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Mention the word 'farmer' in a sentence and most people would understand that you that you were talking about someone who produces food of some description. That's a farmer's job, right? Hmmm. What if that same person was described as a 'multifunctional rural resource manager'...

Spotted on my way home from work – a 100-strong mixed flock of buntings and yellowhammers , with the odd tree sparrow thrown in for good measure. Tweeting, jangling hissing and popping away, they are restless, exuberant and full of spring energy, torn between winter flocking behaviour and breaking...

I've been in celebratory mood since last week, and after a few computer-free days away am back on line and keen to share the good news with you. You may have seen that last week we reported a huge increase in reed buntings at Fowlmere , one of our reserves in Cambridgeshire. We estimate that over...

I know, it’s Friday 13 January, you’re skint, you’re cold and the Summer Hols seems a long dark way away. I’m sure you don’t need to be depressed any further. However, with the Twelve Days of Christmas just recently come to an end (and most of us still struggling to shift...

Happy New Year! There's nothing like a good debate to get you back in the swing of things after Christmas! As seems to have become tradition for me and several others, 2012 kicks off with a trip down the A43 to spend a couple of days at the Oxford Farming Conference . It’s a great opportunity...

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...

I've got some great news to share, and Halloween seems the perfect time to share it. Halloween of course marks the zenith of the short pumpkin season, and I know a number of farmers that really grow pumpkins for their community, rather than making much profit. They see their friends and neighbours...

We are now well into the second year of the Great Crane Project – and have spent the spring and summer hatching and rearing another batch of cranes to joint the eighteen birds that were released last year. This brings the number out on the Somerset Levels and Moors to 34. After three weeks of ‘anchoring’...

Back in the Wilkinson years, before Batty turned England Captain, before Kamara turned Sky pundit, and before Eric turned Red, I was a Leeds fan. Me and Dad had season tickets in the East Stand and never missed a home game. Eventually the endless 0-0 draws under George Graham put me off football altogether...