Stone-curlews are an amazing and instantly recognizable bird, with their large yellow eyes and long yellow legs. They fly hundreds of miles each year to areas which have stony, light sandy soils to breed in England, these include the Brecks and Suffolk Coast and a handful of other areas. Here, Andrew tells us how he's worked with a farm where stone-curlews have nested in the past, and how he's uncovered some of the history…

Since RSPB bought and started managing Hope Farm in 2000 we have hosted a wide range of visitors, from groups of farmers, industry representatives, government officials, MPs and Ministers. All have come to see how we have successfully halted and reversed the declines of farmland birds and farmland wildlife in general, all while producing great crops as well.

Amongst all the visitors, a small number have been from abroad…

Today, we have a guest blog from Simon Tonkin, Conservation Manager at Conservation Grade. Simon explains a bit more about their Fair to Nature farmers, and asks for your support in celebrating some of the best farmers in a new competition.

"By growing under the Fair to Nature protocol, all our farms are committing at least 10% of their otherwise cropped area as habitats specifically managed for wildlife. You can help…

Two weeks ago RSPB attended the Royal Highland Show (RHS). Here, Chris Bailey, Advisory Manager for RSPB Scotland, reflects on the highlights from the show.

The Royal Highland Show (RHS) is one of the focal events of the year for RSPB Scotland. With just under 180,000 visitors attending this year, helped by excellent weather, the show gave us an opportunity to talk about RSPB’s work with farmers and crofters as well…

Earlier this week I joined a barn full of agricultural folk a few miles outside of Milton Keynes at the National Organic Cereals (NOC) event. Run by Organic Farmers & Growers, this annual get together has proven to be a good place to be for several reasons.

But first, why organic?
In my experience, both organic and conventional farms can be excellent homes for nature. They’re just very different to each other.…

RSPB Northern Ireland has welcomed Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill’s long-awaited announcement of funds for the Rural Development Programme (RDP). The 2014-2020 RDP could now be worth £623m, with funding supporting a range of priorities which together will lead to the enhancement of our important rural areas. The RSPB is pleased to see that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has committed…

A major review of systemic pesticides – the best known of which are neonicotinoids - led by a range of leading scientists has confirmed these chemicals are already causing significant damage to a wide range of beneficial invertebrate species. Additionally the authors have recognised the potential threat to other species, such as birds.

Image: Bee on flower at RSPB Hope Farm by Grahame Madge (rspb-images.com)

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It's been a busy few weeks on the farming advice front, what with Open Farm Sunday, show season getting in to full swing and the recent announcements on greening from Defra. If you haven't had chance to read Martin Harper's blog on our response to the announcement, you can do that here...

It was good to catch up with some friendly farming faces at Cereals on 11/12 June, and to meet lots of new ones. The weather…

Yesterday, I posted about Open Farm Sunday which takes place across the UK this weekend. This year, we're also holding an event on our very own Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire. Farm Manager, Ian Dillon, tells us more....

"One of the best parts of my job as Hope Farm Manager is showing people around the farm, and seeing their reaction when I tell them of the amazing increases in bird numbers we have achieved here while…

Open Farm Sunday 2014 will soon be upon us and once again, Park Farm at Thorney in Cambridgeshire will be opening its farm gates to the public. Farmer and RSPB member Michael Sly tells us why Open Farm Sunday is a great way to get people thinking about food, farming and the environment.

This time of year is always a busy period for us - not only are we out visiting farmers, carrying out early morning surveys and (hopefully) enjoying the weather, but it's also show season! This gives us a great opportunity to talk to lots of farmers as well as other advisors and agricultural organisations and businesses. Shows are a brilliant place to learn as well as offer advice, and we're looking forward to meeting…

 

Hello! My name’s Sam and I’m the new Turtle Dove Conservation Advisor, part of the Operation Turtle Dove  partnership project. I’ll be working with farmers and landowners across Essex and Suffolk to create and maintain suitable habitat  in an area which is a stronghold for the remaining breeding turtle doves in this country. Establishing a network of good nesting and foraging sites will be vital in ensuring…

The RSPB has thanked farmers in the Glenwherry area for their dedication and co-operation to protect threatened bird species on their land.

The Antrim Hills are a hotspot for breeding waders such as lapwing, snipe and curlew. This species group has declined by a massive 83 per cent in Northern Ireland since 1987 but around Glenwherry these birds have been on the increase since 2011, with an impressive 164 pairs recorded…

The Hope Farm Winter Bird Index, calculated from whole-farm counts made during December, January and February, for 2013/14 is 6.84 . This is a slight decline from 2012/13 (7.35). However, it is the 3 rd highest winter index figure for Hope Farm since...

As the breeding season gets into full swing, farmers and birdwatchers are being urged to keep a lookout for Montagu’s harriers – the rarest breeding bird of prey in the UK, which nests almost entirely on arable farmland. 

Montagu's harriers make the journey all the way from Senegal, running the gauntlet of bad weather, desert and the barrage of illegal hunters. Even more remarkable, the journey they make…

Extra places available!

Devon Farming, Food and Nature Celebration takes place this Saturday 17 May, 10 am-4 pm, on New Churston Farm, Churston, Nr Brixham.

This free event is open to anyone involved with Devon's farming, food production and related tourism and we are thrilled that there are now some extra places available.

Image: Cattle grazing meadow managed for cirl bunting by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

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Over the last couple of days I've taken you East and North in this virtual tour of our work with farmers and crofters in Scotland. Today is our final stop - where we hear from projects in South and West Scotland....

Clyde Valley Wader Initiative

The Upper Clyde Valley is one of the most important areas for waders in South and West Scotland. This was first highlighted by a local enthusiast in the 1980s, who counted…

Yesterday I introduced you to some of the project work that's going on in the North of Scotland to improve the fortunes of waders, bumblebees and buntings. Today, we travel East to find out what's happening there.... Farmland Bird Lifeline...

Having just spent a glorious week in the Highlands, it seems very timely to turn the blog spotlight on some of the brilliant project work going on across Scotland . Because there's so much going on, I'll be posting a series of updates over the...

The popular TV series Downton Abbey and the stone-curlew, one of the UK’s rarest and most unusual birds, might not seem to have anything in common at first glance. However, the RSPB Wessex Stone-curlew Project Team has been working with the landowner...

If someone asked you where to go to see England’s best wetlands for wildlife, where would you suggest? The Fens? Somerset Levels?

Chances are that the valleys around the upper reaches of the Thames and its tributaries wouldn’t be the first area you’d think of. However, for waders, this is one of the best areas in southern England. In fact, there are more curlew breeding on farmland in the Upper Thames…

As soon as I’d said it, I knew I was probably asking for trouble.

Mrs H was on the phone, asking about nest boxes for her farm in Warwickshire. She’d agreed to put up 20 new boxes as part of her Higher Level Stewardship agreement and wondered where she could buy some. Unfortunately, being a lady of considerable years, she was no longer in a position to shin up a ladder and nail them up herself either, so did we…

“Look, that lapwing’s banana-ing!” was the exclamation from my colleague.
“It’s what?” I asked. “Banana-ing?”
“Yes,” he replied. “When they’re displaying to potential mates, they often throw their heads back and stick their tails up in the air. They make themselves into a banana shape.”
Everywhere I looked there were lapwings tumbling out of the…

Or the corn bunting to give him his proper name! The nickname 'fat bird of the barley’ comes from their rotund appearance and their association with cereal cultivation.

Corn bunting by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Corn buntings used to be widespread throughout Europe, but are now one of the fastest declining farmland birds. There are just 800 singing males left in Scotland, mostly in the eastern lowlands. Now…

When it's a hamper created by many of the wildlife-friendly farmers we work with across the country to help demonstrate the importance of supporting farmland wildlife.

You may have seen our blog posts before Christmas highlighting the hamper we handed in to Defra, created by many of the wildlife-friendly farmers we work with across the country. What you didn’t see was that we actually produced two hampers and last…