Portnellan Farm: organic beef and moorings

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Our wildlife
Portnellan is full of wonderful wildlife – in spring, when the trees are coming into leaf, the primroses and bluebells are beautiful and a bit later on the ponds are full of frog and toad spawn. After a shower of rain at night, hundreds of frogs and toads come out and sit croaking away. We often wonder what they are saying!
Portnellan has many hedges that are left to grow to protect the wildlife habitats and many butterflies, bees and other insects live there. The bright green ‘docken beetles’ are a faithful friend to us – because we don’t use weed killers, many weedy docks grow in the silage fields – the docken beetles consume the dock leaves until they are little more than a lace doily and if you get stung by a nettle after the beetles have been on the march, it’s difficult to find a dock leaf for soothing comfort!
We also have foxes, pheasants, roe deer, rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, badgers, stoats and weasels. In 2005, the RSPB carried out a bird survey and counted 47 different species, including more than 20 'common species' whose survival is giving rise for concern. The wildflowers at Portnellan are plentiful and many of our visitors enjoy going out with a flower book.


Hedgerows encourage wildlife


A hedgehog forages on pasture near the shore

Bluebells in May
   

The docken beetle starting to work on a dock leaf


Fungi abound


Greylag geese join us for the winter