3rd January shoot at Norton January 5, 2015Farming and wildlife Norton Suffolkmike 3rd Jan guidance during drive 1 3rd Jan high bird in driving rain 3rd Jan Beaters at the end of drive 1 3rd Jan - shot in the rain 3rd Jan picking up after 1st drive 3rd Jan Hand over drive 1 3rd jan wet ears in the rain 3rd Jan looking alert 3rd Jan Retrieving wet bird 3rd Jan pickup in the rain 3rd Jan Retrieving live bird 3rd Jan - talking and picking up 3rd Jan picking up by tall hedge 3rd Jan the end of a another rainy drive 3rd Jan Packing up at the end of a drive 3rd Jan Beating woodland 3rd Jan directing traffic in the rain 3rd Jan - rainy wet pick up 3rd Jan Keeper and dog 3rd Jan - Keeper and beater - decision making 3rd Jan - beating maize on last drive 3rd Jan - Keeper beaters mud and maize 3rd Jan - walikng back after last drive 3rd Jan - Beater calling back her dog 3rd Jan - a rare smile at the end of the day
Spring Hares at Halls Farm Noton April 28, 2014Brown Hares, seasons at Norton Suffolk, Farming and wildlife Norton Suffolkmike Spring is one of the best times of the year to see Hares. Hares can be seen as plants are still growing, days are longer and there is lots of social activity. Halls Farm has a large Brown Hare population, the wide field margins and 5% of the land out of production mean there is lots of habitat. In addition the Hare are welcomed by the Honeywood family, Hares are not shot on the farm and are less wary than other Hares, this makes it easier the photograph them. Brown Hare, bounding in hay meadow May evening. Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leaving at night fall May. Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close nose washing. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare, Borage and morning sunlight Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running in spring growth. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close nose covered. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close foot up. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare low down in spring growth. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close and low. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare emerging into sunny spring morning light. Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare eating backlit by spring sunlight, Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare getting some shade from spring sunlight, Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Three Brown Hares after sunset, Spring Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare in the undergrowth. Spring Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hares tag and jump. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare game at dusk. Spring time Sufolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare framed by spring plants. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare licking its back. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare sitting behind groundsel. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare on tip toe and low, Spring Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret back lit by spring sunlight, Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret eating on Easter day, Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret having a private moment, Easter day. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret sitting and waving. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare sitting in spring plants. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare morning light in early spring meadow, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare retreating from boxing, Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boxing in the sun on the skyline, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair squaring up for boxing, Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boxing on the skyline, Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boxing in late winter sun, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair colliding Lepus europaeus Brown Hares in a morning chase Lepus europaeus Brown Hare fur fight in the sun Lepus europaeus Brown Hares flying fur fight Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boåxing, fur upper cut Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair fight and flying Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair on back legs Lepus europaeus Brown Hares, inconsiderate foot use Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair in mid air fur fight Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair, above and below Lepus europaeus Brown Hare back leg stretch at dusk. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare dealing with itchy ear. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare waving at dusk. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair on the turn at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair running on the turn at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair close at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair running in tanden at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair close chase at dusk. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair at dusk. Spring Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare low down in morning sunlight Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare walking in morning sunlight Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair looking both ways at sunset. Suffolk Lepus europaeus
Brown Hares at Halls Farm Norton October 1, 2013Farming and wildlife Norton Suffolk, Farming with Wildlife, Norton Suffolkmike April is a great time to watch Hares, the day are getting longer and the fields although green are still short. I have added series of photos taken in the April spring light. I often see a Brown hare, usually alone, out on one of the wide Suffolk fields where I live. However, Hares need shelter to rest during the day and to hide their young when they are small and helpless. Halls farm in Norton Suffolk is one of the best places I know to see Brown Hares; it is not unusual to see large numbers on the Halls Farm fields. This is because Robert and Steve Honeywood, as well as running a profitable arable farm, also actively encourage wildlife. 10% of the farm is not used for crop production and is actively managed to encourage wildlife. The 10% of the farm managed for wildlife allows the hares to thrive. The photographs on this page will follow the Brown Hares of Halls farm through the year. I will show a series of images showing them in different seasons. Brown Hare close nose washing. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close foot up. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare low down in spring growth. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair running on the turn at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running close sunset eye. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare back leg stretch at dusk. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair on standing at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare waving at dusk. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair close chase at dusk. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare sitting early spring morning, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare sniffing grass blade early morning light, Suffolk Lepus europaeus Brown Hare morning light in early spring meadow, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running early spring morning, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare intimate portrait Lepus europaeus Brown Hare in Borage Lepus europaeus Brown Hare and Red Legged Partridge running early morning Lepus Brown Hare running early morning Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running close at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leaping to the side Lepus europaeus Brown Hare about to leap early morning Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running on the turn early morning Lepus europaeus Brown Hare eating at field edge, early morning Lepus europaeus Brown Hare emerging from field edge, early morning Lepus europae Brown Hare washing in early morning light Lepus europaeus Brown Hares having a disagreement Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running side on close Lepus europaeus Brown Hare jumping Lepus europaeus Brown Hare dropping food Lepus europaeus Brown Hare in field verge early morning Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running in afternoon light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running facing afternoon light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare trying to hide Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running side on Lepus europaeus Brown Hare jumping through Borage, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running with Red Partridge, evening light Lepus europ Brown Hare foot in mouth, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare toe cleaning, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare watching, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close and intimate, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running at field edge, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare jogging along field edge, evening light Lepus europae Brown Hare running away looking back light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare, big stretch Lepus europaeus Brown Hare stretching on the ground Lepus europaeus Brown Hare looking, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running close up, evening light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare selecting a leaf Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair, above and below Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair in mid air fur fight Lepus europaeus Brown Hares, inconsiderate foot use Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair on back legs Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair fight and flying Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boåxing, fur upper cut Lepus europaeus Brown Hares flying fur fight Lepus europaeus Brown Hare retreating from boxing, Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boxing in the sun on the skyline, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair squaring up for boxing, Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boxing on the skyline, Lepus europaeus Brown Hares boxing in late winter sun, Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair colliding Lepus europaeus Brown Hares in a morning chase Lepus europaeus Brown Hare fur fight in the sun Lepus europaeus Brown Hares in chase at field edge in early spring afternoon light Lepus europaeus Brown Hare with low flying pheasant. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare dealing with itchy ear. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair on the turn at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair close at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare pair running in tanden at sunset. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret sitting and waving. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare in the undergrowth. Spring Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hares tag and jump. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare game at dusk. Spring time Sufolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close landing. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare framed by spring plants. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare licking its back. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare sitting behind groundsel. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare on tip toe and low, Spring Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret back lit by spring sunlight, Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret eating on Easter day, Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare leveret having a private moment, Easter day. Spring time Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare running in spring growth. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close nose covered. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus Brown Hare close and low. Morning light Suffolk. Lepus europaeus
Farming and wildlife Norton Suffolk September 17, 2013Farming and wildlife Norton Suffolk, Farming with Wildlife, Norton Suffolkmike Four Barn owls and two Short-eared owls hunting a meadow at the same time, a large flock of Yellowhammers taking off in a golden swirl, watching brown hares from a track and loosing count because there are so many. These are a few of the high lights that stand out for me so far this year. These incidents were not the result of visiting nature reserves or responding text message alerts, I saw all of them on the same intensive Suffolk arable farm a few miles from where I live. I have visited Halls farm Norton owned by the Honeywood family for many years to get horse food produced on the farm from chopped straw. Father and son team Robert and Stephen are passionate about the wildlife on their farm, this is typified by the large modern barn used for straw for the Honeychop feed production. The back of the barn is filled with old worthless grey straw bales contrasting with new bales at the front, this is because a pair of Barn owls and Kestrels live and nest here, the old straw will not be moved until the bales disintegrate or the birds leave. The Honeywood family intensively and profitably farm 900 acres including neighbouring Little Haugh Farm, run a feed business and employ more than seven people. Intensive arable farming has a strong impact on wild life, some farms near me are almost wildlife deserts compared with Halls and Little Haugh Farms. In these pages I will show you some of the birds, animals and plants living on the farms and describe the management used to maintain the high wildlife population and diversity. 1032
Untidy and neglected? September 17, 2013Farming and wildlife Norton Suffolk, Farming with Wildlife, Norton Suffolkmike Halls farm, Thick untidy hege full of berries and nuts Halls farm, uncut field margin and thick hedge Halls farm, Thick untidy hege full of berries and nuts 1040 Halls farm track egde with seed laden verge and hedge full of au Tidy farm Suffolk neatly trimmed after harvest Tidy farm Suffolk, Oak tree sprayed, trimmed and ploughed to the Tidy farm Suffolk, fotpath sign nicely sprayed neatly trimmed he 1039 Tidy farm Suffolk Bridle path edge growth and hedge cut back har Tidy farm Suffolk, Path and conservation verge of Italian rye gr Untidy and neglected is probably the reaction of some people seeing Halls and Little Haugh farms for the first time. Field margins are uncut, hedges large and unruly and some fields are un-cropped with long grass, thistles and nettles. This is particularly noticeable after harvest when many neighbouring farms closely trim their hedges and field margins before stubble is cultivated and next year’s crops are sown. But the apparent untidiness is a deliberate management choice. Walking around the farm early September to take these photographs I saw dozens of swallows, house martins and dragonflies hunting insects over the un-cropped fields. Linnets and yellowhammers were feeding in the field margins, a large group of brown hares panicked when I appeared, and hundreds of partridges exploded into flight around my feet. Of course the management of both Halls and Little Haugh farms is partly influenced by the game bird shooting that takes place autumn and winter but whatever the motivation, the sheer quantity of wildlife living on these farms is striking. Over-wintering birds need to be able to feed every day and find shelter at night. Uncut field margins contain seeds and insects and uncut hedges are heavy with berries. Farms where margins are cut back and sprayed and hedges tidily trimmed provide little food and shelter for overwintering wildlife. Public financial support for farms over recent years has shifted from supporting production to an environmental focus with most farms receiving payments depending on the level of environmental work they do. However the effectiveness of these environmental payments can be compromised by unsympathetic management, with field margins of non-native rye grass having a similar wildlife value as domestic lawns. The very neat and tidy farm near my village is a complete contrast to Halls and Little Haugh farms. However, this comes at a cost that does not increase production and reduces profit. The contractor who cuts the field margins and puts neat corners on the edge of the few hedges presents an invoice of thousands pounds a year and the spray that kills the ”weeds” at the base of the trees and telegraph poles on the farm costs well over £100 litre. The result is a wildlife desert, and when the farmer does want a days shooting there are no game birds on his farm so he pays to shoot a few pheasants on “untidy” neighbouring land. Excessive tidiness is expensive whichever way you look at it; perhaps we should get more comfortable with the “neglected look”.