As a result
of the management on the two farms, since 1992 at Loddington, and since 2000 at
Hope Farm, songbird numbers have increased substantially compared to the
regional trend. Farmland birds, including BAP species, have done
particularly well at Hope Farm, whereas along with some farmland and generalist
species, BAP species associated with woodland such as Spotted Flycatcher, Song
Thrush and Bullfinch increased more at Loddington. The targeted management at both farms
delivered annual rates of increase of 10-20% for a wide range of species.
In contrast
to the more open farmland landscape at Hope Farm, the wooded farmland at
Loddington has also supported higher predator numbers. Crows and magpies were
controlled at Loddington during the early part of the study period, but as a research
exercise to understand the relevance of this to bird conservation, predator
control was not carried out during the latter part of the period. There was an associated decline in numbers of
some songbird species towards the end of the period, especially species with open,
cup-shaped nests that are vulnerable to predation. This predation effect may explain the tendency for higher annual rates of increase in bird numbers at Loddington than at Hope Farm.
There were
also significant benefits arising from the creation and management of habitat
on farmland, especially at Hope Farm. Habitats designed to provide insect food for birds during the
breeding season had particularly strong positive effects on a range of species.
Such habitats include conservation
headlands, pollen and nectar mixtures, floristic margins, beetle banks, skylark
plots and ponds, all of which can contribute to the abundance of potential
insect food, and access to them by foraging birds.
 |
| Landscape characteristics may influence the response of bird populations to the creation of new habitats |
Comparing
two farms with different landscapes and different approaches to bird
conservation has taken us a step forward in our understanding of how to restore
bird numbers. It is clear that we need
to recognise differences across the lowland landscape and accept that a blanket
approach to all farms is not appropriate.
Bird conservation on farmland needs to accommodate variation in
landscape type, and importantly, the interests of the farmers responsible for
managing it.
Underlying
this though, is a clear need for a mechanism to support farmers to create
habitats that are based on sound science, compatible with farm business objectives,
and practical to create and manage.
Applicants to the new Countryside Stewardship scheme will soon discover
whether their applications have been successful. For those that are, we have demonstrated that
Stewardship provides an essential tool in the box for restoring bird numbers.
The Bird Study paper is available at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00063657.2015.1090391
The Bird Study paper is available at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00063657.2015.1090391
