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A beautiful early-April morning at High Ash Farm and Chris Skinner and Matthew Gudgin are treated to classic “Mad March hares” — pairs and trios boxing and chasing across the overwinter seed mix, the females standing up on hind legs to fend off over-eager males. A short drive to the oat field reveals Neil’s min-till cultivator at work, its wide array of angled discs turning the soil with minimal disturbance while a swirling flock of rooks, jackdaws, carrion crows and gulls feasts on the freshly exposed soil invertebrates; overhead a red kite quarters the scene and a buzzard watches from a fence post. Then comes a real first for the farm: on a small-leaved lime tree beside Caister Lane, Laura Cuffin spots dozens of bright red-and-black firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) — a Mediterranean species only recently arrived in Norfolk. The insects are in a frenzy of mating, crawling up the sunny bark and hiding among the leaf litter by day, their striking geometric patterns (two black dots and a triangle on a red background) making them unmistakable. Chris explains this is the first time he has seen them on the farm, and Laura’s macro photos capture the drama perfectly. Listener letters bring extra delight: returning rookeries, clever robins at feeders, barn owl updates and warm wishes for Chris’s continued recovery. This episode bubbles with the energy of spring — boxing hares, busy fields and an exciting new insect arrival — ideal for savouring the small wonders that make every day on the farm special.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2432378/episodes/18961274-episode-2-66-firebug-frenzy-and-min-till-marvels.mp3?download=true
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