In my office, I'm often mocked for my eternal optimism. Even when asked the question "What can we do about farmland bird declines?" my answer would be 'Lots!" I'm positive that the future could be much brighter for many of the specialist birds that depend on farmland for survival, but looking at the latest figures I talked about last week, even I sometimes find it hard not to feel a little bit of despair. The graphs speak volumes about the wider health of the countryside and it doesn't look great.
It's been well-documented that farmland birds numbers dropped most severely in the late 70’s and early 80’s, with an ongoing steady decline since. Although declines seemed to be levelling off at one time, the trends have taken another downward turn in recent years, and now span a whole generation of farmers - some of whom might feel that farmland bird declines are inevitable, or don't remember how their farm sounded before numbers started dropping. There are also farmers who are stepping up to turn the fortunes of farmland birds around, and they are the reason I continue to be an optimist!
Farmland bird declines are not an inevitable side-effect of running a successful farm business. The very opposite can be true, demonstrated by the dedicated and enthusiatic farmers we work with every year. However, they cannot change the fortunes of farmland birds single-handed. Well-designed agri-environment schemes that are accessible and realistically funded are required, as well as a CAP that offers wildlife-friendly farmers a fair deal are vitally important. We offer advice and support to farmers who want to get the best out of these schemes, and learning from other farmers' experiences, difficulties and ideas is incredibly important in enabling us to develop practical solutions. In England, monitoring is now starting to show population benefits where elements of the Farmland Bird Package are put in place, such as wild bird seed mixtures and unsprayed over-wintered stubbles. For HLS agreements where farmland birds are a priority objective, Natural England now insist on at least 7% of arable land managed as farmland bird measures, and evidence suggests that bird populations will increase with this scale of management. To halt population declines, the amount of habitat is probably less than this. Farm4Bio came up with an estimate of 4% of arable land under favourable management.
The trick is to maximise the quality of habitats to minimise the quantity required - Flower-rich margins will support a greater diversity of invertebrates than grass margins, and wild bird seed mixes support more of the declining bird species through the winter than any other habitat. Our team of knowledgeable advisors have a wealth of experience in helping farmers to strike this balance, with some fantastic results.
I've spoken to farmers who are reluctant to get involved in agri-environment for various reasons, including a belief that they are unlikely to work. but the truth is, will a little bit of careful planning, so much can be achieved within the Entry Level Schemes. My hope is that by continuing to work towards getting the right options in the right places, and helping more farmers to maximise the benefits of their agri-environment schemes, there will be sufficient proof to convince those more sceptical than me that all is not lost. I look forward to the day that my eternal optimism is rewarded with the deafening sound of farmland birdsong, and I truly believe that it's possible.