It has been another fantastic summer for birds at Hope Farm, our arable farm in Cambridgeshire, with the Farmland Bird Indicator going up again, albeit slightly since 2010. The index is now 211% above what it was when the RSPB took over the farm in 2000. This is huge when you consider that the national Farmland Bird Indicator has undergone an 11% decline over this period, and roughly halved since 1970.
Farmland bird indicators measure the average population trend for 19 species which are dependent on farmland. Indicators are mathematical things that allow us to compare our performance against the national trend, but what has really happened? If we talk about changes in the number of territories of farmland species which have declined nationally by over 50% since 1970, the figures are staggering: grey partridge up from 0 to 5 territories, turtle dove up from 0 to 1, skylark up from 10 to 42, yellow wagtail up from 0 to 2, starling up from 3 to 22, linnet up from 6 to 26, yellowhammer up from 14 to 33, reed bunting up from 3 to 16 and corn bunting up from 0 to 2.
How do we know all this? Well, we have carefully counted them, or at least Derek Gruar, our resident researcher has. It was only when I looked back through my own records of birds on the farm that I realised how stark a change I have witnessed myself. I occasionally help out with winter bird counts. My counts on one part of the farm in December 2001 included 19 yellowhammers and 6 skylarks, whereas on the same part of the farm in December 2009, I counted 165 yellowhammers and 23 skylarks. I have occasionally seen three-figure flocks of skylarks on the farm in winter, too. Derek tells me that the maximum farm counts in the winter of 2000-1 were 2 yellowhammers and 35 skylarks!
I understand farmers who do not think farmland birds have declined in their area: without a birdwatchers notebook, the scale of the increase we have seen here would have passed me by, too! We have seen greater increases in the winter bird counts, probably because we have drawn birds in from further afield to feed on our ELS seed mixtures. Winter counts do not reflect population changes as accurately, but still indicate what a huge contribution the farm is making to bird conservation. I think it is fair to say that the increases we have seen have exceeded anyone’s expectations. Amazing what a few seed crops, flower-rich margins and skylark plots can do!
What does it mean.
Quite honestly in the big scheme of things not a lot as we need that increase all over the country not just on a couple of hundred hectares or whatever it is at Hope Farm.
There are people at RSPB who consider the fact that farmers get SFP obscene and until you alter that mindset you will not get the majority of farmers to take on what are necessary schemes from Hope Farm to increase bird numbers and come on about you understand some farmers do not think farmland birds have declined nationally,of course every one of them knows but farmers and RSPB have to be friends not just from both sides when it suits them.It has to be all the time and 100% backing each other.
Whether conservationists(a very small minority group)like it or not it is part of Government and EU policy that farmers have to depend on SFP and while some at RSPB and others resent this significant numbers of farmers will not take part in schemes promoted by conservationists.
No way will I belittle the increase in numbers at Hope Farm but even a extra 1000 birds if taken as a national increase is almost insignificant.We also need a explanation of why such different levels of decrease in numbers in different areas of the country.
Hi Sooty
I quite agree that the numbers on Hope Farm are insignificant at a national scale. 100's, even 1000's of Hope Farms will not be enough. Our aim here is to demonstrate the possible and empower farmers with the guidance of how to get the best out of their environmental work. We currently have about 8% of our agricultural land out of production. Our advisers are working with 100's of farmers every year, doing at least this amount through Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) in farmland bird hotspot areas, but that will only ever fund management on about 10% of the agricultural area of England. However, the exciting bit is that we believe we could half that amount and halt bird declines if the habitat quality is good enough. This gets us into the realms of the possible with Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), which currently applies to about 60% of the agricultural area. I agree that we need a good relationship with farmers to make this happen. Our 1:1 engagement is very positive, so they like use when they get to know us!