FIRST BIG GATHER.

There has been much discussion amongst our commoners over the last few days as to when to do the first big gather of sheep off the commons, what with the weather being too unpredictable and rain nearly every day, it's been a tough one to call. One farmer made a good start yesterday evening, literally one man and his dog called Bob, got several in.

Recognise this new gate?

Behind it, the gathered in sheep now had to be split up each according to it's owner. Easy enough when each farmer recognises their own ear clip pattern, unique to each farm and much more instantly recognisable than trying to read the small numbers on U.K ear tags.

As you can see, yesterday evening was a rare sight, quite sunny, calm and bright, the same  could not be said of today, which was overcast, grey and threatening more rain ... again!

All across the moorland, Landrovers like metal sheepdogs had fanned out, having to navigate tracks that were deep in mud and off road over saturated ground. Elsewhere men with real dogs, working hard, slowly encircled a fair number of sheep, some however, like these 3 >>>

seemed unperturbed by any efforts to move them on, but eventually persuaded, they joined the rest. Sadly due to weather conditions photo's were hard to get, but the effect of all these pale coloured grazers gradually being pushed together was something to be seen. They looked like a slow moving stream of white water flowing across the green of the moorland, all gradually heading downhill toward the sorting pens. We got in the car and headed off across the mountain to watch them emerge at the other end, camera at the ready to capture that nearly penned moment. That's where some try really hard not to co-operate.

The first few started to trickle through, men, machines and eager canines all forming a blockade to prevent escape, with every effort being made to ensure that not one single ewe or lamb escaped (no rams are released on the mountain). Basically it is gently persuasive entrapment. Then a trickle became a steady flow heading towards the penning and sorting area. There, the  volume of bleating and calling starts rising to create a cacophony of  sound.

Eventually after several hours slow work, the farmers take a brief moment of rest.

Then the sorting out of whose sheep  belong to which farm begins with men and dogs working hard to separate the milling and often unwilling mixture, but at last one bunch head home down the mountain road, which is blocked off whilst all this movement goes on

The last two farms wait patiently in what is now warm sunshine.

In one corner, a patient collie named Kay, quietly awaits her moment for working again.

Then it comes, along with the other dogs and farmers to put the ewes and lambs through.

The farmer watches the ear marks and moves the gate accordingly, his go through the gate, the others go straight on and eventually all the farmers have their own sheep back.

Including one of my favourites, the badger face!