An arable estate has recorded seven endangered bird species and an increase in overall bird numbers during a national survey.
The Big Farmland Bird Count offers a snapshot of farmland biodiversity. Taking place each February, the timing of the count coincides with one of the most challenging periods of the year for farmland birds.
This year, the Courteenhall Estate in Northamptonshire recorded seven red list and ten amber list bird species noted across its farmland and parkland – including yellowhammers, skylarks and redpolls.
Wildlife habitat
The estate farms regeneratively, with the majority of the land managed in ways to support wildlife and nature, including 22ha which are dedicated to growing bird feed and 70ha of flower-rich margins.
Courteenhall managing partner Johnny Wake said: “Results like these reflect years of careful habitat management and a simple belief that we must farm with the environment, not against it.”
Courteenhall Estate has been recognised for its award-winning farming credentials, becoming one of only five farms in the UK to hold Level 2 accreditation from Wildlife Farms & Estates England.
Mr Wake said this reflected its regenerative approach to land management, which focuses on improving soil health, increasing biodiversity and farming with nature.
Woodland management, winter seed provision and the creation of new ponds form part of a wider programme of habitat management across the farm, providing shelter and food for wildlife during the winter months when conditions are most challenging.
This is particularly important as many native bird species have declined nationally. Wake says: “Leaving a legacy for future generations is a responsibility we take seriously and why we consider ourselves simply as custodians of the land.”
Organised annually by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Big Farmland Bird Count, helps to build a national picture of farmland biodiversity and the impact of land management on wildlife.