Trip reports

Morning walk at Standon Green End Farm

Sunday, 7 June 2009

Todays walk was led by Tony Spackman (the farmer) and Toby Spencer.

After torrential rain earlier in the morning, it was overcast but dry and cool. 7 members joined the walk.

Standon Green End farm is a 95 acre farm with a herd of beef cattle, a flock of sheep and a herd of pigs.

Tony and Joyce Spackman have farmed it for 35 years. Tony is a keen birdwatcher and manages the farm
in a way sympathetic to birds and wild flowers. He has recorded 119 species of birds on the farm, with about 50 species having bred. There are currently 33 bird boxes on the farm and Tony recently created a scrape which has already been visited by Green Sandpiper, Teal and Shoveler. He is also re-planting several hedges along old hedge lines (as well as doing some hedge laying) and coppicing his woodland.

22 species were seen:
Mallard, Pheasant, Kestrel, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch


Other Animals:
A 20½ yr old cow and a very large goat!

Thanks to Tony and Toby for leading this walk.