Abbrook Farm covers an area of 3 acres which includes grassland and woodland and it is teaming with wildlife. There are plentiful frogs, toads and newts, mammals such as mice, bats, rabbits, deer and, possibly, badgers and a good range of butterflies, moths and insects. The woodland also has an interesting selection of trees, including some well-grown oaks, and a variety of ferns.
There are numerous types of birds and it would be great to make a list of the types of birds we all see whilst at the Farm. I am going to start the ball rolling:
Resident birds:
- Mute swan
- Canada geese
- Mallard
- Buzzard
- Wood pigeon
- Collard dove
- Woodpecker (Green)
- Woodpecker (Greater Spotted)
- Pheasant
- Wagtail (Pied)
- Wagtail (Grey)
- Wren
- Dunnock
- Robin
- Blackbird
- Mistle thrush
- Songthrush (2nd April)
- Chaffinch
- Goldfinch
- Greenfinch (27th March)
- Magpie
- Jay
- Crow
- Raven
- Heron
- Starling
- House sparrow
- Nuthatch
- Goldcrest
- Blue Tit
- Great Tit
- Long-tailed Tit
- Coal Tit
- Marsh Tit
- Tawny Owl (heard 4.5.2014)
And some of the birds that we haven’t seen that are common in inland Devon:
- Yellowhammer
- Linnet
- Bullfinch
- Siskin
- Sparrowhawk
- Tawny owl
Summer Migrants and arrival date, 2014:
- Chiff Chaff (13th March)
- Blackcap (24th March)
And the following should arrive in the area, we’ll tick them off if or as they do:
- Swallow (seen 9th April)
- Willow warbler
- Garden warbler
- Whitethroat
- House martin
- Sand martin
- Swift
- Nightjar?
- Cuckoo?
First thing in the morning you can see rabbits hopping around the barn and in the fields, squirrels in the trees and when we have arrived very early we have on occasion been lucky enough to see deer in the car park and in the woodland. We think they are Roe Deer but if you know differently please let us know.
