Lambing brings a bit of positivity to a bleak time at the farm on the M62

It’s quite simply devastating watching the horrors unfold in Ukraine and the horrendous fallout and implications for not only the people being attacked but, of course, the rest of the world.

A good friend of ours has visited Ukraine on many occasions and has always been left in awe of the huge agricultural possibilities.

Mile after mile of dark, rich, fertile soil, covering such a vast area, it’s easy to see why it has been dubbed the ‘bread basket of Europe’.

Despite being many miles away, the war has been brought into our homes through the media which has led to endless questions from John-William.

I’m sure countless children are feeling the same worry and confusion as he is.

Whilst the thought of a third world war seemed inconceivable in this day and age, it now teeters on the edge of a possibility and to a nine-year-old child, the fear and implications both frighten and bewilder him.

For us, but especially him, lambing couldn’t come soon enough.

With the first signs of some beautiful spring-like days, my thoughts turn to the arrival of our treasured moorland birds.

In the last couple of days lapwings, oystercatchers and curlews have started to return.

They always seem to bring so much hope and a sense of renewal when their calls can be heard whilst circling the skies above.

Their presence also marks the start of an incredibly stressful time for farmers and those that live, work and breathe our beautiful uplands.

The endless battle with man (and woman) and dog continues as the message continues to be ignored.

Results of surveys carried out by the RSPB have highlighted the devastating effect walkers and dogs are having on bird breeding numbers.

So I repeat for those still not grasping the law, March 1 through to July 31, dogs must be on a short lead at all times whilst on open access land and at all times whilst near livestock.

I cannot stress the importance of this message enough. We are destroying our unique wildlife through our own selfish thoughts of entitlement.

I cannot imagine walking across the moors and not feeling the hairs rise on the back of my neck when I hear the curlews, but that is where we are heading if we don’t start being more responsible.

Every footpath is covered in dog mess, hedges littered with little bags of dog mess, livestock worried and damage to fragile wildlife.

Whilst George Monbiot claims sheep are the white plague of this country, accusing farmers of “sheepwrecking” our uplands, I see dogs to be the plague.

Dogs and their selfish, arrogant owners who trample over curlew and lapwing nests, marsh violets and freshly planted sphagnum moss, whilst praising themselves for their own self-importance.