Unlike almost any other farm in the country we count wintering birds systematically at Hope Farm - it's not surprising really is it?
This means that we can, and do, produce a winter bird index (months of December, January and February) each year to compare the wintering bird population of Hope Farm now with that when we took over the management of the farm over a decade ago. There is no national annual survey of wintering farmland bird numbers with which we can compare our figures in contrast to the breeding season figures which can be compared with those coming from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey.
The final winter count for this winter was conducted recently and shows that the index is now more than 11 times its original value. Amazing.
That increase is driven by big increases in grey partridge, yellowhammer, linnet, rook and jackdaw.
In the early years of the survey linnets were absent and yellowhammers numbered on average one each winter month. This last winter count incuded 163 yellowhammers and 63 linnets - impressive increases by any account.
These numbers show that there is more food around than there was when we took over the farm in 2000 - you don't get big flocks of buntings and finches without lots of seeds.
But winter counts aren't the most important counts - the real measure of success is in breeding numbers. But the breeding season is not that far away and so having such a healthy number now bodes well for the future - but we'll see,
redkite where your comment falls down is describing most farms as deserts for most birds,think the propaganda put out by RSPB has influenced you as thing nowhere near as bad as it is described and you should not comment on something as a working and profitable farm unless you have studied the accounts and invite you to ask a accountant about profitability of RSPB share of Hope Farm,In my opinion no working farmer would be able to continue if run on those lines.
In conclusion I have no problem praising Hope Farm for wildlife but please lets class it as just another reserve run differently but profitable,maybe just about for a while if grain prices stay high but definitely not enough profit there to keep a farm and family happy.Take up my invitation and come to same conclusion.
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................. and 'my' Lapwings returned today !!!
Think the first three very impressive but my guess would be that the corvids have increased everywhere so seeing as they are thriving everywhere no brownie points for them.
Great "stuff". in a way, these brilliant results from a fully working and profitable farm are rather frustrating, as wouldn't it be so great for wildlife and the environment generally, if the average farm in this country could do just half as well as this, instead of typically, being almost a "desert" for most birds.
Also, I hope "Song Bird Survival" see this as it might make them stop and think a bit more, perhaps, but perhaps not?