Moving the visiting ewes into a neighboring field was not as easy has I had hoped it would be, as one of the girls was a bit nervous. All I was doing was opening the ram barrier and letting them out into the orchard which the ram lambs had just vacated.
As soon as I had the right hand section moved The Welchman knew he was going to find wind fall apples and more grass. So lead his visiting ladies through the gate into the orchard..
Their heads went down and started munching green apples right away.
But the third visiting lady was just too nervous to move out of her comfort zone.
I shifted out of her sight line hoping she would trot through the gap to follow her friends.
I shifted again out of her sight line and sat with the Big Fellow waiting for her and trying not to get impatient.
As I was sitting there very still and quite waiting for the third ewe to come through the gate, I spotted something I had not seen in well over 12 years at least. A Red Squirrel!!! I was so excited there was no way I could contain myself so had to tweet my excitement.
“Red Squirrel!!!! Red Squirrel!!!!! Just spotted my first red squirrel in 12+ years!!!!!!! Happy happy!!!
I have been having my own little war on the invasive American grey squirrel trying to get the beautiful Red back. So I’m Thrilled beyond measure at seeing it’s red flash across a bit of orchard, sadly too great a distance for my meager iPhone to take a photo for evidence.
It just goes to show that ewe and her inability to pass through the gate following the other three and my waiting for her to move meant I was still, silent and sitting in the perfect place to spot the “hopeful” return of the red squirrel to our farm.
I gather up the three who are happily munching in the orchard get them back into the paddock with the nervous ewe, so she can join them, getting flock mentality to work.
It just goes to show if your sitting somewhere doing seemingly nothing, something extraordinary might just happen.