Hay making - a tough time for voles

The hay park grass was cut on Monday and baled today (Wednesday) a result of our hot, dry and sunny weather.

This year there are 15 bales out there compared with only 11 of much inferior stuff last year.

As soon as the mower enters the field  birds arrive, herring gulls, black backs, hoodie crows and buzzards, they are all after voles. I f you watch for long enough you'll see them all get what they are after.

Vole heads Must be a delicacy for hoodies. I watched one hunting the hay swathes in front of the kitchen window last night it stalked through the grass, head bent, listening. When it struck its head came up with an impaled vole.  It ate the head then carried on hunting.  Perhaps its the vole's brain is small but highly nutritious? Hoodie crows should know,  they are among the most intelligent and highly evolved birds.

The next job is to paint smiley faces on the bales to keep the gulls off them then fence them off to keep the sheep and goats off.