Try GOLD - Free
Some signs of life!
The Country Smallholder
|Spring 2025
Helen Moffat of the RSPB looks for changes from winter to spring
-
It’s coming towards the end of another dark month but it’s not long now until the clocks go forward - literally promising some light at the end of the tunnel! We can then really start to look forward to spring - here’s some signs from our birds that a change of season is on the way!
WOODPECKERS DRUMMING
If you are walking in or near woodland, or have some mature trees on your plot, you may have started hearing Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming quite early in the year, but it becomes a more common sound in late February and March. It comes in rapid bursts and can be heard over a wide distance, which is absolutely their intention! The birds prefer rotten, hollow branches as it helps magnify the sound.
This story is from the Spring 2025 edition of The Country Smallholder.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Country Smallholder
The Country Smallholder
The autumn egg drop
As the summer days fade, many chicken keepers notice their hens' egg baskets looking a little emptier. Experienced breeder Kate from Kent shares her wisdom on what to expect during the autumn egg drop, and how to spot when it might be more than just a seasonal lull.
5 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Proud to be a homesteader
You write-sharing your experiences and opinions
1 min
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Dispelling the myths about what makes a farm vet
VetPartners is dispelling the myths about what it takes to be a farm vet.
2 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Move to the Isle of Coll with a stunning coast line and wildlife in abundance
Our regular column seeking out the best places for smallholder living
1 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Smart Feeding Strategies for Ducks and Geese
In this feature, Sarah Day, nutritionist for Small Holder Feed, shares expert guidance to help you make informed feeding choices, from tiny hatchlings through to laying adults.
5 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Introducing a machinery company with a heritage
Fleming Agri Products have been established for 165 years
2 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
The Pekin bantam, a favourite True bantam with no large counterpart
Victoria Roberts BVSC MRCVS explores the history, appearance and temperament of this delightful breed
3 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Hedge-cutting: neglect and renewal
Farming and smallholding practices have altered over the past century or so. Some have been subtle, others less so – and many brought about by technology and legislation. In another of his monthly series, Jeremy Hobson continues to outline just a few of them.
2 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Getting Ready for Winter
Claire Waring discusses how we can help our bees prepare and give them the best chance of survival
6 mins
October 2025
The Country Smallholder
Halloween folklore and fowl
This Halloween, step into the shadows of rural folklore with Cara Wheeldon to discover spooky poultry tales, ghostly roosters, banshee-like wails, and sinister headless hens. All from Britain's haunted farmyard past.
3 mins
October 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size