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Suffolk's Best Farm

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Category: Nature
Published on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 15:13
Written by Tina Schwarz
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Congratulations to Nigel and Sue Merriam.

At this year's Suffolk Show, the Suffolk Agricultural Association announced that Starhouse Farm has won first prize in the small farm category of the Suffolk's Best Farm competition. This annual competition is judged on a number of criteria, overall management (crops, livestock and other enterprise), marketing, employment and investment strategy.  Business sustainability of land occupation including product development, diversification and long-term development is considered as well as the farm’s social and community involvement through activities including local education, public land use or employment and facilities for clubs.  

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Buzzards

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Category: Nature
Published on Sunday, 03 July 2011 11:23
Written by Mark Hatton
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Several of us have seen Buzzards gracing our local skies in recent years but never on a particularly regular basis. This past month or so however I have seen them on numerous occasions and I'm beginning to wonder if we have residents - which would be pretty exciting! I know some of you are not keen on Raptors - Sparrow Hawks for example due to their penchant for taking finches at your bird tables - but Buzzards really are both beautiful, an asset and harmless. They feed mostly on small mammals such as rodents but particularly rabbits which surely is good news for everyone? They also eat worms, insects and carrion. Due to the latter, people sometimes assume they've killed whatever they might see them snacking on but that's rarely the case and nothing larger than a rabbit would generally be at risk. That doesn't stop ignorance of course and the only real threat to Buzzards is poisoning and shooting.

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The Suffolk Hedgerow survey in Thornham Magna

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Category: Nature
Published on Thursday, 08 July 2010 10:17
Written by Tina Schwarz
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This survey (partly funded by Mid Suffolk District Council) is a project to calculate the state of the county's hedgerows. If you see a group of people with clipboards around the area they are counting and naming trees and bushes along public rights of way. This includes footpaths, bridleways, byways and roads. They do not come on to private land and are not interested in gardens. The survey will start in a couple of weeks time in Parva and work south. The results are lodged with the Suffolk Biological Records Centre.

The voluntary survey team have just finished surveying Mellis and Yaxley and are happy to continue their work in our area. If you have any queries please contact Tina Schwarz 01379 788 207.

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Buzzards over Thornham Magna

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Category: Nature
Published on Tuesday, 14 September 2010 20:04
Written by Peter and Rosemary
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Some pictures of buzzards taken by a friend from our back garden in August.  We had seen one a few days earlier over the water meadows when cycling back from Wickham Skeith.  We counted five in one sighting.

(Click the "Read more" link to view the photos)

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Rats

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Category: Nature
Published on Tuesday, 22 September 2009 14:36
Written by Mark Hatton
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Am I imagining it or do we have an over abundance of rats this year? Along the carnser we certainly seem to have far more than usual - several residents along the route reporting the same problems. 

Any experts out there who know why? Presumably mild winters, plenty of food, councils cutting back on pest control etc. I've got a couple of traps set but no luck so far with the wiley little pests. They're not proving easy to shoot either - dusk + telescopic sights = too difficult to see / hit Frown

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