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HELPING YOU TO HELP WILDLIFE ON YOUR FARM |
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Wild bird crop for yellowhammers in Wales |
01.11.2005 |
Author: Hugh Besent
Farm: Esgairgoch, Wales |
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Aims:
Following an RSPB Volunteer & Farmer Alliance survey done on my farm a few years back, which recording yellowhammers breeding, I was approached by the RSPB’s advisory officer who explained that I was in an important area locally for yellowhammers and would I consider doing any management to benefit these birds. After discussions, we decided to grow a wild bird cover crop, which was a mix of cereals and other seed to provide a winter food source. |
Management:
Every spring now for the last 4 years I have planted a wild bird crop, particularly aimed at yellowhammers. It’s only a small patch, about half an acre in an unproductive corner of a larger field, but it attracts a lot of birds, including dozens of yellowhammers to feed, and every year we have seen more yellowhammers coming to feed here. I started growing a mix of seed including cereal, buckwheat and sunflowers, but in the last few years have taken to just growing spring cereals (oats and triticale) as its easier, but also seems to work better for the yellowhammers.
This is a livestock farm of both cattle and sheep, and the only arable I grow is some fodder crops of stubble turnips and forage rape for the stock. The farm is also in a Tir Gofal (agri-environment agreement) but when this was first set up, none of the arable options including wild bird cover were taken up, so the management I do for yellowhammers is a separate arrangement with the RSPB. It doesn’t really fit in with my normal farming practice, but my costs are covered and seeing the numbers of birds that use it make it worthwhile. RSPB have brought other farmers and advisors from other organisations here to see the yellowhammers using the crop so I feel that this is contributing to a bigger picture.
I receive advice from the Countryside Council for Wales and TG, particularly with relation to the lapwings that breed on the farm, but I work closely with RSPB advisors to maximise the benefit of these options for lapwing, and also to carry out the work for the yellowhammers.
Problems encountered and how were these overcome
The crop has been such a success. Though I had never grown this type of crop before, I had no problems establishing the crop and the seed yield has always been high, attracting large numbers of birds. The only problem is in that, such large numbers of birds come to the crop, that the food is usually eaten before Christmas. We have tried ways to extend the life of the food resource including spreading grain on the site one year, and light grazing to open up the remains of the crop after Christmas in another year, but the main problem is the small size of the plot. I would like to grow more but currently don’t have anywhere else to do this type of management.
Future changes
We are not planning to make any changes since its working so well, though we may continue to look at ways to extend the life of the crop including sowing a mixture of spring and winter cereals.
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Achievements:
It’s not just the numbers of yellowhammers; up to 50 plus, and the other birds on the crop that I have noticed benefiting. Over time, and particularly this year I have noticed a range of wild flowers appearing in the crop area including corn marigolds and ox eye daisies which I haven’t seen here before. I also noticed this spring, the number of bees in the crop, particularly bumble bees on some of the flowers. |
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©2013 Farm Wildlife |
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| Images ©RSPB, except Greater Horseshoe Bat ©Bat Conservation Trust |
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