room for one but it seems it's not entirely necessary!

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  3. Little Lizzy looks very much like my Ginger One did as a foal. A very bright expression and great determination!

    Lovely birds, flowers and sheep too.

    It`s surprising what will turn up in a mini wildlife pond. I`m not sure we have newts this year. I only saw one in the spring and since then, nothing. Let`s hope they are hiding under leaves like their Welsh cousins in BB`s pond.

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    1. I would absolutely love to take Lizzy home with me but I'm not sure I would have the time to bring her on. I barely manage with Trigger. She's turning into my old horse actually....a small, female version anyway. She's a little devil and nearly came right up to me today. Snippet is the reason she didn't.....hmmm.

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  4. Glad you spoke to GP. Here's hoping correct procedure happens soon! Lovely pics-Looking forward to giveaway! x

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    1. May have to do it under some of your bunting for effect! x

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