In 2020 BiOME was approached to conduct annual wintering and breeding bird surveys at a farm located in south Norfolk, with surveys now completed over four years and continuing through 2025.

In 2020, the landowner was keen to gauge the baseline of the bird community of the 400+ acre site prior to entering Countryside Stewardship. The farm was predominantly arable with areas of game cover, scrub, and mixed-age plantations with plans to take areas out of production, establish new field margins, wildflower meadows and winter bird feeding areas, increase woodland cover and radically reduce hedgerow maintenance intensity to allow them to expand and mature.

From the first survey it quickly became apparent that the site supported strong populations of several farmland species of conservation importance, no doubt helped previously by some of the inceptive conservation works that the forward-thinking landowner had previously implemented. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella has maintained over 30 territories since the commencement of our involvement (peaking at 41), whilst supplementary feeding helps large numbers of this species, and many others, see out the winter. Skylarks Alauda arvensis, Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula and Linnet Linaria cannabina are all prospering, whilst perhaps the star of the show, Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur, is sustaining a toehold – this species, indeed the entire avifauna, should hopefully benefit from the conservation works and changes in land management over the next few years.

We are now in our fifth consecutive year of surveys at the site, and it has been a great privilege to walk around this inspirational farm from mid-winter to early summer each year recording the flourishing birdlife.