The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Sudanpan on July 20, 2014, 06:41:49 pm
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We had our field cut today for our hay crop this year. Unfortunately I discovered that one of our resident hen pheasants was obviously sitting on a second clutch of eggs and she and the nest got obliterated :gloomy:
We were only saying this morning that we hadn't seen that particular hen pheasant (we called her Congo) for a while (we have a feed station for them down outside the patio doors). She had hatched out 6 chicks in May which she brought down to the feed regularly. Once they had grown up she was again courted by the cock pheasants and we saw her with one or two of them pretty much all the time.
It was such a pity that she didn't decide to make her nest 20 yards away in the corner of the field that we leave to grow wild all year round. :(
Oh poo
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last years hay cut of some 20+ acres got two nests and devastated my other half - so this year it's being left late (and past the best hay stage)...
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As they say - "Sh!t happens", and despite all our best efforts, there will be casualties!
I recall one occasion where a group were advised to postpone plans to conservation graze a coppiced mossland with cattle due to their plans coinciding with the well known and established birthing period of the resident roe deer, not to mention the ground nesting birds in situ.
The advice was ignored and sure enough at least two new born kids were trampled, and god only knows how many nests were lost.
Sometimes the efforts of so called conservation bodies cause a lot more damage and disruption than the occasional, but unfortunate, chopping of a sitting hen!
Please also remember, your efforts in managing the land are contributing more to benefiting wildlife than if you left the land unmanaged. :thumbsup:
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Can't be helped - even if you cut by hand as I am doing there are still casualties (and you get to see them up close, urgh). The nearly silent swoosh of the scythe blade is not loud enough to cause critters the to scarper! The other day I launched a family of newly born mice several feet across the field, never to be seen again; mummy mouse was not very impressed!
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Thats so sad to hear :(