Re: Bad news for farmland birds
Discussion Forum
Bad news for farmland birds
jjj
01 Mar 2010, 6:34 PM
It is disappointing to see the restrictions in the new ELS over many in-field options being located on "land indentified as at risk of soil erosion and where rills are regularly seen in wet weather". Sadly this presumeably includes land at risk from wind erosion ie much of the fenlands, sand lands and the Norfolk Brecks. No EF6 (over-wintered stubble), No EF13 (un-cropped cultivated areas for ground nesting birds); No EF22 (extended winter stubbles), No HF20 (cultivated fallow plots for arable plants) etc
I hope that this does not mean less farms in ELS or HLS, nor less in-field options. I particularly hope that it does not mean less stone curlews, lapwings, skylarks, nor less winter food from over-wintered stubbles.
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
emberiza
11 Mar 2010, 8:51 AM
I share your concern but working throughout the Brecks and Fenland areas this is not neccesarily the case.
The standard advice is where land is at risk from soil erosion then measures should be adopted to counter this, however this does not mean that even though some areas maybe subject to moderate wind erosion these could not be placed within either tier of ESS as the options you mention.
Indeed we know this first hand as the work in the Breckland area of Eastern England carries potential soil erosion on a large area of the farmed landscape, mostly from wind erosion. However it is also important to include measures for species such as stone-curlew and a balanced approach is needed.
RSPB together with Natural England have had no issues of including fallow plots for ground nesting birds, over winter stubbles or cultivated margins within agreements RSPB have completed on behalf of farmers - indeed the 3 cultivated options (EF13, EF11, and HF20) are primary targets for the whole Breckland farmed landscape.
Primarily the worst areas for soil erosion will need land management mesures, but the vast majority will still be elligible for in-field farmland bird options such as those you mention.
Regards
Simon Tonkin,
RSPB Farmland Conservation Officer.
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
jjj
12 Mar 2010, 6:36 PM
Many thanks for the good news. Please can you indicate where we can get written confirmation of this. I do not want to fall foul of a RPA inspector, who might not like ELS options (EF13,EF11 etc) on land that I have identified in my FER as at risk from soil erosion.
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
JoulesH
14 Mar 2010, 4:49 PM
There is a huge field up the road from us that always has breeding lapwings and I went up there this morning to have a look and yes they are pee-witting there again - one of my favourite sounds of spring! A alot of the field is a plateau of almost pure clay which has slumped on the surface. It gets lapwings because although it is winter cropping it always has failed areas due to this poor soil structure. All this surface run-off then goes to a downhill slope and the headline tramlines up and down the slope had the worst rills I have ever seen in this area, a good 8" deep! There is always some erosion down the tramlines here; cultivating the tramlines if they have been used in the autumn would make so much difference to the water flow. I think sections of the field would be better left for the lapwings,, but whether the slope is cropped or not, there should be a requirement to rip the tramlines as once compacted (whether from previous year if in overwintered stubble, or from autumn spraying in a winter sown crop) they channel vast amounts of run-off with, for a heavy soil, quite spectacular results (and make a nonsense of some of the risk assessments for land subject to soil erosion!)
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
jjj
26 Mar 2010, 5:55 PM
Simon
I have just read the new ELS handbook again, especially the the bit about penalties on page 24. Where can I get written confirmation that I can locate these options (particularly EF13 - cultivated areas for ground nesting birds) on land that I have had to indentify on my FER as land at risk from soil erosion.......even if it is only a medium risk
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
emberiza
31 Mar 2010, 4:59 PM
Thanks JJJ - quote from a Natural England adviser
'I haven’t heard anyone suggest internally that there’d be a problem with EF13/HF13 in Breckland. Compared to the 1000s of hectares of spring crops which regularly facilitate springtime sand storms, AE options are insignificant.
A key thing is siting – don’t put plots next to rivers and other watercourses – but that’s always been part of the option advice anyway'
Hope that helps to clarify.
Regards
Simon
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
Jim Egan
13 Apr 2010, 3:49 PM
This is an interesting debate and one which needs some resolution. I agree with your sentiment Simon that the key thing with these options is siting and ensuring that these options do not cause any environmental damage. In the case of the stubble options refered to there is likely to be a low impact from wind blown erosion on sandy and peat soils if a good length of stubble is retained post harvest. However it remains the case that the handbook states that these options cannot be placed in fields which have been marked as being at risk from soil erosion on the FER. If this is disregarded the agreement holder would be found to be in breech of their agreement. FWAG have asked Natural England for clarification and clear guidance that will enable these targeted options to be used in these key areas for farmland birds.
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
emberiza
04 May 2010, 3:54 PM
Thanks Jim, spot on and I should have mentioned the point on compliance with the FER.
To add to this if the land is highlighted as soil erosion risk on your FER then it sholuldn't be in these options, as you point out.
This does cause a problem if you put your whole farm down as suffering from soil erosion risk in the FER! although, I have yet to come accross one that has.
However in the Brecks and Fens, RSPB advisers have utilised options that would reduce the risk of soil erosion and identified where it would be appropriate to site cultivated / stubble farmland bird options with little conflict.
If you are fortunate enough to be in a stone-curlew stronghold such as the Brecks then it maybe permissable within a HLS agreement to reduce the risk of soil erosion with specific options and still include some areas of cultivated areas if that risk has been reduced, but with a clear agreement from your NE adviser.
So in conlcusion if you have identified the area as at risk in the FER then do not include these options (although you could include other options for farmland birds on the same land) but include those cultivated/stubble options on areas that you have not identified as at risk.
Re: Bad news for farmland birds
Jim Egan
11 May 2010, 9:37 PM
I thought it would be worthwhile sharing the response FWAG have received from Natural England on the issues raised around this discussion topic.
I'm pleased to report that NE agree with our request that overwintered stubble options should be eligible for use on land at risk from erosion by wind. We have asked that the RPA are informed of this communication.
It is really pleasing that a sensible approach has been taken to this issue. We fully accept the view expressed in this discussion that not all fields in areas such as the Brecks and the Nottinghamshire Sand Lands are at risk of erosion but there is a significant risk on a large number of fields which could have posed a problem for the inclusion of stubbles within a rotation.
The position on the use of EF13 has also been clarified and as has been discussed in this forum this option should only be used on field with no risk of soil erosion. We don't see this causing a major issue and it's in line with the guidance from others on the forum.
I have attached the latest FWAG q & a sheet which outlines the recent issues we have raised with NE as a result of our advisory experience.
I hope this helps and gives some good news for both farmers and farmland birds