April – Lambs, primroses and Easter chicks

April - Lambs, primroses and Easter chicks

April – Lambs, primroses and Easter chicks

Spring flowers at Huxtable Farm

Spring flowers at Huxtable Farm

The spring garden is looking so colourful with bright sunshine yellow daffodils and primroses (Devon’s County Flower), blue grape hyacinths and beautiful pink camellias.

This is my favourite time of year; the birds are singing, the ewes have started #lambing (the Jacob lambs are so adorable) and we have a few broody hens sitting on eggs and some eggs in the incubator due to hatch on #Easter day

With Easter (16th April) approaching here are a few event’s occurring near to Huxtable Farm Bed and Breakfast (click on this link), in North Devon.

Not only is there so much to see and do on and around the farm, there are so many #Easter #Egg hunts to look forward to at all the attractions in the area; Quince Honey Farm, The Big Sheep, The Milky Way, NT Arlington Court, RHS Rosemoor, Hartland Abbey and find the Easter chicks at Clovelly!

hawthorn-blossom

Hawthorn blossom

Other events this March in the area include;

RHS Rosemoor Easter Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt (1st -17th April) & Easter crafts

Easter fun at National Trust Arlington Court & Cadburys Easter Eggs Hunt (14-17Th April)

April at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Exmoor near Barnstaple and South Molton March at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon, Exmoor near Barnstaple and South Molton

Running across countryside field

Running across countryside field

leveret

The March Hare

Leveret baby hare at Huxtable farm B&B, Barnstaple

Leveret baby hare at Huxtable farm B&B, Barnstaple

I can’t believe it’s been six years since I hand reared this beautiful hare. I hope it’s him I see on the farm occasionally because we reared him and released him back into the wild once he was acclimatised to feeding himself.

He was found, as a leveret, under some branches Antony was about burn. Having researched how to rear a hare on the internet I read that they can be fed ewes milk. Our ewes were lambing at the time so an extra bit of ewes milk was warmed up when feeding the orphan tame lambs, he took to the bottle well!

Leveret drinking at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon

Leveret drinking at Huxtable Farm B&B, Devon

Known as the fastest mammal in the UK, the Brown Hare is capable of reaching speeds up to 45mph (72kph), making them able to outrun a predator.

A hare can be distinguished from their close relative the rabbit, by their distinctive long ears with black tips, powerful long hind legs and orange iris in contrast to rabbits eyes which are almost black.

The boxing behaviour that can be seen during March is usually female hares fending off amorous males.

The brown hare used to be a common sight in the British countryside but the population has declined since 1960 , due sadly to various reason such as  changes in agricultural practices & traffic deaths.

Hare in field at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Barnstaple Devon,

Hare in field at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Barnstaple Devon,

 

Hare at Huxtable Farm B&B Devon

Hare at Huxtable Farm B&B Devon

Anni Hart's Collage bird print by Annie Hart

New Art work for sale at Huxtable Farm B&B

We’re so please to be able to tell you that we now have on sale at Huxtable Farm B&B some beautiful lino prints of some of North Devon’s beauty spots and bird collage prints by local artist Annie Hart.

Ilfracombe Lino print by Annie Hart

Ilfracombe Lino print by Annie Hart

Annie Hart is a local artist who moved to North Devon in 1982 to start work as an Art teacher at nearby South Molton Community college. She gained a degree in Graphic design in 1979 from Bristol Polytechnic.

Annie works in various media including watercolour, lino-print, acrylic and collage.

Annie has exhibited locally and recently produced illustrations for country parks e.g., Colne Valley Regional Park in London. She undertakes commissions in any of the media above and common themes are flowers/landscapes/birds/local views etc. and is happy to work from photographs.

Collage pheasant print by Annie Hart

Collage pheasant print by Annie Hart

She can be contacted on 07644567814

or email: aineehart51@gmail.com

Collage bird prints by Annie Hart

Collage bird prints by Annie Hart

 

 

 

 

Other lino prints include ‘Clovelly’ and ‘Tarr Steps’

These make great souvenirs of your stay at Huxtable Farm B&B, West Buckland, Barnstaple, Devon, in addition to the beautiful Huxtable Farm Jacob wool cushions, throws, wool and hand knitted hats etc.

 

To help you enjoy what’s going on in North Devon during March we have some SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES at Huxtable Farm B&B until 30th March 2017.

Additionally, please have a look at the fantastic variety of events due to take place in North Devon during 2017 by looking at Huxtable Farm B&B’s local Events/Farm Calendar

 

 

 

Easter chicks

Spring is in the air – Catkins, frogs spawn

Frog spawn in Huxtable Farm B&B's pond

Frog spawn in Huxtable Farm B&B’s pond

The wildlife at Huxtable Farm is starting to feel like spring is in the air;

The frogs have been busy laying their spawn in the pond and having seen a beautiful photograph of the delicate little flowers of the Hazel tree at the 2016 Wildlife Photographer of the year I have been keen to photograph the lovely delicate spider like flowers myself here on Huxtable Farm B&B’s Devon Wildlife Trail.

Hazel tee flowers and catkins

Hazel tee flowers and catkins

 

 

Broody hens are sitting on their eggs too!

To help you enjoy what’s going on in North Devon during March we have some SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES at Huxtable Farm B&B until 30th March 2017.

Otherwise, please have a look at the fantastic variety of events due to take place in North Devon during 2017 by looking at Huxtable Farm B&B’s local Events/Farm Calendar