University of Oxford Zoology Department
It is probably fair to say that most farmers are experts when it comes to complaining about the weather: it is either too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry. At a push, we could even understand the challenges of the wrong sort of snow as famously blamed for stopping the trains. So, at the risk of crying wolf, 2007 has had the most extraordinary weather!
We started the year under water; we then had no rain for about six weeks, and now we are back to rain, rain and more rain. As a result, rather than producing an excellent crop of silage, providing the forage needs for next winter, we have had a stop-start weekend cutting the grass crop for silage, which is now being rained on – very trying.
One highlight, however, was that the sound of the mower encouraged a pair of Red Kite to visit in search of carrion. While the birds have gradually established to the east and south of Oxford from their original release sites on the Chilterns, this is the first time anyone can remember a pair being seen on the farm.