Whitmuir Wildlife

30/08/2024

The number of butterflies on the farm this year has been pretty poor. Yesterday I heard there were Comma - Polygonia c-album about in the area. I still only need one hand to count all the Comma seen on this farm over the years. Today I kept the camera close at hand as I was out dealing with escaping cattle. There were decent numbers of Peacock - Aglais io around on the Creeping Thisle flowers. I spotted a strange butterfly flying close to the ground along a field edge. Had to give chase for a while. When it landed it was a new Butterfly for me and the farm, a Wall - Lasiommata megera. Which is the second new species for the farm this year. The first new species for the year were several individuals of Speckled Wood - Pararge aegeria. Both have been heading this way for some time. With Large and Small Skipper that makes four new species in the last ten years.

22/07/2024

This Pine Marten Mother seems to still be breast feeding her Kit while she is getting a snack at the corner shop.

30/06/2024

Pine Marten Family out for a stroll in our woods.

16/06/2024

Some more Pine Marten Kit antics and climbing practice at the corner shop for your entertainment.

14/06/2024

The Pine Marten Kits providing lots of entertainment at the local corner shop at the moment.

11/02/2024

For the eleventh year we have taken part in the The Big Farmland Bird Count. The one constant is every year is different!

08/02/2024

We're so sorry but we've made the decision to cancel this due to the weather warning. Hope to see you at our next talk!

02/12/2023

Winter has arrived at Whitmuir. With temperatures down to -10C the snow has allowed us to feed the farmland birds. We have not been feeding due to the risks of spreading Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza via our feeders. But the snow provides a clean plate to put seeds out.

19/05/2023

Our farm is in the Ale Water Valley at the centre of the Scottish Borders. There are some great places to stay and great activities to take part in. The Ale Water Valley website has been refreshed and is worth a look. See details of some of the other businesses in the Valley. Riddell Estate Ashkirk Driving Range Ian Stark Equestrian Centre New Woll Estate Dimpleknowe Holiday Cottages Gail Pow Beauty Therapy Clerklands Fly Fishery Best Intent Marquees Bisley at Braidwood Kayak and SUP Hire and Sales Scottish Borders Ale Water Valley Come and visit us one day soon.

15/05/2023

Freshly updated website for the Ale Water Valley. Have a look.

We are so excited to introduce our new website! Check it out and discover all the great businesses with exciting activities to enjoy here in the Ale Water Valley!
We look forward to welcoming you on your visit to the Scottish Borders

Bisley at Braidwood Riddell Estate Ale Water Valley Ashkirk Driving Range Whitmuir Wildlife Ian Stark Equestrian Centre New Woll Estate Dimpleknowe Holiday Cottages Audrey Arnold-Powers
Gail Pow Beauty Therapy Clerklands Fly Fishery
Best Intent Marquees Kayak and SUP Hire and Sales Scottish Borders

26/03/2023

For the last 16 days we left a trail camera on one of our farmponds. Did not expect to see a Brown Hare on the pond. How many species of animal can you spot?

28/10/2022

Couple of our young Pine Marten mucking about. A bit like when you look in the chest freezer and your sibling slams the lid on you for a laugh.......

26/05/2022

We drilled a 16ha field after Barley harvest last year with a mix of four clovers. We expected the Crimson Clover - Trifolium incarnatum to be killed off in the Winter. Seems to be tougher than we thought.

02/02/2022

Jay - Garrulus glandarius posing for a trail camera put out to follow our Pine Martens. The Jay is not alone can you spot the animal hiding in plain sight?

30/01/2022

Not long since clearing the farm drive and tracks from storm Arwen damage we got hit by storm Malik yesterday. More trees down like this large White Fir across the drive. Managed to get it cut up, but needed the help of David Cranston with his digger to move the large sections. David is about to retire at 78, we will be lost without him.

22/01/2022

We provide lots of food for the little brown birds (LBBs) on our farm. We have several hectares of birdseed crop. Plus feeders and some seeds put on the ground. The last years this has become more known in the overwintering Brambling ( Fringilla montifringilla) community. The mixed finch flocks now have a high percentage of Bramblings in them. Here are just a few of them feeding.

18/12/2021

Week 49 of My Wildlife Year includes a hooting owl on the village green that stopped hooting as soon as I started recording, a butterfly roused from hibernat...

29/11/2021

Two of the local Buzzards (Monk and Brownie) having a conversation on Ottercam. Sound up!

27/11/2021

has been a bit breezy on the farm. We never tend to get storms like this from the North, which is probably why it has done a lot of damage, trees are used to a hoolie from the SW not this. Power lines are down. Luckily no injuries. Will take a while to clean up with around a 100 trees down or leaning.

21/11/2021

Look after Nature on the farm and you will be rewarded. Turns out it is true! After doing some remedial work on one of our ponds we spotted some Otter tracks in the mud. Camera put out to get a picture was more succesful than we could ever had hoped. Someone had also spotted what they thought was a Pine Marten on Friday. Otter cam proved they were right. Very exciting to have proof of a Pine Marten on the farm two nights running. Would be amazing if it was a resident. Will need to start putting out strawberry jam sandwiches.

14/11/2021

We have 9 farm ponds on Whitmuir. From time to time they benefit from some maintenance work. We had a tracked digger at work this week on three of them. It was very tempting to dig a few more, it will have to wait for another day. Farm ponds are important for biodiversity and holding/slowing water after heavy rain events.

27/07/2021

Great visit from BFT staff to the farm. Some lively discussions had as we walked around on a lovely day.

20/03/2021

Aspen news....

13/03/2021

Spring is in the air in and around our ponds. So are the odd snow and hail shower still. Lot of wildlife about at the moment. Including Otters who do not normally show themselves very often. Last Wednesday during a very wet and stormy night I bumped into a pair of Otters playing and eating Frogs for tea.

23/01/2021

If you are bored stuck indoors under lockdown, here is a wee puzzle to amuse you. How many species of bird/mammal can you spot visiting this patch of seeds under one of our Farm Hedges.