Trog

Trog's Blog 6 - Happy Days!

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Trog
, 08-04-2010 at 05:16 PM (2774 Views)
The Press, ever eager to give us something else about which to worry, has been full of speculation that small birds like wrens, coal tits and goldcrests may have succumbed to the cold winter. I was quite worried about my resident 'stable wren' who had been noticeably quiet. Yesterday, however, as I went to let out the hens, there was an exuberant burst of song from an accomplished twitterer and there he was!

Although it was still too cold to take a look at my bees, a friend's garden was more sheltered and we did a brief inspection. It is always a delight to open a hive with someone who is slow-moving, quiet and gentle with the girls. The old boys who taught us were like that - never any hurry or banging about.

The bees responded in kind; even when the smoker went out it didn't matter as it wasn't needed; they were as gentle as their handler. Enormous loads of pollen were going in and the brood was expanding nicely. Let's hope for a good spring, then there'll be no stopping this lot; lovely bees with a considerate keeper. They deserve to do well.

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  1. gavin's Avatar
    You're a hen-keeper too? It is hard to find a beekeeper these days without poultry running about. I'm not complaining as I'm regularly loaded up with eggs from more than one newish beginner seeking beekeeping reassurance from a passing beekeeper.

    What the Mull stonechats - are they surviving? Those on east of Scotland heathlands traditionally suffer badly in winters like the one we've just had.

    You are very complimentary about that slow-moving considerate 'natural' beekeeper (in the sense of being naturally gifted in the craft of course!).
  2. Trog's Avatar
    Yes, eight home-bred hens plus Mac, the cockerel. They regularly wander across the hive entrances and never seem to get stung. We had ducks for years but the mink gradually finished them off.

    Haven't seen a Mull stonechat this year (not been out much to the places I see them) but saw one on the road to the Corran Ferry when I was heading for Perth in March.
  3. Jon's Avatar
    The penny has just dropped re. your user name since you put the picture up.

    Troglodytes troglodytes
  4. Trog's Avatar
    Oh yes!

    Many years ago, when we designed the logo for The Romsey Organic Group and I was the newsletter editor, I used the name Troglodyte for the editorials. I resurrected the short version for this site as I've not used it for a long time and I rather like it!