Farmland birds have not had the smoothest ride in recent decades. Populations of skylarks, yellowhammers, lapwings and grey partridges have all been declining for several years.
But the fight back may be starting in a tiny far flung corner of the country where a small brown and yellow bird is clawing its way back from the brink.
The diminutive cirl bunting has hit the headlines in the Guardian, the Telegraph and on the BBC this week after a survey showed its number have increased by 25 per cent since 2003.
Now that may sound like a lot but in fact there are still just 862 breeding pairs, and they are restricted to small strips of Devon and Cornwall. If you live anywhere else then your chances of seeing them darting from a hedgerow on country walk are pretty miniscule I’m afraid. In fact despite their recent success they still enjoy the dubious honour of being Britain’s rarest farmland bird.
I travelled down to the Devon coast to our reserve at Labrador Bay which is a haven for cirl buntings not too long ago. It’s a spectacular place if you’re ever in that part of the country. And while they may be a little tricky to identify they are friendly creatures and will reward a patient birdwatcher.
Whilst there I met a nearby farmer who is doing lots of work on his land to provide a habitat for the birds. He was delighted to be doing his bit to save a species that once clung precariously onto survival in the UK by a thread. It is part of the job of a farmer, he told me, to look after the countryside and everything in it.
I went away with a renewed sense of optimism. If we can achieve this kind of success with a bird as close to the edge as the cirl bunting, then surely with dedication and hard work conservationists and farmers working together can halt the declines in our beleaguered farmland bird species across the UK.