More Amazing Wildlife at Pry House Farm

We have four young Short Eared Owls living on Pry House Farm Home Field

 The Short Eared Owl is a ground nesting bird. 

These young birds find shelter & protection in the long grass and reeds at the bottom of the field.

They are over a month old as they are fully fledged but are still being supervised 

by the parent birds which are also on the field.

Springwatch at Pry House Farm!

Who needs tv when you can come and see all this at Pry House Farm?

Its a huge privilege for me to be able wander through our meadows & pastures. 

There is so much to discover.

From butterflies ....

to toadstools.

Beautiful brown hares ....

... and cheeky Oyster Catchers.

 Redshank, Curlews & Lapwings galore

and a host of delicate meadow flowers of every colour and hue, 

all set in the spectacular, unspoilt landscape that is Upper Swaledale.

A Huddle of Leverets

 

We often see brown hares in the meadows & pastures around Pry House Farm but to stumble upon a form of baby hares (leverets), only a few yards from the Shepherd's hut, was very special.

Unlike rabbits, leverets are born full furred with their eyes open 

and are born above ground in what is called a 'form'.

 And their parents weren't far away!

Green Fingers or Green Toes?

Bloomin' boots!

'These boots are made for flowering, 

and smelling sweetly too'

Love a bit of up-cycling!

Pry House Hay Meadows

Our meadows are growing fast and are full of flower 

creating a cloak of fluid gold over every meadow field.

Imagine waking up with views like this from your B & B bedroom window ....

or tip-toeing through the buttercups from your Shepherd's Hut-in-the-Hills retreat.

We have to ask you not walk on across the meadows once the grass gets long (don't we Tessa?)
but you are welcome to walk around the edges!
www.upperswaledaleholidays.co.uk
for details of B&B, Shepherd's Hut and holiday cottage options.

Magnificent Muker Meadows

Muker meadows are at their very best in the month of June

A stroll through the traditional hay meadows in Muker on a quiet, sunny evening when the flowers are at their best is an experience not to be missed.

 

The stone flagged path winds its way through seven small fields each divided by sturdy drystone walls with a stile or gate with which to squeeze.

 On first glance, a sea of yellow buttercups underpinned with red clover but look closer and there are dozens of species of wild flowers to spot;  tiny Eyebright, Wood crane's-bill, Meadow vetchling, delicate Lady's mantle and lace-like Pignut.  Later in July when the flower seed has dropped this wonderful crop will be made into hay.  Almost every hay meadow has a stone building in or adjacent to the field.  In Swaledale these buildings are known as Cow Houses (pronounced cowus).  They were built to store the hay made in the meadow and to house two, three or four cows during the long Swaledale winter months.  Today the majority of the Cow Houses are redundant but not all - some in  Muker meadows are still used to store hay and winter stock.