Here is a small selection of video clips showing some our wildlife, shot by Jason Ball. The biodiversity at Sheepdrove Organic Farm is something we cherish and encourage.
Everything from soaring raptors to soil microbes play a role in the web of life. So we haven't caught it all on camera yet!
A clear view of kites through the woodland canopy in springtime,
before trees come into leaf. You can hear nesting Rooks nearby.
We see these birds often, but they are not easy to film.
The Barn Owl is a legally protected species, and a licence
is required to photograph or disturb them at or near
their breeding site. More about barn owls...
See owlets up close! This kind of work can only
be done by a qualified, licensed bird ringer.
Large flocks like these, of Lapwing, Starling,
Lesser Black-backed Gull or finches, are an important
food source for spectacular raptors such as
Peregrine Falcon and Sparrowhawk.
A bat detector is being held next to the camera
so we can hear the ultrasound calls of Belinda,
a Noctule bat who cannot fly. She uses the echoes
of reflected sound to visualise what is around her.
You need quite a bit of patience looking for bats,
but if you find a good spot, they put on a great show!
Each spring hundreds of frogs use our ponds to breed.
Baby toad found in July amongst grass at the reedbed.
They love this 'butterfly bush' for its nectar,
but did you know that four of these species eat
Stinging Nettle when they are caterpillars?
A moth freshly emerged from the chrysalis.
A flightless female glow-worm lights up to attract flying males.
These are actually beetles - not worms!