The Web Broadcasting Corporation

The Web Broadcasting Corporation/WildlifeTV, Natural Webcam Broadcasters

The Web Broadcasting Corporation/WildlifeTV offers a variety of Live Web Camera feeds in conjunction with other organisations including the BBC, The British Broadcasting Corporation Webcams, BBC Somerset Webcam, BBC Spring Watch, BBC Spring Watch, Denbury Farm, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, The Wildlife Park At Cricket St Thomas, The Butterfly Farm, The Butterfly Farm At Stratford-Upon-Avon, WWT, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge and offer other webcam viewing at The Perry Institute For Marine Science.

	6:21 Fri 05 Sep 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number six all sent in by Jill. Only four photographs left. A few more pics showing the start beauty of Dungeness.... My Accommodation with power station in background. Burrowes Pit with Water Tower in background. Part of the trail path. Yellow Horned Poppy. Cormorant Island. Jill, Epping. When the Reindeer arrived this afternoon we put them straight on the webcam so that you were in on the action as we were. The person who delivered them put head collars on so that we can later start to lead them around. As soon as they were settled one started to put her marker down as the herd leader. They had come from a lot larger herd that would have had a herd leader, so our little herd was leaderless when they arrived. There may be a little more bickering but I think that they are now settled. Once we know who is who we will remove the plastic number collars from around their necks and look to put them in the field that we have made ready for them. We need to try to get them in to their field by Tuesday so that we are able to collect Padfoot and Fleur who will need to go straight into their field.

	4:58 Thu 04 Sep 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number one. Only four photograpgs left. Young Common Seal. Vicky. Young Common Seal. Vicky. Giant Owl Butterfly. Vicky. Glass Wing Tropical Butterfly. Vick. Here is a photo my friend Tracey sent from her visit to Vancouver. Killer whale swimming in the Atlantic I think she said. Elaine. Fortunately I have had no more encounters with Rats. Reading it from a long while back I can see that if it had been any body but myself experiencing the encounter, I would have been falling over with laughter. Nothing to do with wildlife or farming one of the funniest stories that I have ever heard was told to us by one of our relations. They do not own a computer or know how to use one, so I am safe to tell you the story without them seeing it. The lifestyle of our relation who lives in Birmingham, is one of the Women's institute, cake and jam making and visits to the theatre and classical concerts. For sure the Husband would not have the interest as his wife and I should think that the theatre and music night outs were done under protest and to keep the peace, on the Wife's side to make the Husband feel involved and not left out. This story was on a visit to Birmingham Symphony Hall, for a concert by the City of Birmingham Orchestra. At the interval the Husband was in need of the toilet, telling most of the audience with his deep Brummie loud accent. After the twenty minute interval the Wife was starting to get concerned as Husband had not yet returned to his seat. The light dimmed and the Conductor returned to rostrum taking a bow and raising his baton when on the stage came the lost Husband trying to find his seat. He told later that he had been wandering about the theatre trying to find his way to his seat and had followed what he thought was a member of the audience who turned out to be the conductor.

	8:01 Wed 03 Sep 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven. Only four photograpgs left. Does anybody know what this is please?.There were lots of them found on the beaches near Mallaig on the West coast of Scotland.They are quite hard to touch.My daughter said it was a very low tide and wondered if they were Turtle Egg shells which had been swept across the seas in the currents.Occasionally large seeds have turned up on the beaches from the Carribean..Lindsay. My daughter took this at the cottage they are staying at in Glen Nevis near Fort William in Scotland.Lindsay. My daughter has taken this photo tonight in Glen Nevis near Fort William.Lindsay. One of hubbys cards he received for this years birthday we had quite a giggle about it, it has not scanned as well as i hoped it may. Marie in Taunton. This is for Elsie now she is able to use her pc again i took this in Spain growing in my friends garden a Pomegranite in flower with a fruit just setting at the side of the bloom i think the flower is very attractive. Marie in Taunton. The Kingfisher was on the branch this morning. Seeing him got me wondering why we haven't seen him as much as last year. Pity I didn't think a while back, as just behind the branch is a partly broken limb of a tree that has fallen into the Lake. As it has a lot more branches and is lower in the water than what we have put up, it is obviously catching from the tree instead of the branch. We are still getting the fencing ready for the Reindeer that are arriving on Friday, but as soon as I get an opportunity we will cut away the overhanging limb. We also found another Swallows nest in one of the Barns this morning. By the look of it and is was a quick look as one of the Adults dived at me a couple of times, the youngsters are about a week old. I put it on the Cam Two but there seems to be a problem with the Electricity as it kept tripping out. I will get it working from a different supply in the morning. I cant remember how late the last Swallows nest was last year. It was quite late, but the weather was better. At the moment it must be difficult for the Adults to feed their young with the amount of rain we are getting.

	9:07 Tue 02 Sep 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number six. Only three or four photograpgs left. Here are a few pics of interesting finds at Dungeness! Two common cranes that paid us a very rare visit. Rosy Underwing Moth - a rarity for Kent and a first for me and a credit on the mothsofdungeness website! Great Green Bush Cricket - specimen found was 4 inches long and a very handsome chap! The Black Hut on Rye Harbour - just to show you it does exist! Jill (Epping) More Turkeys. Marie/NJ Jill's mention of Dungeness reminded me of a job I once had as a Driver for a Company delivering refrigerant gas to Ships in the London Docks. Boring would be an understatement. An adventure would be a twenty mile journey to Tilbury Docks. So when I was offered overtime on a Saturday morning to Dungeness, it was as if I was being offered an adventure. As it happened it turned out to be very different from my normal working day. The delivery instructions for the gas was to the agent for a ship. On arriving at the office that overlooked the sea, the ship was pointed out to me as a speck on the horizon, with the instructions that I would have to deliver it out there, and that a boat would be available to take me there at the end of a long jetty that was only accessible by a Thomas the Tank look alike train. The gas bottle was as tall as me and weighed twice as much, that I would normally deliver at the side of the ship on the dock side in London. With no wheelbarrow I had to ask the train driver to drop the bottle at the end of the jetty for me. The only place for the gas bottle was on the footplate of the train and which the driver invited me to stand. Although it was the first and last time that I ever stood on an engine footplate, that was not my lasting memory of the journey, it was when the train went round a sharp bend that for a frightening moment I thought that I was going to finish up in the English Channel. The train driver pointed out the boat that was to take me and the gas bottle to the ship. It looked well over laden with stores for the ship before the bottle and me got in, and I swear it wasn't much bigger than the dingy on our lake. The journey to the ship took getting on for three quarters of an hour in not a raging sea but not over calm either. It didn't help my courage with the sea splashing over the sides of the boat, leaving more seas water in the bottom than I liked the look of. If I had a baling implement I would have been using it. Unloading the stores and gas bottle was a nightmare that I would never want to experience again. The ships gangway was lowered fully down but it was still at head height one minute and nearly sinking our boat the next, somehow we had to pass the store to the ships crew who were chain passing them to each other on the gangway. I had signed up for the Merchant Navy and had done a couple of three months trips only a year or so before, never once being seasick, or was I on the outward journey to the ship to deliver the gas bottle, but was I ill on the way back to land. I never had reason or a desire to return to Dungeness. Until Jill's mentioned it I forgot it even existed. And those Heron are still not as far away as I would like.

	7:19 Mon 01 Sep 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number one sent in by Lynne. POPPY FIELD. LYNNE. THORNTON FORCE YORKSHIRE DALES. LYNNE. BISHOPS HOUSE 5 MINUTES FROM WHERE WE LIVE. LYNNE. SHEEP ON THE MOORS IN THE PEAK DISTRICT. LYNNE. BABY BLUE TIT. LYNNE. Two of our Female Reindeer are arriving at Denbury this Friday. We have purchased four Females, two we are selling to a person that I know in Yorkshire. Padfoot and Fleur who are coming from Cricket St Thomas will be here as soon as Padfoot starts to shed the velvet from his antlers, that should start at any time now. We are starting to get the paddock ready for the new arrivals. We hope to be able to put the Females in the Barn where Willow and Gypsy were kept in the Winter for a few days. That is as long as there is no chance of them jumping out. We will need to put a high gate at the entrance of the paddock that the Reindeer will be kept, to stop them from jumping the gate and also to stop uninvited visitors from bothering the animals. We have had a few problems with uninvited people coming to the Farm as a day out when we have kept other different animals and Birds such as Ostrich, Wild Boar, Llama and Zebra. Unfortunately we do not have the time to show people around Denbury. We need all of our time for our Holiday Guests, Webcams, Animals that we keep and the Farm work. We haven't had it a lot, but on a few occasion we have had people who watch our webcams turn up out of the blue. Unfortunately as much as we would like to show people around we really do not have the time even to explain why we have to be so unwelcoming. We also get requests from those holidaying in the area to come and see the Badgers. Again we cant do it as the Badger hide is quite small and it is for our Holiday Guests.

	6:04 Sun 31 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven sent in by Clive. Iffley lock about 2 miles down-stream from Oxford. Clive. Iffley lock weir stream. Clive. Iffley Church. Clive. Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar, this was about 3" long, and found in the garden. Clive. A steam ploughing engine at the 2008 Great Dorset Steam Fair. Clive.

	5:28 Sat 30 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number six. Hever Castle Kent. Sarah. Another part of Hever Castle. Sarah. Lake in Hever Castle grounds. Sarah. Side view of Hever Castle. Sarah. Photo of wild turkeys that have shown up in our back yard over the last week to eat the birdseed that drops to the ground.They are a bit blurry since some nasty children began scaring them into the woods.The children got a right good scolding from my husband and I and hopefully will not do that again.:-) Marie/NJ An update from Michael in the Virgin Islands for the new underwater camera. Things here are going well but slowly. I have received all of the approvals that I need and the mounting bracket for the cam is be manufactured. I have a company that specializes in underwater welding constructing a lock box for the underwater mounting as to insure the safety of your equipment. That should be completed by Wednesday.The solar power supply has been ordered and we are awaiting delivery as well for the Pelican case that all of the equipment will be mounted inside for protection against the elements at the broadcast point. The network connection is ready on the receiving end. Here on STX, it is the height of Hurricane season so at times goal accomplishment is a little tough. Many leave the Island for the month of August and some for September too. This just slows down getting things done. I know this is an inconvenience but I am doing as much, as quickly, and as properly as can be done. I wish it was easier but after 9/11, everything has gotten tougher as far as dealing with the government. With regards, Michael Sent in by Elaine Why Parents Drink The boss wondered why one of his most valued employees was absent but had not phoned in sick one day. Needing to have an urgent problem with one of the main computers resolved, he dialled the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper. ' Hello ? ' 'Is your daddy home?' he asked. ' Yes ,' whispered the small voice. May I talk with him?' The child whispered, ' No .' Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, 'Is your Mummy there?' ' Yes ' 'May I talk with her?' Again the small voice whispered, ' No ' Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, 'Is anybody else there?' ' Yes ,' whispered the child, ' a policeman. 'Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, 'May I speak with the policeman?' ' No, he's busy , ' whispered the child. ' Busy doing what? ' Talking to Daddy and Mummy and the Fireman , ' came the whispered answer. Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, 'What is that noise?' ' A helicopter ' answered the whispering voice. 'What is going on there?' demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive. Again, whispering, the child answered, ' The search team just landed a helicopter ' Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, 'What are they searching for?' Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle... ' ME . '

	6:05 Fri 29 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number one, sent in by Judy. There is only one day of photographs left. Close up of a Moth I saw in our shed Head of the moth Passion flower in my garden White Dahlia in my garden A Red Squirrel taken on SWT2 cam. Judy I thought that you maybe interested in the reply that we got from the Met Office about a complaint we made two weeks or so back, and our reply. Thank you for your recent feedback about Met Office weather forecasts for Watchet in Somerset . We are sorry if you have seen a Met Office forecast that you felt was misleading. We understand that it can be frustrating for people trying to plan activities around the weather, which is why we do always try to get the forecast right. Met Office forecasts are produced from our computer models. These use data fed in from many thousands of observations as a starting point and run programmes which take various mathematical equations of motion, thermodynamics and state to predict the behaviour of the atmosphere. There is then a process by which forecasters quality check the model's output before forecasts are issued. Our forecast model data then feeds into a site specific forecast model which is then run to produce the site specific forecasts for our web site, the BBC weather web pages and others. Our forecast model data, once checked, also forms the basis of the guidance issued by the Chief Forecaster in our Operations Centre and products to all our various customers, including information supplied to the BBC for radio and television forecasts. Please be assured that our forecasters do work hard to ensure our forecasts are as accurate and consistent as possible. The British Isles experiences some of the most complex weather systems anywhere in the world and any forecast issued will always the best possible from the information available. We strive for 100% accuracy but there will be times when we do not get the local detail absolutely correct. Although the computer models are vastly improved compared with even a few years ago, there may be small errors which are magnified over time, for example the timing or position of any low pressure area or weather front passing which can make quite a difference to the forecast for a particular locality. Over recent years we believe we have made great strides in improving the accuracy of our forecasts and I can assure you we are constantly working to improve this. A number of initiatives are being worked on such as recent improvements in the computerised forecast models. Feedback from customers such as yourself is invaluable in bringing potential problems to our attention. Planned upgrades to our supercomputing capacity, due to become operational in the next few years, will allow higher resolution models to be run which will provide even greater improvements in local detail and guidance. Clearly we will be expected to provide more accurate, targeted and localised forecasts in the ye! ars to come and this is where our efforts should and will be directed. Regarding your query about more detaiIed forecasts for the specialist farmer, I wonder if our Talk To A Forecaster service might potentially be of benefit to you? This is a consultancy service where you can talk directly to a forecaster in our Operations Centre to request weather information for any land area in the UK the next few hours or for up to five days ahead. There are more details of this service on our web site at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/services/talkfc/. However, we recognise that a paid consultancy service may not be appropriate for all c! ustomers. We do also offer a telephone service called Weathercall where you can obtain a five day forecast for locations within the UK via telephone, fax, web download or SMS. There is more information about this service at http://www.weathercall.co.uk/ . In summary, we are sorry if you have been disappointed with forecasts on some occasions. I hope the above at least reassures you that we aim to address concerns about forecast accuracy. Thank you once again for your valuable feedback, which will help us improve our services in the future, and for taking the time to contact the Met Office. Yours sincerely, Martin Kidds Customer Feedback Manager Dear Martin, Our location is Taunton not Watchet, fourteen miles difference, quite obviously the correct information was not passed on, unless of course you have emailed the wrong complainant. I did not feel that the forecast was misleading, it was. Bad weather forecasting is not frustrating, it is annoying and causes unnecessary problems. I can not for the life of me understand that you always try to get the forecast right. Surely the equipment at your disposal try does not come in to it. My complaint was of a forecast given at 10.pm that was completely opposite ten hours later. I have found your forecasting to be in the region of 25% wrong. Since my initial complaint some two to three weeks back it would be more than 30%. So it is not unreasonable to suggest that forecasts produced from your computer models. data fed in from many thousands of observations various mathematical equations of motion, thermodynamics and state to predict the behavior of the atmosphere are clearly not working. Frankly I do not care where your model data is fed, finishes at, and to whom, to go out where. I only asked for an explanation why the forecast I received was wrong just twelve hours later. I would not suggest for one moment that you do not try to get your forecasting right, unfortunately for all who use it you do not. If the British Isles weather forecasting is so complex and challenging for the Met Office, stop forecasting. I have not seen any improvement in your forecasting over recent years. Three or four years ago I complained as I had 15 acres of hay ruined because of your forecasting, it most defiantly it has not improved since then. As for your Talk to a Forecaster service. If they are that good why is it not being used for all forecasting, especially as the Met Office is taxpayer funded. Your email has not answered my complaint of why you got a forecast completely wrong twelve hours after it was given. I am going to try this service www.weather.weatherbug.co.uk unless you tell me that the Met office supply their information. Regards

	9:10 Thu 28 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven. As we have lost our email inbox we have just a very few photographs left. I told Karen of Stoke that I would send her some party photos of the raccoons. Hope everyone gets a laugh. Party time in a ravine in Toronto Me, I don't like parties. Isabel. Pine Marten on SWT2 cam. Not excellent quality but they were taken on the spur of the moment. Judy. Piglets having a drink at Sherwood Forest Farm park. Vicky. Marie/NJ seems to be having a problem logging into the webcams. Is any one else having the same problem. I have asked people that I know and asked them to try assessing the site. None have said that they are having problems. The Swallows look as if they are nearly ready to fledge. Those on the webcams are the last nest that we have seen at Denbury, other than the Doves. The nest is the only one that we managed to see from the beginning. I nearly missed it as it was well hidden behind a beam in the Barn. Very often the Swallows use nests that have been used before so we tend to look in the old nests. This year only one old nest was used. We have not had a reply from Elsie.

	6:32 Wed 27 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number six. As we have lost our email inbox we have just a very few photographs left. Aberdeen Angus taken at Sherwood Forest Farm Park. Vicky. DUCKS RUSHING FOR SOME BREAD. LYNNE. I think her name was Kenya she’s an Eagle Owl. Jan. Wollaton Hall in Nottinghamshire. Vicky. A LITTLE OWL ON THE YORKSHIRE MOORS. LYNNE. IT WAS DAVES 50TH BIRTHDAY ON FRIDAY AND I BOUGHT HIM A DAY OUT WITH PROFFESIONALPHOTOGRAPHER. HE IS THRILLED TO BITS AND I HAVE TOLD HIM I AM EXPECTING GREAT THINGS OF HIM. IT IS IN SEPT SO I WILL SEND YOU SOME OF THE RESULTS. HIS NAME IS CHRIS CEASAR AND HE DOES LANDSCAPE PHOTOS AROUND YORKSHIRE AND NORTHUMBRIA HIS WEBSITE IS http://www.chrisceaser.com/index.html ITS WORTH A LOOK. LYNNE. My laptop that I keep all of important work on was showing a fault when I turned it on this morning. Eventually with help I managed to get it restarted, but I had lost my email inbox content that has the photographs that had not been put on the Gallery stored. After seeing my entry on the Forum Lynne, Vicky and Jan sent photographs in so that the Photo page is updated. As Elsie has not made an entry on the Forum for nearly two weeks I emailed her yesterday to ask how she is, as of yet we have not received a reply. Elsie regularly use to send me emails so we are sure that she would have answered my email to her. It is possible that Margaret has other contact details, but we believe that she is on Holiday. If any of you know how she is let us know.

	6:31 Tue 26 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number one sent by Lynne. STUNNING SKY ABOVE THE PEAK DISTRICT. LYNNE. BOAT IN A HARBOUR IN PEMBROKESHIRE. LYNNE. MY ELLIE IN THE BLUEBELLS. LYNNE. LICHEN AND BLOSSOM. LYNNE. PEAK DISTRICT DERBYSHIRE. LYNNE. The breeders of Reindeer that we thought that we were going to be able to get another one from to go with the pair that we are getting, were unsure if they were going to let any of their females go. As it is coming close to the beginning of the breeding season it was important to get one in the next few weeks. I had already made a few phone calls yesterday to try to find another female but only managed to get answer phones. This morning I made a follow up call to one of those that I rang yesterday and managed to get the owner of one farm that I had phoned, who did have a couple of four to five year old that he was selling. The price was getting on for half of what I was expecting to pay from my first contact, so I decided to have the two that he was selling. I will be getting a phone call at the end of the week and will make the arrangements to collect them. As well as being less money, they are a lot closer to collect them from. I spoke to Cricket St Thomas this afternoon to find out if the Padfoot, the Male Reindeer that is coming to Denbury has started to shed his velvet. I was told that the velvet is starting to look dry. A good indication by all account's that the blood vessels are starting to dry up. This happens a little while before the velvet starts to drop. I also asked about Fleur the female that we are getting. When I went to see her and Padfoot about seven to eight weeks ago she had a very small set of antlers, that is why I said the she was the female in the middle of the photograph that was put on the Photo page yesterday. I was told that Fleur has a good set of antlers. Hopefully within a few weeks we will have Fleur, Padfoot and the two females back a Denbury.

	9:07 Mon 25 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven. 2 Barn Owls aged 22 weeks they were called Dawn and Dusk. Jan. I took these photos today (21st August) at Cricket St Thomas, I wondered which of the Reindeer would be going to Denbury? The Monkey we thought was pregnant and fed up! and the Lemurs are just so laid back. Rose W'canton. The Reindeer that are coming to Denbury are the Male with the very big antlers, That I could not mistake, and it looks like the female right in the middle. We are also hoping to buy another female. We know where we can get one from but there are various places in the UK that have movement restrictions because of Blue Tongue disease.

	6:17 Sun 24 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number six, all sent in by Lynne. ANOTHER SQUIRREL !! LYNNE HOT AIR BALLOON ABOVE CHATSWORTH HOUSE DERBYSHIRE LYNNE MILL STONES NEAR HATHERSAGE DERBYSHIRE LYNNE NUTHATCH IN MY GARDEN LYNNE MY TAME RESIDENT ROBIN LYNNE Sorry I forgot to update the Photo page last night. Saturdays being the holiday change over day a Denbury, we are busy and it wasn't until late last night that I realised. I haven't checked the new Squirrel feeder that we have put up for the first part of the Squirrel obstacle course to see if it being used, but from what I can see from the webcam it does look as if it may have started to be used. Trouble is the Buzzards seem to have found it to as you may have seen on the webcam at about 1.pm today. It looks as if it is one of this years young and it is very well marked. It must be the one that one of our Holiday Guests from last week had seen and mistakenly taken as an Osprey. As much as it would be great to have an Osprey at Denbury I don't think that our Fish in our Lake would be to thrilled about it, and we wouldn't be best pleased to lose any of our Fish. As well as Wildlife Holidays we have started Fishing Holidays at Denbury. I am not a great fan of the sport but we need to have Holiday guests for as many weeks as we can through the year and fishing is helping. We stocked our lake just over seven years ago with quite small fish consisting of Mirror and Crucian Carp, Tench, Roach and Rudd. We had seen large Fish swimming around the Kingfisher branch but it wasn't until this year that we knew just how big they had grown. Earlier in the year Carp up to about 10lb had been fished, and in July and August Carp up to 20lb had been caught with many between 8lb to 13lb. It is now even more important to keep the Herons and Otters away from the Lake. That is the benefit of people fishing. The Heron or Otters wont come to the Lake if there are any people around the Lake. We are going to have to fence to stop Otters or Mink. The posts are in place when we electric fenced the area to stop the Otters a few years back. We will be able to use those posts to put wire fencing up, with an electric fence wire at the top. With the fencing in place it will also protect the Black Swans when they arrive next month, and the Geese, if any come next year.

	7:53 Fri 22 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number one. The first photograph is from Anjela with a long writeup. After just getting back from Fish and Chips at Minehead Harbour, it will save me from writing a Diary. This picture was taken by me, at Ding Darling Wildlife reserve in Sanibel Island, Florida. It is a lone crocodile. Crocodiles were once seen as far north as Sarasota County, those populations are almost completely gone -- with the exception of the lone female on Sanibel Island and the occasional crocodile that travels north in the summer. Jeff Combs, a park ranger at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, believes the crocodile was born on Pine Island, where she was first found in 1980, and has never left the area. "Females stay in their spot for their lives," Combs said "This is home to her." Once abundant in Florida, crocodiles were hunted for their hide and much of their habitat was destroyed before they were put on the endangered species list in 1975. Much of their habitat was lost to a combination of urban development and the conversion of wetlands to agriculture. "Crocodiles aren't really found up north much," Klett said. "On the Atlantic side, all possible habitat has been developed." The saltwater creatures tend to nest in areas where there is more brackish and freshwater, because it takes hatchlings some time to adapt to their saltwater environments. Today they are rarely seen outside of the protected areas of the Everglades, Key Largo and around the canals at Turkey Point Nuclear Power plant near Biscayne National Park. Florida Power and Light has developed a crocodile management plan to promote and protect the species there. The man-made area around the nuclear power plant is considered to have the fastest-growing population of crocodiles. The federal government began buying land for Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge in 1980 and today it provides 5,000 acres of nesting and nursery habitat for the American crocodile. The refuge, which also provides habitat to five other endangered species, is closed to all but researchers partly because female crocodiles are known to abandon their nests after even one disturbance. Also the above crocodile has been taken back twice to the Everglades but amazingly has found her way home to Sanibel. Anjela. 2. Sunset from our balcony in Toronto. 3. Our balcony facing North in Troonto 4. Winter from our balcony facing North in Toronto 5. Balcony facing North in the summer Rosie's Mum in Toronto.

	6:20 Thu 21 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven sent in by Clive. 1/ Wild Buddleia growing in Sandford lane. Clive. 2/ Narrow boats in Sandford Lock, the deepest lock on the Thames. Clive. 3/ The Kings Arms Pub on the Thames at Sandford. Clive. 4/ Narrow boat going under the "Iron Bridge" at Kennington. Clive. 5/ Hinksey Lake, a mile outside Oxford was dug out to supply gravel when the railway was built, then used as a reservoir for the old water-works. Now just used for leisure. Clive. At last after nearly two years this morning we managed to get Ewy captured in a stable to check her over and give her a pedicure. It was very easy, she went into the stable on her own. We had got Arnie and Breeze in for their morning feed. Ewy decided that she would follow Breeze but she stopped short of following her into the stable. Instead when we got Lady, Emmi and the two Foals in for their feed Ewy walked by their side to their stables. There are three stables in a row where Lady and Emmi are stabled, they are stabled either end with the middle stable empty but left open of a nighttime for Branston to use if it is raining. We usually close it when the Mares and Foal come in for their feed, this morning we forgot and as Lady and Emmi went to their stables with their Foals Ewy went into the middle stable. I quickly closed the door, and did she protest, kicking the floor and bleating out. We went back to the Farm House for a cup of coffee and to allow Ewy to settle before we handled her. It was time for Ewys pedicure. Walking back to the stables we could still hear Ewy protesting and she didn't look happy when we looked over the stable door. I was going to take a photograph of Ewy over the stable door for the Photo page, but decided that I would get one as she was having a pedicure. As we entered the stable Ewy was at the back still protesting. Without warning at full speed Ewy charged at the stable door that was showing a little light through the opened door of no more than a few inches, she pushed her way through with such force that she nearly knocked me off of my feet and through the door she went to freedom. There was no stopping her, somehow she managed to get through a gap in the fencing that none the other Ewes have managed. It was never our intention not to let Ewy back with the Horses once we had checked her over. As far as Ewy is concerned she is a Horse. She grazes with the Horses, roams around the fields with them and eats out of the same bowl of food as Gypsy and Willow. The other Ewes and Lambs have been grazing in the Horse field for the past week or so. Ewy doesn't want to socialize with them and Willow and Gypsy get quite annoyed and kick out to stop the Sheep other than Ewy from eating with them. I wasn't best pleased when Ewy made her escape, there will be another day.

	8:07 Wed 20 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number six. All we have left are some really good photographs that Lynne has sent in, and that is all we have. Picky One is a chipmunk taken at Edwards Gardens in Toronto. Raccoons is Mum and her bagies, in Edwards Gardens in Toronto. Rosalee the cat. Rosie's Mum in Toronto. I have two lots of lilies left this beautiful white one, is one of them. Karen Stoke. The Border under my front window. Karen Stoke. It is getting near the time when Sox needs to be weaned off of Emmi. We cant make the mistake as we did last year by leaving Willow with Lady. That was an experience that we don't want again. The trouble is that Lady's Foal, that we have decided to name Solo, is not yet ready to be weaned. We need to keep him with Lady for at least another six weeks. But they will have to be weaned together to keep each other company. Weaning two Foals together makes it a lot less stressful for them. Both Sox and Solo are already very independent, probably Solo more so than Sox. Solo is very often at the far end of the field when the other Horses are waiting at the gate to be let in for the feeds. Going back out after their feed is a bit different, for Sox is always laying down in the stable not wanting to get up until the very last moment, just when Emmi is out of the stable. Just like a lot of human teenagers. Both a very kind Colts and easy to do. Unlike Willow and Gypsy there seems to be very little bickering between them. It looks as if neither will be dominant when they are put together on their own. Gypsy is a bit of a bully with Willow and was from day one, she would have Willow on the run around going from one feed bowl to the other when we fed them. Poor Willow just had to put up with it. We would put their feed bowls at each end of the stable area in the Barn, far away from each other you would think to stop Gypsy from going from one bowl to the other, but she did.

	7:39 Tue 19 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number one. SWAN AT WELSH WILDLIFE CENTRE LYNNE. MALLARD, LYNNE. DUCKS RUSHING FOR SOME BREAD, LYNNE. ROSE AFTER A RAINSHOWER, LYNNE. I WANT .....THAT NUT THERE !!! LYNNE. We took a bit of a fly-er on making our hay last month. There was only a four to five day gap in between forecasted rain. It turned out to be the correct decision for since then we have not had any four to five day rainless periods. I would now be worrying that we would not have made any hay at all this year. After being made hay takes around six weeks to show how good it is, and our is looking very good, with a nice smell. We only made just over a hundred large round bales, a good third less than we made last year in large bales. We also made over a hundred small bales last year, so this years crop has been small. With the rain and warmth that we have had over the past month the grass is still growing very well and if we have an Indian summer we may well take another cut. I could have made more hay in the first field that we cut but I promised our Contractor that he could have it for haylage. Haylage is made by baling and wrapping the hay just before it is completely dry. If made well haylage has a very sweet smell and is a favorite for livestock, including Horses, If we get the Indian summer I may just try to make a little haylage in one of our other fields. The trouble is that if it is made badly it goes mouldy and feisty and can be bad for Horses. This year is the worse Summer that we have had for making hay since we moved to Denbury fifteen years ago. Unfortunately the weather has been like it for most of the Country. I cant imagine what it must be like for the people that have taken their Children to seaside resorts, the Children must be so disappointed. We don't get any moaning about the weather from our Holiday Guests. Of course the weather is important but there are other things that can be done on a Farm. Mind you I make up for every one else when the Forecasters get it wrong. We never did get a call from the Met Office, as they said they would, I suppose there wasn't a lot that they could say. Our Contractor didn't make haylage in the field that we let him use. He used it for grazing his Cattle, but it hasn't lasted very long as with this rain the cattle have poached the land and I have had to ask him to move his Cattle to a different part of the field that is higher. I only realised at the weekend that another field that we have allowed him to used is quite badly poached. I don't like poached fields as they are uncomfortable to walk as well as being very muddy. This year is the first since I had Cattle, that we have had Cattle at Denbury nearly ten years ago. We wont be having them here again.

	7:15 Mon 18 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven. My mum,s catfish she has had it from a baby and has had to change the tank once because of its size.Eventually it will get bigger and the tank will need changing again.In most cases people will take them back to a pet shop as they are getting bigger or sell them on but my mum likes it that much she would never part with her catfish. Tina,Stoke. Here is a photo I took on my 'phone the other morning. It was just after sunrise and the sky was glowing while the edges of the cloud were golden. I was driving down the A38 towards Bristol to collect a passenger for the airport but had to stop to try to get a picture. The photo doesn't do justice to the real beauty of that morning. Julia. Thought you might like to see what I had in my garden tonight. We did try to catch it as it was being mobbed by a couple of Magpies. Elaine. Buzzard. Karen, Stoke. This is a red squirrel taken in Edwards Gardens in Toronto. You can see the difference between this squirrel and a grey squirrel/ Rosie's Mum in Toronto

	7:19 Sun 17 Aug 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number six. GJ and B wedding cake. PM. I thought the ladies would like to see Robin in his bridesmaid dress!! PM. I had to put this email on. Not to get you to holiday here.(hope you don't mind Jenny) We thought it was very funny. The photograph of the Reindeer is of two that are coming to Denbury taken when Jenny and her family visited Cricket St Thomas. Thankyou again for the brilliant week we had at the farm. We are determined to return next year even if we have to sell one of Jasmines kidneys! I know the weather is plotting another wet week and sincerely wish you a drier week sometime very soon. Noah has decided that he is going to move to the farm so watch out for any suspicious large unplanned parcels (the clue will be the address written in crayon). As promised I have attached the pictures of the Reindeer herd I am sorry they aren't brilliant but I only had the digital camera with me. Jenny, Gareth, Jasmine and Noah. I took this photo on the way up the lane to the stables, of some ducks, my sister threw out most of a loaf so i could get a good photo, only managed this the others turned out blurred. Karen Stoke. We just had a real nasty storm in Florida today and after the storm, a double rainbow. You can just make out the 2nd rainbow, but the other rainbow was real bright. Karen, Florida (USA). Unfortunately the Green Woodpecker cant be enticed onto our bird feeders, their diet consists of Insects that they eat from the crevices in the trees and Ants that they eat from the ground, so what is on offer on the feeders is not what they would want. We hear their chattering laugh every year close to the Farm House. This year we have heard them a little more than other years and a couple of days ago the chattering laugh seemed to be all around us. Sitting in our lounge yesterday evening we realised why, for sitting on the garden wall were a couple of fledglings with one of the parent birds in a branch overhanging the wall, with an insect in it beak. Today as many as five have been flying around. They must have nested close to the Farm House. Next year we will watch to see if we can find where they are nesting. We wouldn't be able to put a camera in the nest, but we could put a camera so that we are able to watch them entering and leaving the nest.

	5:00 Sat 16 Aug 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number one. We need some photographs. Thornton part of his hop, skip and jump taken by Peter from the Lock whilst on a walk down the Valley. Deer at Wollaton Park in Nottinghamshire. Vicky. Piglet taken at Sherwood Forest farm park. Vicky. Peacock Butterfly taken in my garden. Vicky. The Hermit Butterfly taken at Wollaton Park. Vicky. Vicky now has her own website http://www.victoriasphotogallery.co.uk' next week you will be able to link to Vicky's website from the Photo Gallery page. We have had a Sparrow Hawk hunting on the Farm for a couple of weeks, probably a bit longer but we haven't seen the feathers from what he has caught. Just lately it seems to be getting quite successful in getting Blue Tits and Green Finches as for the past two days we have found feathers in a number of various places. This morning when we went down the Valley we found the feathers of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker that the Sparrow Hawk must have caught. A couple of years ago we had a Sparrow Hawk that for over three weeks was taking a Dove nearly every day. We regularly use to see it taking the Doves in flight. Some years back we had a very friendly Robin. It seemed that no matter where we were the Robin was always very close by. One day I was talking to some people in the Farm Yard, our Robin was within a couple feet from us hopping around on the ground, without any warning or noise the Sparrow Hawk swooped down and flew off with the Robin. When one of our cottages was tenanted to two nurses, a Sparrow Hawk entered the loft through an Owl hole and nested. I did warn the nurses that it wasn't a good idea and that it would be better if they blocked the hole that the Sparrow Hawk had entered. They didn't take any notice and allowed the Bird to nest, they even unbeknown to me sourced Rats and Mice and fed the Sparrow Hawk through the loft hatch. The eggs hatched and it was all OK for a few weeks until the fledglings left the nest and walked about the loft above the cottage bedrooms. By all accounts the noise of them walking about woke them all through the night every night until the fledglings left the loft.

	9:05 Fri 15 Aug 08
We have had a few problems with the Photo page, Forum and Diary that needed the servers to be changed. In changing over to the new server some entries have been lost. Last night I thought that the loss may have been worse than it was. The Forum and Diary has become good references that I regularly go back to check the date of things that have happened in previous years. It could be that what seems to have been lost maybe in different files and can be found over the next few days. Tomorrow I will restart the Photo page and put on the photograph of Thornton, as requested by Elaine. We are going to try to feed the Badgers earlier tomorrow. I should think that it will be about 8.35pm. Part of the reason is so that our Holiday Guests are able to see the Badgers from the hide. It looks as if the area that the Badgers feed from is well lite. It is not, to the human eye it is as black as the ace of spades, it is only the infra-red lamps that make it possible for the cameras to see the Badger. Speaking about the Badgers, one Family of this weeks Holiday Guests had the Husband drive here without telling him where he was going. I met them when they arrived and I must admit that he did look a bit surprised. He soon bucked up when he knew that he would be able to see the Badgers live, for he has been a Badger enthusiast for most of his life.

	8:36 Wed 30 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number six, sent in by Vicky. Baby Great Tit that had to be rescued after it flew into a neighbours window, after it had a drink and a rest it flew off to join his friends again. Vicky. Red-Crested Pochard taken at Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire. Vicky. Cornflower in my garden. Vicky. Goose as the sun was going down taken at Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire. Vicky. Moorhen was taken at a local park in derby. Vicky. We have fitted a camera on a new Swallows nest that we found this morning in the same barn that we have shown previous Swallows nests. There are three eggs in the nest that are now being incubated. Last Monday I received an email from a European Nature Conservation body asking if we would broadcast a Barn Owl Nest Cam for them. With the Owlets ready to leave the Barn Owl Trusts Nest over the coming weeks we emailed back accepting the invitation. Unfortunately since then I have not had a reply back. That is not to say that we wont, but being that the Owls are incubating the eggs it would be good to start from the beginning of the nesting. This is the second nesting this year of these Barn Owls. As soon as I hear back from the body I will let you know. UPDATE. We have received the reply and we will be broadcasting the new Barn Owl Nest Cam with sound by tomorrow. Watch out for the new Thumbnail. The Nature Conservation Body have a close relationship with The Barn Owl Trust, who next year will also have sound and hopefully a day and night camera so that the Barn Owls Nest Cam can be seen in colour in the daylight hours. A few weeks back I told you about the underwater webcam in the US Virgin Islands that we have been asked to do. All the equipment has been sent to the Island. Michael the person who has asked us to broadcast for them had a meeting with the Port Authority and Pier Manager at the site. They are going to recommend to the Board, full approval of the project at the August 6th meeting. The webcam will be sited at a different location than we first were told, and it will be under a different US department who have other sites that they would consider webcams including a beach that the Turtles nest at. There has been mentioned that the quality of the Red Squirrel and Pine Martin Camera is not a clear as it might be. The Broadband connection at the Lock of the Lowe's is quite low. To get a good picture from the Osprey nest it mean using a lot of the available bandwidth on that webcam causing the other webcams to use a very low bandwidth. When the Osprey nesting finishes the bandwidths will be adjusted so that both webcams at the Lock have good images.

	4:57 Sun 27 Jul 08
Sorry that there has not been any new photographs or a Diary for the past couple of days. We have been extremely busy with finishing the kitchen and cottage, getting the hay in and getting ready for our holiday guests. We also have friends staying. We will get back over the next couple of days when I will also tell you about our new photograph Galleries that some of you may want to be involved in.

	8:16 Thu 24 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number six, sent in by Lynne that accompanies the photographs on the Photo page. There were a few more photographs sent in. I have chosen five that I hope tells the story. Something really amazing happened in Downtown Spokane this week and I had to share the story with you. Some of you may know that my brother, Joel, is a loan officer at Sterling Bank. He works downtown in a second story office building, overlooking busy Riverside Avenue. Several weeks ago he watched a mother duck choose the cement awning outside his window as the uncanny place to build a nest above the sidewalk. The mallard laid ten eggs in a nest in the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks and Monday afternoon all of her ducklings hatched. Joel worried all night how the mama duck was going to get those babies safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban environment to take to water, which typically happens in the first 48 hours of a duck hatching. Tuesday morning, Joel came to work and watched the mother duck encourage her babies to the edge of the perch with the intent to show them how to jump off! The mother flew down below and started quacking to her babies above. In his disbelief Joel watched as the first fuzzy newborn toddled to the edge and astonishingly leapt into thin air, crashing onto the cement be low. My brother couldn't watch how this might play out. He dashed out of his office and ran down the stairs the sidewalk where the first obedient duckling was stuporing near its mother from the near fatal fall. Joel looked up. The second duckling was getting ready to jump! He quickly dodged under the awning while then mother duck quacked at him and the babies above. As the second one took the plunge, Joel jumped forward and caught it with his bare hands before it hit the cement. Safe and sound, he set it by the mama and the other stunned sibling, still recovering from its painful leap. One by one the babies continued to jump to join their anxious family below. Each time Joel hid under the awning just to reach out in the nick of time as the duckling made its free fall. The downtown sidewalk came to a standstill. Time after time, Joel was able to catch the remaining 7 and set them by their approving mother. At this point Joel realized the duck family had only made part of its dangerous journey. They had 2 full blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs, and pedestrians to get to the closest open water, the Spokane River. The onlooking office secretaries then joined in, and hurriedly brought an empty copy paper box to collect the babies. They carefully corralled them, with the mother's approval, and loaded them up into the white cardboard container. Joel held the box low enough for the mom to see her brood. He then slowly navigated through the downtown streets toward the Spokane River, as the mother waddled behind and kept her babies in sight. As they reached the river, the mother took over and passed him, jumping into the river and quacking loudly. At the water's edge, the Sterling Bank office staff then tipped the box and helped shepherd the babies toward the water and to their mother after their adventurous ride. All nine darling ducklings safely made it into the water and paddled up snugly to mama duck. Joel said the mom swam in circles, looking back toward the beaming bank workers, and proudly quacking as if to say......"See, we did it! Thanks for all the help! Thankfully, one of the secretaries had a digital camera and was able to capture most of it(except the actual mid-air catching) in a series of attached photographs. Please join me in celebrating my brother-- The Downtown Duck Hero!

	7:33 Wed 23 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number one, sent in by Karen, Stoke. These Photographs were not taken by me. My daughters Partner Steve ,took these for me and Emailed them for us to go on the Gallery. I hope you enjoy them. Some more Photos for the Gallery From Nicola and Steve, they live in Thongsbridge, Holmsfirth, I do not know what the Bird is does any one know what it is? Karen, Stoke.

	7:47 Tue 22 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven, sent in by Jill. Norfolk Lavender - across the road from where my parents lived for many years Autumn reflections - a pond in my forest Swans preening on the river behind my office Sunset on Skomer Island Another pic of the field of marigolds in Kent with church in background and meadow cranesbill in foreground. Jill. Cutting the grass to make the hay has definitely brought the Buzzard and Owls to the Valley. Last night the Owl was on the pole a couple of times, and the Buzzard on and off for most of the day. With the grass cut it makes it easier for the Voles to be seen by both the Owls and Buzzard. With a bit of luck both will start hunting the Valley for a lot of their food. There are also a lot of Rabbits in the Valley. The new cameras digital zoom makes it easier to get close up to the Birds and to get better images. I am still getting use to the new cameras control as you have probably noticed. I also will need to get some more infra red lamps placed so that most of the valley can be viewed. I will keep an eye out for the Buzzards soaring above the Valley, if I see any I will try to follow them on the camera. The weather forecast seems to be letting us down again. It promised a lot warmer weather with a bit of cloud and wind. Lots of cloud, little wind and chilly. Tomorrows forecast is now a bit different from what they said last night. I can see that we are not going top make our hay before the rain that is promised for Friday. I know I keep on about it, but the Met Office is a sad excuse, in any other business there would be many heads rolling with the times that they get things wrong. A couple of weeks ago we were told that we would be able to get forecasts for months ahead. They are unable to get the next 24 hours correct, so how they will manage months ahead I really don't know. Some years ago we had forecast for long periods ahead. It fizzled out very soon after it started.

	9:05 Mon 21 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number six sent in by Karen. These Photographs were not taken by me. My daughters Partner Steve ,took these for me and Emailed them for us to go on the Gallery. I hope you enjoy them. Karen. Stoke. We started to make our hay today. Not quite as late as last year, but later than we would want. The grass seed would be ready to drop so when the gray is turned to let it dry evenly a lot of the seed will be left on the ground when it is baled. Early this morning the grass was cut and this evening it was turned for the first time. It will be turned again every day in the hope that we can bale it at the latest on Thursday evening as the forecast is for rain on Friday. We normally would like five days to make hay but for the past two years we have needed to take our chances as the hasn't been many five days periods without rain. We managed to make thirty bales about five weeks ago. The forecast at the moment is giving us a chance, so with a bit of luck we can make our hay. I had hoped with the new camera being able to look straight up into the sky that we may have been able to see the Buzzards hunting for food for their Chick in the Valley. There has not been one year in all of the time that we have lived here have they not hunted in the Valley except for this year when the are hunting in the small paddock that we kept Smuggler and Sonny. The three of the Buzzards can be seen in the trees most days. Unfortunately the nearest camera to the paddock is unable to look upwards very far. I am hoping now that we have cut the grass in the valley it will make it more open for the Buzzard to hunt. There are a lot of Rabbits for the Buzzards to catch there so we may be lucky. We have nearly finished the kitchen and cottage so next week I will be able to spend a little more time on the Diary and camera. The sudden appearance of a strange light in the corner of the nestcam is, we think, a spider's web/nest that is in front of the camera lens. The movement is the spider crawling across the lens. We are reluctant to go into the building at present as the two oldest owlets have not left the barn yet and we do not want to risk flushing them out. Again we will monitor the owlets' activity and will review the situation if any circumstances change. Matt. BOT.

	8:12 Sun 20 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number one sent in by Lynne. WE WERE UP IN THE YORKSHIRE DALES LAST WEEK AND TOOK THESE BOLTON ABBEY AND THE RIVER WHARFE LYNNE THORNTON FORCE ON THE INGLETON WATERFALL TRAIL. WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN SO THE WATER WAS COMING OVER A LOT MORE THAN USUAL LYNNE GOREDALE SCAR NEAR MALHAM COVE LYNNE CANAL BOAT GOING THROUGH A LOCK AT GARGRAVE LYNNE A VERY FRIENDLY YOUNG BULL IN THE FIELD ACROSS FROM OUR HOLIDAYCOTTAGE LYNNE Some of you who have put links and suggestions for other websites would have noticed that they have not been approved. We have attempted in the past to have reciprocal links to other webcams, only to be refused. The RSPB being one of many. Because of the refusals we will not advertise other websites on the Forum. It would also be unfair to those represented on Wildlife TV to direct their viewer to other websites.

	5:53 Sat 19 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven sent in by Clive, CH. Five pictures taken on a walk around the former US air-base at Greenham Common , home to the Cruise Missiles and Women’s peace camps in the mid 1980s to the early1990s. It was common land taken over by the Military in 1941 and returned to common land after the Americans left in 1992. All the run-way, taxi-ways and aircraft hard-standing have been removed except a small section for people to see. The missile silos remain and I think are being preserved by English heritage as ancient monuments. Clive (CH ) An article from our local television channel. Any comments, and why. Fire brigade defends bird rescue Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) has defended its decision to rescue a seagull trapped in netting at an estimated cost of £800. Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said the brigade should not be saving every seagull in trouble. "We're told anyone dialling 999 for a non-emergency risks lives. It beggars belief they decided to save the gull." DSFRS said: "We regard ourselves as a humane organisation. But a human life at risk would have taken priority." 'Humane thing' Spokesman Paul Slaven added: "The bird was in distress and it was distressing for the onlookers. "We rescue cats and dogs and this was the humane thing to do." The operation began on Wednesday morning when the seagull was seen on the roof of the Penny Lane sausage factory on a trading estate, trapped beneath anti-gull netting. When five officers in a standard engine failed to reach the stricken bird, the extendable platform carrying two more crew members was called in to dislodge it. The fire service confirmed it was the RSCPA who called them out and that the cost might now be recovered from them. The gull was taken to a local wildlife centre to be treated for an injured wing. Elsie sent in this topical joke. It had animation attached that unfortunatly I could not pasted on the Diary. When Andrew got home last night , I demanded that we go out to some place expensive.................. So he took me to a petrol station !!!!!!!

	6:50 Fri 18 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number six. I took this shot of the tree but i quite like the clouds on this one. The crop growing in the field is corn. Karen Stoke. JANETS FOSS NEAR MALHAM COVE. LYNNE. I've just returned from visiting my Brother with Mum today. It's the first time I've been to his house and was amazed by his garden! He is VERY keen to encourage all types of wildlife into his garden, so has allowed parts of it to become fairly wild. He has a beautiful pond filled with lilies where there are frogs, newts and toads as well as the odd dragonfly and damselfly. So here are a few photos from today's visit. A shy little frog: Two damselflies - they were flying around attached like this, so I'm not quite sure what they were doing!! Lovely lilies. Julia. Where the Sheep were kept housed through the Winter they did very little walking, that resulted in their hooves to be overgrown to the extent that they have needed for them to be trimmed. When you have as few Sheep as we have it is a back breaking job and one that I don't relish. Although I had to stop doing the cottage and kitchen today it had to be done. The hooves did need a lot of trimming, but fortunately there were no problems with their feet other that them being overgrown. Some breeds of Sheep that we have had in the past have had to be trimmed very often, others we have never needed to touch. The Sheep we have now are Texel and Texel Cross. Their feet needed trimming at least once a year, but they don't tend to get foot rot that a lot of Sheep get. Again I have found that some breeds are prone to foot rot other are not. Mind you I am not a Shepherd. Shepherd would know best and they would tell you that as well as a Sheep breeding the ground that they graze on would also be a factor in foot rot. A few years back I let a Farmer have our fields for Sheep keep during the Winter. More of his Sheep were lame because of foot rot than were not. I regularly had to tell him to sort his Sheep feet out. When I was showing our neighbours Sheep during the Winter a number of you commented that some of his Sheep were lame, If a lot of the Sheep are of the same breed it looks as if the Sheep have been lame for a long while, when it is normally a different Sheep that has only that day got a problem. It doesn't pay for a Farmer not to sort out Sheep feet problems. If they are killing Sheep they will quickly loose condition and breeding Sheep with Lambs at foot will soon start to produce less milk for the Lambs. Our Sheep feet are now trimmed and tidy except for Ewy.

	8:56 Thu 17 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number one, all from Sue O. A view of Godrevy lighthouse from the beach 5 pictures all taken at or near Polly Joke, near Newquay, including 3 views and a wildlife shot. Godrevy lighthouse. Polly joke. Wild iris near polly joke. Caterpillar. Coast path near polly joke. Sue O

	6:34 Wed 16 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven. As promised, here is a picture of our new puppy Kingston. He's 4 weeks old here. He's a cream long haired dachshund. The breeder sent me the picture. Can't wait until August 1st, when we get to pick him up. I'll send another picture when we get to pick him up. Karen, Florida (USA) This is Cleo my Old Girl, and naughty Fred, they have baskets but like the comfort of the sofa. Karen. Stoke. Photo from Cornwall. Sue O. Another pic from the deep. Sue. Badger at Denbury. Vicky.

	4:10 Tue 15 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number six. Early Diary today. It is such a glorious afternoon that we are going to the coast for fish and chips and a break from the Cottage and Kitchen. Sooty Dove from the chimney. Will this be Mr Farmer in a few years time!!! Rose W'canton. Here are 2 pictures from my garden; they both show some different colors of Prairie Cone Flowers, and also 1 picture of a cat sculpture my brother gave me for my birthday. Penny, Chicago. I still have not finished the Cottage and Kitchen that we are working on. Starting to think that maybe someone else should be doing the job. But I have to tell you a little story that has happened in the Farm House. For well over a week when we have been sitting quite in the lounge we have heard short spells of rustling from one corner. The rustling didn't go on long enough to be able to pinpoint it to one area, just the direction. We looked to where we thought the rustling was coming from and found nothing. On either side of the inglenook fire place are two built in cupboards that the rustling may have been coming from, but we were unable to see if the rustling was coming from there as the keys have been mislaid. My suspicion was that somehow something like a Mouse or worse had got into the cupboards and I wasn't to bothered about finding the key to find out. I must admit that if any thing had got into the cupboard it would have needed to have got through a three foot stone wall, so for sure it wouldn't have had a lot of trouble getting through the oak wood that the cupboards are made of, so every time that we heard the rustling we were thinking the worse, and I was getting ready to run. I heard the rustling again yesterday afternoon. This time it went on for a little longer giving, me time to hear that it was coming from the direction of the wood burner in the inglenook. I opened the door of the wood burner gingerly, ready to slam it shut and lot quicker that I was opening it if the had been anything inside. It was empty but the rustling was a little louder. It seemed that we had been worrying over nothing, as it sounded as if the rustling was coming from the top of the chimney and that the noise was being exaggerated through the chimney and a metal pipe from the wood burner. Before we had purchased the Farm the chimney had been lined with a type of compound and the inglenook blocked up to make way for a modern small tiled fireplace to be put in. Why it was ever done I cant imagine. It was a hideous fireplace completely out of place in the old Farm House. Opening the inglenook fireplaces was one of the first renovation jobs that we did. We were unable to remove the compound in the chimney, so that would have made the rustling more pronounced. Or so we thought. Last night after dinner before going back to work on the Cottage and Kitchen we sat down in lounge for a few minute. The rustling started again. There was no way this time that the noise was coming from the top of the chimney, it could only have been from inside of it. I opened a small inspection hole in the pipe from the wood burner to the chimney. There is an s bend in the pipe so we were unable to see a lot, in fact nothing. There was only one thing left to do and that was to remove the pipe, not an easy job. After a good hour and myself looking like a Sweep the pipe was ready to be removed. A bucket was at the ready to catch what we thought would be a small amount of soot, as most of it we thought was on me. As I pulled the pipe away a surge of soot poured out of the chimney filling the area with a puff of sooty dust, all but filling the bucket at the wait. Then just as we were thinking what a waste of time we had just gone through out of the chimney came a blackened sooty Dove. It fell to the floor and although it must have been weak it didn't want to hang around. It was quickly caught and taken out side. To be honest we weren't sure weather to clean it off and try to feed it, or let it go. In the end we let it choose for itself. If when we had put it down it flew away that would have been the right decision. If it didn't we would try to help it. After a couple of minute of walking around to yard it flew away. As you can see by the photograph on the Photo Page you couldn't miss it if you had seen it, and this morning it was with the other Doves on top of a roof.

	7:10 Mon 14 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number one, all sent in by Lynne. Sorry I messed up a bit by putting on two photographs twice. Still trying to finish the Cottage and Kitchen so I will not have time for a Diary. ALL TAKEN IN YORKSHIRE DALES LAST WEEK. DUCKLINGS IN GOREDALE SCAR. LYNNE. CHAFFINCH IN INGLETON. LYNNE. WAGTAIL IN GOREDALE SCAR. LYNNE. CURLEWS IN A FIELD NEAR BOLTON ABBEY. LYNNE DIPPER ON THE RIVER WHARFE. LYNNE

	3:43 Sun 13 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven, all sent in by Judy. There are a few photographs left from Karen and Sue , so if you have any send them in. Another selection of photos from Clumber Park . The Lake and Parkland 2 Owls Clumber Chapel Swan & cygnets From Judy

	7:34 Sat 12 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number six, all sent in by CH. There are a few photographs left from Karen and Sue , so if you have any send them in. A few pictures from a walk from Oxford to Wolvercote along the Thames Path. 1/ Osney bridge on the Botley road near Oxford. 2/ Rainbow bridge across the Thames. 3/ A steam boat on the Thames at Binsey. 4/ The remains of Godstow Abbey. 5/ The Trout Pub at Godstow one of "Inspector Morse's" locals. CH. Sorry that the Diary has been a bit hit and miss. We have been very busy with putting in a new kitchen in a small cottage next to the Farm House. All we have had is problems. The boiler is behind a false wall that has not been opened for maybe 12 years. Two pipe had very small leaks. maybe for all of that time. We made a number of mistakes in fitting the Kitchen. Today after getting most of the bottom units fitted I realised that I had not allowed a position for the built in fridge. I had to redesign a good part of it. I wasn't best pleased to say the least. There are still a lot to do. We may use it as a Holiday Cottage. It would be ideal for the disabled, as it is all on ground level. The underwater camera has arrived in the US Virgin Islands. Where I have been so busy I have not had an opportunity this week until this afternoon to contact Michael to see how it is progressing. I will let you know when he gets back to me. I am also waiting to hear from the US Department about the Turtle Beach webcam. The people running the site have to get permissions for the project. They are very keen on the idea, lets hope the powers to be are as well. The camera that we will supply, if they agree will be an excellent deterrent against the poachers of the Turtle eggs and those killing the Turtle. Again I will let you know how it is going when I hear.

	9:10 Fri 11 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number one. There are a few photographs left from Karen and Sue , so if you have any send them in. I took this photo in spring in the evening. I decided to take photos of the Tulips coming up in different stages. But when i downloaded it. I could see my Shadow on the wall, if you look closely you can see a face in the shadow i can see my Eyes FREAKY! or what. Karen Stoke. This is a regular visitor to my Garden. Taking in the morning sun .I call him Bag puss as i forgot his name Fred hates him chases him most days. Karen Stoke. A shot of my Laburnum, Tree on my back lawn. The Bees love it. Karen Stoke. A selection of Tulips, such beautiful colors. Karen stoke. This is Rasta now he looks so sweet but do not be fooled he is quite cheeky!! he also belongs to the owners of Ross, and Cassie. Karen stoke.

	6:23 Thu 10 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number eleven. There are a few photographs left from Karen and Sue, so if you have any send them in. Lollipop Lilies. Karen Stoke. Badgers at Denbury, Vicky. Air Ambulance ,they are always coming over my house as I am sandwiched in between two hospitals. I ran like the clappers to get these shots. I would love to go in a helicopter but not this one thank you very much. They do a fantastic job. The miserable man who lands them from the ground. would not let me any closer , but the people in the thing would have, we had some of the village kids with us so I called him a miserable bugger ! to the delight of the pilot and the two ladies who were with him. Karen. Stoke. The Woodpecker was sent to me by Lynne. I asked her for a good Woodpecker photograph for the flash header of our website. Lynne sent in a few for me to choose from. This is one of them. The one I have chosen for the header will be put on soon. The last picture was taken from the third story balcony of Saint Stanislaus College Located next door to Our Lady of the Gulf church in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi on the morning of August 29th, 2005. This is believed to be the initial tidal wave from Hurricane Katrina. The tidal wave was approximately 35 to 40 feet high. When it slammed into the beach front communities of Bay Saint Louis and Waveland Mississippi to completely destroy 99% of every structure along the beach for 9 miles and over a mile inland. The destruction only started there. The flooding that continued inland destroyed the contents of all but 35 homes in these two communities of approximately 14,000 people. I thought that you maybe interested in the NFU's massive protest by Farmer outside the House of Commons that they said would happen this week, about the no Badger Cull decision. MP's out numbered the protested by over 4 to 1. And they had cheek to brag about their dismal protest on their website. Most Farmer wouldn't waste their time. Below it is a story from Elaine. The NFU's top officeholders, Peter Kendall, Meurig Raymond and Paul Temple, have led over 150 farmers in a protest outside the House of Commons today over yesterday's decision by the Secretary of State not to cull badgers in the fight against bovine TB. Members, their families and even two cattle from a farm in Uxbridge rallied outside Defra's office in Smith Square and then moved on to the Old Palace Yard outside Parliament where they were joined by around eight MPs. Members of the assembled press were then invited to interview the 28 farmers representing every thousand head of cattle culled during 2007 due to bovine TB. Journalists from The Times, Farmers' Weekly, Farmers' Guardian, PA, the BBC, Sky News and ITV Central News were there to cover the demo. NFU President Peter Kendall made three main pledges to members: - the NFU will withdraw from responsibility and cost sharing negotiations with the government - the NFU will be taking legal advice about how to challenge the decision - the NFU will be going to the European Commission to see if there is any way of challenging Defra The Story of a Scottish Farmer. Sent in by Elaine. Elaine doesnt know if it true. Is it? What ever it is a nice story. His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. 'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.' 'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. 'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked. 'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly. I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did. Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill .. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

	5:48 Wed 09 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number six sent in by Rose and Julia. Photos from Australia, can't remember what sort of Owl it was. Rose W'canton. Here are a few photos of some Tits in the garden - when I was filling the fatball holder the other day, I had one left over and put it into this little terracotta "house". The birds make very quick work of the fatball holder but are not so keen on the little house. However, when needs must, they'll try anything! There was also a blackbird trying to feed from this, flapping like mad to stay balanced, but I couldn't get the camera out quickly enough! Julia I spoke to Matt one of the Barn Owl Trust Conversation Officer's about what had happened in the Nesting Barn last night, he kindly wrote the paragraph below for it to be put on the Forum. "Another dramatic night when the middle owlet eventually managed to get out of the hole, and dropped right off the side of the tray.... Alerted by viewers, the Barn Owl Trust organised a visit to the barn, but the owlet couldn't be found. As soon as their intrepid volunteer left the building the oldest owlet was out of the box and back on the tray looking down at the floor, which indicated the middle one had come out of hiding. Lots of phone calls and the building was searched again. It still couldn't be found. Meanwhile lots of folks from all over the world were emailing the Trust to make sure they were aware of the situation and to find out what was going on...... Eventually an adult came into the barn carrying food. Instead of delivering the food to the nest box and the two excited owlets waiting, it swooped down to the floor but didn't feed the owlet - moments later the adult was glimpsed on the far side of the nest box, still holding the food. It then vanished into the darkness as the volunteer, with reinforcements (there were now two of them), came back to search again. Third time lucky and the owlet was picked up and popped back in the box, seemingly no worse for its adventure. Later on it was back out on the tray again with its older sibling, the youngest one looking longingly at the hole and wanting to get out there too. We didn't see any successful food deliveries after that but it was great to see all three safely nestled in the box this morning". Matt.

	7:11 Tue 08 Jul 08
There are five photographs on the Photo page starting from number, one sent in by Sue. Five photographs from the Deep, the last one is a diver bringing a female nurse shark back into the tank after routine blood tests. Sue. We are fitting a new kitchen into an additional Holiday Cottage that we are getting ready. On removing a partition we found a water pipe that has been leaking for probably for a few years. When I went to tighten it the leak got worse. Because of the work there will not be a Diary for a few days.

	6:25 Mon 07 Jul 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page from number eleven. We are starting to get low on photographs. Some more photos from Clumber Parks Steam and Country Fair. I couldn't resist the photo of the two young lads working on their engine. Whoever thought to dress him in a "white" polo shirt.?? Another problem for Ariel ! From Judy.

	7:18 Sun 06 Jul 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page from number six. Two more photographs of Hurricane Katrina from Elsie. Clematis from Karen. Puffin from. Jill. Another photograph from Australia. Rose. This afternoon the sun was shining and it looked as if the day was going to finish well, when from nowhere, without any warning by darkening in the sky came an almighty crack of lightening, immediately followed by the blackening of the sky, thunder and rain immediately over head of the Farm House. The rain was so heavy that we were unable to see more than a few feet in front of us.. The electricity went straight down that caused the webcams to go off. I went to put them back on until another strike of lightening followed. It only lasted a few minutes but a lot of rain fell in that short time. I was tempted to tell Mary that we had eaten the Sheep, but I thought better of it. They have been out for a while. We had been meaning to let them out of the pen for a few months, but had not managed to find the time to make a secure area for them. The only reason that we had them penned in was because they were free range and wandering onto other Farms as our fencing is not really suitable for Sheep. As they are very friendly Sheep we have fenced off an area around the Farm House and Cottages and have let them be free range there. They keep returning to the penned area. The wire that we use for the webcam that the Sheep are on, is also used for relaying the webcams to the Cottages, when we have Holiday Guests, so I am not sure if the Sheep use the pen of a night. We have to try to shut them in the pen when we are feed the Horses as the Sheep try to eat the Horses feed. They are so determined that that are very hard to keep away from the feed. The other day I had made up all of the Horses feed in their buckets when Dolly turned up. What ever, she was going to eat. In the end I had to resort to putting a paper feed bag over her head for a few moments so that I could get out of the barn with the feed before she had eaten it all. It worked, she didn't move until I removed the bag.

	6:59 Sat 05 Jul 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page from number one, all sent in by Lynne. SUNSET AT BROADHAVEN PEMBROKESHIRE. LYNNE. WEEDS GET EVERYWHERE !! LYNNE PLANE TRAIL. LYNNE. GORSE ON THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST. LYNNE. SOLVA HARBOUR (OUR FAVOURITE PLACE). LYNNE. Although there has been a lot of Fish caught on our Lake this year, there has not been many big fish caught until this last week. In fact I was getting quite worried that something had been taking a lot of the big Fish, especially after the Geese and Goslings disappearing as they did. Usually you would very often see the large Fish swimming close to the Kingfisher branch. I was starting to think that a Otter or a Mink had been getting its food from the Lake. Fortunately one of our Holiday Guests on a Fishing Holiday caught quite a few large Carp up to 18Ib. Since the Fish have been caught some are now swimming close to the branch. A few years back we had Otters who must have bred close by the Lake, as every morning for quite a few weeks I found the scales of Mirror Carp on the bank of the Lake. You can tell that it was an Otter by the sweet smell of their droppings that we found many of. If it had been a Mink we would probably had not seen any remains at all. It was not a nice sight as the scales were obviously from the biggest Fish that we had in the Lake and I had only stocked the Lake with the Fish a few years before. It makes me wonder what size the Carp would be now. There are a lot of Predator for the Fish. As well as Otter and Carp we get Heron. Heron are indiscriminate when they are trying to get there food. Any Fish that moves they try to catch, it doesnt matter if it is to big, so often Fish are caught with injury scars that the Heron has inflicted. Another predator is Cormorant, I have only seen two at Denbury and one was only was a few weeks back. Cormorant are able to swim large distances under water, so they are able to follow a Fish virtually at leisure striking when it is ready. Our Holiday Guests that week helped us to try to dissuade it from catching the Fish, but the law does not give you many options to protect the Fish as most predators of Fish are protected. That is the reason for the Otter to nearly become extinct in areas of the British Isles. The Fish from the Lakes and Rivers were a food source to people, so it was neccassry to try to protect the Fish with Otter hunting.

	7:28 Fri 04 Jul 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page from number eleven. Hope viewers won't mind looking at non U K animals! We took so many this time. Here is a Kookaburra, Wombats (my favourites!) and the Penguins which are all native to Australia . The penguin's are called Little penguins. David Attenbourgh did some filming with them once. Rose W'canton. A few of us have this problem. One Sunday morning over our village. Not good enough!!Lindsay. Another Monkey from Karen. It is good news about any Badger Cull not going ahead. The National Farmer Union are not best pleased and screaming. It was a fight that they could not afford to loose if were to show that they were still a force in farming. They are not. They will keep screaming that a cull should go ahead even though there are better ways to reduce the incidents of Bovine TB, that are being shown to be working. More importantly is that the very great majority of the British public don't want to see a Badger Cull. This is a democratic country, the NFU need to try to listen to what the majority want. The last badger cull was stopped because of the public outcry. The NFU are shouting that they will try to get the ruling overturned, and that there will be a massive turnout outside Parliament next week. They wont get the ruling overturned and I wait to see the size of the turnout in protest. It is not the Hunting Bill that many Farmer demonstrated against. Most protesting as a case of principle. They were right to show their feelings, if you agreed or not. TB is a problem, but there are to many conflicting arguments in the scientific evidence, that it would be discriminating to take the chance of decimating the British Wildlife as an experiment, for thats what it would be, only to find that it was wrong. I was quite pleased with the Goose last night. The battery didnt last quite as long as I thought it would, but it may not have been fully charged. One of this holiday guests on a fishing holiday, waded out in his new waders to put the Gordon in the water. We used a heavy metal bar to tie Gordon to, but as he floated about the metal bar some times got in between the wireless ariels that caused the interference that you could see on and off. Both the colour and infra-red were very good. I will put Gordon on the Lake sometime next week during the day so that we can try to watch the Swallows catching food from the Lake.

	6:14 Thu 03 Jul 08
There are five new photographs on the Photo page from number six. All from Judy. Photos taken at Clumber Park Steam & Country Fair on Saturday From Judy. Tonight as long as it is not raining, when it gets dark we are going to put the Goosecam on. The intention is to park it a little way off of the bank. We may let it roam on the end of a line, or tie it to a stake so that it is looking in one direction. We will make up our mind when we see how calm the water is. The infra red picture should be good as the camera in Gordon is probably the best night view camera that you could get. It is the same one that we used until a couple of weeks ago in the Valley. We have never tried any thing like it before so it could be a disaster. If it is not that good I will turn it off. If it is interesting I will leave it on and It could last for up to five hours before the batteries run out of power.