Every farm has a pile of fencing materials awaiting a role in life. Ours, however, has taken an unusual path… look closer and its home to a female blackbird and her four eggs!
Old fencing materials?
She’s a wily young bird!
We were very pleased to be able to welcome a wonderful group to Spring Farm over the Bank Holiday weekend. Sarah, Steve, Alison, Lynsey, Hervé, Laurence, Maxence and Romain joined us for Saturday morning’s alpaca trek. Fortunately our rather rusty French was not too tested and best of all, the alpacas had a great time!
Sarah, Steve, Alison, Lynsey, Herve, Laurence, Maxence and Romain on a great alpaca trek!
Check out the Sussex Business Times section on Sussex Tourism. Spring Farm Alpacas are featured on pages 22 and 23.
The link to the edition is here: http://issuu.com/lifemediagroup/docs/sbt_387_2015
From a standing start, our Alpaca Walking experience/safari has become the number 4 “things to do in East Sussex – tours and activities”. We are very blessed to be in a County that has so many tourist attractions. Within a short distance we have The Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Gardens, The South of England Showground, The South Downs, The Ashdown Forest, Brighton and the Coast – to name but a few.
Bluebell Railway from our water meadow
Wildlife Springs into action!
Its a lovely Spring Day outside and with the sunshine comes all sorts of creatures to enjoy the warmth. This is a bee fly feeding on the nectar produced from a Cuckoo Flower (also known as a Ladies Smock).
The bee fly looks pretty frightening but its long proboscis is solely used to get at nectar. It makes a buzzing sound in flight not unlike a bumblebee. The larvae are parasitic on wasps and bees and the female fly flicks the eggs in the direction of the intended hosts burrows or failing that, lays the eggs on a feed plant in hope.
Here at Spring Farm Alpacas we have been farming in a wildlife friendly way for the past 20 years. When we first bought the farm, we intended to set it up as a nature reserve. We applied to and joined what was then Countryside Stewardship. All of our fields have a prescription for management and in most cases it involves enhancing habitat for wildlife.
We are passionate about trying to deliver that enhancement and if you come here to walk with our alpacas – please ask as many questions as you like about our process.
Seasonal Highlights!
One of the real beauties of offering walks all year round is that you may get to see wildlife – great and small – on any alpaca walk. Bee flies are Spring time highlights. If you come in late Spring for bluebells and wood anemones. Or perhaps come in Summer for wild flowers (such as common spotted and early purple orchids) and baby alpacas (called cria). Come in Autumn for changing leaves (were just next to Sheffield Park Gardens too) and lastly in Winter for the best chance for seeing wild deer (fallow and Roe).
Bee fly feeding from Cuckoo Flower
Bee fly at rest
Cuckoo flower or Ladies Smock
Spring is finally arriving in our woodlands. The wood anemone is now in full bloom and prepares the way for the Bluebells which flower as the wood anemones die back. The wood anemone is poisonous to both humans and animals so the alpacas just admire it – as do we!
Wood anemones in full bloom at Spring Farm
We are so pleased today to announce the arrival of Eron and Rosselli! They are both Llama cria ((babies) born in the Summer of 2014 in the Southern Tyrol in Italy. They arrived today after a long journey and we are over the moon with them!
Eron and Rosselli arriving at Spring Farm Alpacas
Bumblebees are out in force on our heather – let us know if you are interested in seeing them whilst walking our alpacas.
Bumblebee on heather in the sun
We were very fortunate yesterday with a truly glorious sunny and warm day for an alpaca walk. Many thanks to Lesley and Phil, Mel and Andy for making it such a fun walk. The ground underfoot may require wellies, but the warmth in the sun brings out the best in our alpacas and in addition, there are signs of Spring arriving all around!
Phil and Lesley, Mel and Andy alpaca walking in the Spring sunshine.
Huge bumble bee on our heather
Wild daffs!
Lords and Ladies emerging
Woodland flowers – bluebells and wood anemones
Wild primrose
We have been very fortunate over the recent past to have had an excellent photographer staying in our holiday let (The Lodge at Spring Farm Alpacas) – Bernie, and his wife Sue. Not only have they helped around the farm but Bernie has taken loads of excellent photos of the farm and our alpacas. Attached is one of our favourites!
Come and meet us!