Conservation

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Cutting Hay at Penlan Farm
As the month comes to an end we have finally had some much needed rain. It held off long enough for us to cut, dry and safely harvest a new crop of Penlan Farm Welsh Meadow Hay but now we could do with a little moisture to help our vegetables and conservation crops grow. Sun during the day and rain at night would be nice.

Great Weather
Last week it was all hands on deck as we harvested the fields which produce our Penlan Farm Welsh Meadow Hay. Mother Nature was kind to us - the weather held and the farm team worked late into the night to safely bring in all the fabulously fragrant hay which will eventually be packaged ready for your rabbits and guinea pigs.

Nest Boxes
Part of the ongoing habitat enhancement work at the Penlan Estate, involves measures to increase the populations of a range of mammal, bird, invertebrate and plant species. We have, as part of this programme, started to erect nest boxes for various bird species. The workshop carpenters have made a start, creating both internal and external nest boxes for barn owls.

These lovely owls can be seen at Penlan, so a series of boxes have just been sited around the farm. It’s thought that barn owls prefer to roost for part of the year in one location, and then move to a different one to nest. Four external boxes are up, and a similar number will be put in some of the traditional buildings around the Estate, along with sites inside the new barns recently erected.

Using modern farm kit to erect the boxes, for a bird more usually associated with traditional farming methods, the barn owl. A range of smaller nest boxes were also put up, including several in the surroundings of the office complex of Burns Pet Nutrition. Some of these small bird boxes were left open fronted, others had a ‘hole plate’ entrance fixed. We eagerly await the arrival of any ‘new tenants’!

Brown Hares
There was lots of excitement just before Xmas, when several of the farm staff, including the Farm Manager Richard Gough, reported sighting an animal which has small populations in Wales, but is certainly classed as a rarity, this side of Offas’ Dyke.

Brown Hares are usually associated with the eastern counties of England, so the confirmation of them at Penlan is very important. The change of the farming system to include a significant arable acreage is undoubtedly an important factor, and everything possible is going to be done to increase numbers. A quick visit and recce in the recent snowy spell, showed tracks in several stubble fields. The regular security patrols ( at the poultry units) should also mean that the poaching threat is minimised.

Conservation Updates - January 2010
The final Conservation Project of the ’09 year was the planting over approx. 7,000 hedging plants. This involved the preparation of almost 1.5 miles of new hedge-banks (trimming back grass) before a mix of blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, guelder rose, dog rose and holly were planted by local hedging craftsman, Trevor Davies. Using the experience gained over a lifetime of countryside work, Trevor and his assistant were able to complete the job in just 4.5 days.
These new hedges will provide valuable new habitats for a wide range of species, along with shelter to the adjoining fields. The shelter aspect is much needed on some of the upper fields, and it’s possible that the growth patterns on these banks will be slowed, because of their exposed location. Plans are in hand to place some fence posts in the hedges, creating perches for bird species, until the shrubs are sturdy enough to provide suitable points. The sides of the banks were sown with wildflower seed last season, with mixed results. Some species will return this spring hopefully, so that these hedges should quickly add to the habitats already at Penlan.

Conservation Updates - August 2009
Weather - bright, sunny with a moderate south westerly breeze. Approx.19C.

Today’s visit proved to be very interesting for several reasons. The warm sunny conditions were ideal for butterflies. The most numerous species by far was the large white (Pieris brassicae) which was present in big numbers.

The arable margins and wild bird cover held the highest numbers, where the Scotch thistle and knapweed in the margins along with the phacelia in the wild bird cover providing rich nectar sources. The large whites were engaged in mating flights, with some groups of 4-5 sometimes seen in frantic and very fast pursuits.
Also seen were a few painted ladies (Cynthia cardui). This is interesting as it is probable that these are the offspring of the huge numbers seen here during the end of May, when there was a passage of these migrating butterflies across the Western side of the UK especially.