Middle Pool Stables

Brown hares frequent both our paddocks and the surrounding area; they are most readily seen in early summer when the fields are being cut for haylage.  We have occasionally found leverets nestling in uncut areas of long grass.

Foxes have been seen passing across the paddocks; and showing more than a passing interest in the poultry on nearby properties.  Roe deer are spotted every so often; on one occasion, grazing in the paddock with the horses.

The photos on this page were taken on or around Middle Pool Stables and show a selection (the easily photographed ones) of the wildlife.

During summer, swallows which in the stable buildings.  Over the years we have tried to keep a record of when they arrive and depart for the year; a few solitary males usually arrive first in mid- to late- April.   Other summer visitors include shelduck, house martin, lapwing and oystercatcher; curlew and wheatear visit on passage.

During winter, geese feed on the stubble of the adjacent arable fields.  Last winter (2012/13), a young short-eared owl was spotted hunting over the nearby fields in the mid- to late afternoons.

Throughout the year, buzzards and kestrels are seen flying overhead; and little owl are often seen perched on fence posts and hedges.  The buzzards are often mobbed by rooks and jackdaws.

Other birds spotted include: pied wagtail, grey wagtail, magpie, wood pigeon, reed warbler, yellowhammer, blue tit, heron, sparrowhawk, snipe, starling, great spotted woodpecker, jay and robin.  

In the early mornings and late afternoons, a pair of barn owls regularly seen flying slowly and silently on hunting trips over the fields and ditches; in late summer they are sometimes accompanied by young owls.

Further photographs of the wildlife on and around Middle Pool stables can be found in our photo galleries.