SPRING is certainly in the air at Gwent Wildlife Trust’s Wyeswood Common, as these new Hebridean lambs are illustrating.

The trust bought the land near Penallt with the help of Argus readers in February 2008, raising £525,000 in just six months.

With the aim of transforming the 104 acres of former dairy pasture into species-rich grassland, officers have been working hard towards that goal.

A total of 7,500 new trees have been planted in the last few months and a flock of 62 Hebridean sheep have been getting to know the surroundings.

There is one ram called Flash and 47 ewes, many of whom have been giving birth over the last few weeks. Around 40 new lambs have been bounding around the fields.

Wyeswood Common officer Annette Murray said: “We have been assisting some of the sheep, so it has been a really busy last few weeks. But, all the lambs are settling in, mainly around the orchard.”

The trust is hoping to establish a breeding flock, after getting the sheep from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust last year.