Contrasts

Damp, misty and drizzle in the morning followed by afternoon breezy and bright. All day, whatever the conditions, the trees were alive with visiting thrushes, redwings, fieldfares or both. The constant movement suggests a high level of excitement and stimulation and one wonders how they manage to sustain it after such a long journey.

The grazier has applied himself eventually into the task of moving his cattle into the pasture land. This follows some words of 'encouragement' from frustrated attenders at SWT's advisory group meeting on Monday. Many of those people who have strong reservations about cattle have been avoiding the site and missing out on some beautiful autumn days on Blacka. The quite amazingly feeble excuse from SWT for not getting this done earlier needed to be heard to be believed. Apparently the grazier had been up every day but the cattle were never in the right place. A likely story indeed. As it happens at least one of the cows remains outside the pastures looking distinctly surly.When this question of cattle grazing was being argued about some years ago the opponents complained that it was turning the place into agricultural land. This was met with loud dismissive cries from the conservation mafia and their supporters. Since then we have had four strand barbed wire, wooden fences, trashed paths, large metal stock hurdles left in prominent places and Single Farm Payment being generously dispensed. What next? These people talk as if they have no concept of wild land being free from industrial exploitation. Farming has its own agenda and its obvious that SWT is unwilling or unable to manage the grazier.