Thursday 6 November 2014

GOOD FENCES - ON THE FARM

This and tomorrow’s post is about Jimmy, my bird watching friend and myself travelling last Monday by train from Bangor to a tiny village in Country Antrim called Glynn. The train left us at the platform which looks out over the Lough and we sat for a while looking at various ducks, Merganser and Gulls however the tide was in and we decided to walk up to the village and along the river and were very surprised how quiet it was without bird song.   


This is the railway bridge looking back from the river.  



Jimmy.


This the stone bridge over the very narrow road in the village.


Horse Chestnut leaves turning colour.


It was not long before a Land Rover and trailer passed us with cattle in it and I went to take a video of the cattle coming out and into the field. 

You can access this video at     CLICK HERE



Afterwards taking the video the farmer, John Blair came to talk to us and invited us up to his farm where he said he had a lake with wildlife on it.   I should have taken a video of Jimmy getting into this Land Rover because it was hilarious and I thought we might have needed a tin opener to get him out again!!!!  The other farmer also called John took my telescope in the front, John Blair’s daughter,  was in the middle and the dog, Jip was sitting on our feet along with all our other gear.   It was great fun.  This is Jip below back in the farmyard.


 Unfortunately it started to rain and we arrived at the farm which was 350’ above sea level and on a good day would have magnificent views over the Antrim coast and beaches. 


 John is the ninth generation to farm this 350 acres of land and this photo above is the part of the previous house however this house below was built in 1924 with the extension being added later.




 John gave us a small tour of the farm and we met his cat called Milo. 


As well as having beef cattle he also has 200 head of milking cows and we were shown the spot clean miking parlour.  The cattle at present at still out in the daytime however when they come in for 2nd miking then afterwards they go into these stalls for the night.  


The floor is made of this very thick special foam below so it is very comfortable for the cattle.




Then we went to see some of the calves.  Apart from these calves there were other out houses with calves at different ages.



 This cow has just given birth a few hours ago to her calf because we could see some of the afterbirth still attached to her.  While we were there the calf finally struggled to this feet.  



In the next 2 shots were 1 week old calves, one a Friesian below and the one above a beefy Belgium Blue.



This is the newly born Friesian calf.








This is John’s daughter Emma who was on half term holidays.


In the farmyard, we saw John’s lovely White Doves.  
In the first shot there is also a Rook.







Once again we packed into the Land Rover however as John the other farmer had left there was room for Jimmy in the front.  I kept Jip company as John took us quite a distance to see his lake.  Unfortunately it was raining quite heavily and we decided not to get out but hopefully will come back on a better day in the springtime to see what wildlife we can find there.

Finally John took us down to sea level again to another lake where we thanked him for his kindness and went to see what was on it however that will have to wait until tomorrow.


I have a very short video of the cow and day old calf.  If you cannot see it below CLICK HERE 




I hope you enjoyed the unexpected trip to John’s farm with us.

I am linking this post with GOOD FENCES.  

Thank you for visiting and also to those who leave comments.

53 comments:

  1. What a wonderful day - even with the rain (which I would welcome here).

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    1. Yes we both enjoyed it very much despite the rain. Thanks for your comment and have a great evening.

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  2. this is wonderful-I understood not a word the lovely farmer spoke in the first video :-O, the cows look so well cared for, i've really enjoyed this visit...

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    1. Well Lyn I had to laugh when said you didn't understand the farmer as he has a county Antrim accent and not easy for other cultures to always understand. Anyhow I am glad you enjoyed the post as much as Jimmy and I loved being there.

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  3. You had a brilliant day out Maragret. What a lovely, welcoming and friendly farmer you found and such a shame the rain rather spoiled to day.

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    1. HI Phil No the rain did not spoil the day for us at all. You cannot live in Ireland and let the rain spoil your day or you would never go out!!

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  4. Margaret, what do you do your films with, is it a camcorder ? and how do you edit your film. I ask, as i have just bought a camcorder and am at a loss to know how to edit any clips i do.

    peter

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    1. Hi Peter Will contact you by email later as i am just rushing out to brave this terrible weather and go to dancing which if inside fortunately.

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  5. How very kind of the farmer to give you both a tour. I had a chuckle when you said you might need a tin opener to get Jimmy out of the Land Rover. Those are lovely cows, sweet little calf. I enjoyed all the photos and videos. Thank you Margaret.

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  6. I love to visit farms. The cows are so cute.. Pretty scenery too. Great fence shots, Margaret.

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  7. I absolutely love calves. Some really great shots here Margaret and nice to go on tour with you as ever!

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  8. I just love it when you meet someone so accommodating as the good farmer. And what a lovely visit - I enjoyed your photo tour, the video and I understood every word. :) The doves are just gorgeous. Have a great day, Margaret!

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  9. I'm back to say I must be part troll as I think I could live under that wonderful stone bridge. It's a beautiful work of art. Thank you for sharing your photos!

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  10. I very very very much LOVED the trip to the farm... I have a passion for cows and you just made my day with the two videos.. sweet dog and cat and i like that stone bridge to. thank you for taking me on a tour that I would take in person if i could.

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  11. Margaret these are wonderful photos. I use to help my cousins round up the cows, by horseback, on their dairy farm in north Texas. Brought back a lot of memories. I have been toying with the idea of taking up bird watching...

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    1. HI Janey Thanks for your comment. I urge you to start looking at birds. Get a good bird guide, binoculars and try and find someone who knows more about birds than you do r perhaps there is a bird club in your area. Also, follow people who have good bird blogs particularly in your own country and learn from them. I often doing teaching on my posts however it is either from the UK, Australia or Africa. I started late in life and I wish I had started earlier. If I can be of any help, email me.

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  12. Oh what a fun post, and so many amazing photos too!

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  13. Great pictures! Milo looks so cute and the week old calves too. The cattle video is great!

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  14. what a very kind man you met! so nice of him to invite you to see his farm and even to drive you out to the pond and back. i hope he and his family continue to prosper for generations to come.

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  15. Great post, Margaret! I love all of your photos!

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  16. You have some beautiful photos! I adore the stone bridge, and Milo is adorable. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Thanks for sharing your day! I just love the white doves and the little calves.

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  18. What a beautiful farm! You had a lovely excursion! I love the photos of the sweet little calves.

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  19. A remarkable series from "life" on the farm. Wonderful pictures on every aspect. Those spot clean mild station is amazingly clean.

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  20. What a special photo story. You had me from the beginning taking the train! I can see why you took several of the little black and white calf. He had to have been irresistible. Love the photo of Emma with the calf....funny how little ones gravitate to little ones.

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  21. Hello Margaret!
    Always publish very interesting posts ...
    Several times I watch your great photos.
    Thank you for a very interesting trip.

    Greetings from Polish.
    Lucia

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  22. The milking parlor is SPOTLESS!! They must have help. I love the white doves. All white, never saw one before. I discovered an interesting fact about doves last night. They bob their heads when they walk because they can't see well when they are moving. The bobbing makes them walk jerky and take little stops, when they can see better. Believe it or not, this was scientifically tested but putting doves on a treadmill, a hilarious picture in my head now!

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  23. That stone bridge is magnificent.

    Milo and Jip are very cute!
    ~

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  24. I love the photos from the farm ,Nette

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  25. I grew up on a farm, but it was nothing like this one. The barn here is beautiful and well-equipped. I'm very impressed.

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  26. Nature and life together. Margaret Good farm. I like the stone bridge.
    A kiss from Bejar. Salamanca.

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  27. How nice that you took so many photos of this farm. I do hope you go back for more!

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  28. A lovely post Margaret with some great images. What a wonderful day out and the calf is just lovely :)

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  29. Oh yes, down at the farm, I love it.

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  30. You take such crisp clear photos. And don't you love a trip that takes some twists and turns and adds to the fun? Enjoy your afternoon! Hugs, Diane

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  31. You have some wonderful adventures. How nice of the farmer to invite you to his farm and show you around. I enjoyed your post very much.

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  32. What a great farm. I love seeing the calves. SO precious.... I was impressed that the floor for the cattle is made out of material which makes it comfy for the cows... AWESOME.... It's neat to have a 'birder' friend (Jimmy) to travel with you... AND--thanks to John for showing off his farm to you all... Great post, Margaret.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  33. How wonderful to be invited to the cattle farm! Wonderful sights to see, even though the weather was not favorable. Love all the stills and videos. I really like the white doves on the roof.

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  34. What an amazing post and I love this wonderfully kept, clean farm and a farmer who cares about the comfort of his cows. I enjoyed the apparent comaraderie of the cows in the first video. They seemed to know each other and take an interest in what was happening. The newborn was awesome and I enjoyed listenting to the farmer talking about the different cows. I just love this, Margaret.

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  35. You had a good day out and to be invited to view where they milk the cows and all. Loved this tremendously. I am going to come back later to view the videos. Gorgeous shots!

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  36. This is a fun post, and what a nice farm visit. I wish I could crawl inside the picture of the stone bridge. Beautiful. So many wonderful photos in this post!

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  37. Other than the weather, what a fascinating day you had! I enjoyed the videos of the cows. :)

    Thanks for stopping by to comment on my gate and fence.

    Lindy

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  38. Oh loved the videos. The first one I enjoyed very much. Saw that one cow running towards the trailer. I do love cows! :-))

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  39. I loved seeing and watching the cows. They were very sweet. Too bad it rained during your visit. Thank you for taking us to the farm with you.

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  40. I am very impressed by the cleanliness of the farm! The stalls and milking room look spotless. I live out in the country, so I know places where animals are kept are not "naturally" like that at all. Looks like the farmers put a lot of hard work and muscle into keeping everything in tip-top condition!

    The white doves are beautiful!

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  41. Thank you allowing us to enjoy all these interesting places and people.

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  42. Marvelous shots! The calves are so cute!

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  43. What a beautiful day out in a farm! I enjoyed every shot you shared. Wish I could experience something like this when I retire. I love farms, the countryside, animals, farm bread, friendly neighbors, ah... what a beautiful life!

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  44. Love that last shot. That calf looks awfully big--poor Mama!

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  45. Such a delightful post!!! I reminds me a lot of my childhood when I would accompany my dad, who was a veterinarian, to the farms. I always loved the cows - and the pigs!

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  46. What an especially interesting visit, thanks to the kindness of strangers!

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