Corn buntings and cornflowers brought song and colour

To highlight the plight of North Yorkshire’s arable flora and farmland birds, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in combination with the Cornfield Flowers Project recently held a very successful farm walk at Birkdale Farm near Terrington, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Stephen Gibson.  The event was kindly sponsored by Natural England and the Cornfield Flowers Project.

Birkdale Farm is a regional winner of the RSPB’s Nature of Farming award and is renowned for its wide range of rare arable plants including Corn Buttercup and Red Hemp Nettle and birds such as skylarks, turtle doves, tree sparrows and barn owls.  The farm walk highlighted the most effective way of managing arable flora and farmland birds and how farmers and landowners can support the populations of both through sensitive farming practices.  Expert advice was offered on floristically enhanced margins, wild bird seed mixes, conservation headlands and hedgerow management. 

Discussions were also held on current funding opportunities under the Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship schemes administered by Natural England and the role of the Campaign for the Farmed Environment.  For many farmers the decision to set aside land for conservation is balanced against the loss of yield and so the ability to receive funding to compensate for changes in farming practices is vital.  However, that is only part of the story: the Cornfield Flowers Project has shown that an increasing number of farmers go well beyond the provisions of these schemes in their efforts to encourage arable flowers on their farms

It is not just cornflowers and corn buntings that are suffering worrying declines regionally and nationally.  Many other arable flora, such as the corn marigold and shepherd’s-needle, are also in a perilous state, mainly because of the introduction of herbicides and fertilisers in the 1950s and the move to autumn cropping.  Likewise many farmland birds such as the wild grey partridge, yellow hammer and skylark have suffered serious declines and the aim of the walk was to show how to restore these declining species through appropriate management.  

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust has undertaken extensive research into the reasons for the declines in our farmland birds (particularly the Grey Partridge) whilst the Cornfield Flowers Project, which is organised by The Carstairs Countryside Trust, North York Moors National Park Authority, Ryedale Folk Museum and North Yorkshire Moors Association, has been instrumental in highlighting the plight of many of the regions wild plants whilst also providing tips to help them flourish.  The Project has been able to turn the situation round for many of these threatened species.  In addition, Environmental Stewardship has ensured that farmers and land managers have the funding and advice available to help them undertake work to conserve and enhance the natural environment.

Photocaption:  With careful management it is possible to restore some of our extremely rare arable flowers such as cornflowers and corn marigold.

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Notes to editors

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is an independent wildlife conservation charity which carries out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats and we lobby for agricultural and conservation policies based on science. We employ 14 post-doctoral scientists and 50 other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming and statistics.  We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies.   The Trust is also responsible for a number of Government Biodiversity Action Plan species and is lead partner for grey partridge and joint lead partner for brown hare and black grouse.

The Cornfield Flowers Project is organised by The Carstairs Countryside Trust, North York Moors National Park Authority, Ryedale Folk Museum and the North Yorkshire Moors Association and is supported by North York Moors National Park Sustainability Fund, the LEADER programme and Heritage Lottery Fund.  For more information call Chris Wilson on 01723 863467.

Environmental Stewardship (ES) is a government scheme open to all farmers, land managers and tenants in England.  Through it farmers can be financially rewarded for good stewardship of the land and managing it to improve the quality of the environment.  For more information about Environmental Stewardship, follow the link from Natural England’s web page at: www.naturalengland.org.uk/es For ES advice and events in your area please go to www.naturalengland.org.uk/planning/farming-wildlife/advice.htm 

For Information, contact
Morag Walker, Head of Media
Telephone: 01425-652381
Direct:  01425-651000
Mobile: 07736-124097