Within the subsequent fortnight, hundreds of farmers and land managers throughout the UK shall be taking half an hour out to watch and file the wild birds that share their land, because the tenth GWCT Massive Farmland Bird Rely will get below manner.
Joe Stanley, farming columnist, writer, NFU county chair and head of coaching & partnerships on the GWCT’s Allerton Mission demonstration farm, launched the annual nationwide chook survey this morning, Friday 3 February.
Joe Stanley, farming columnist, writer, NFU county chair and head of coaching & partnerships on the GWCT’s Allerton Mission demonstration farm, launches the annual chook survey (Joe Stanley )
The GWCT Massive Farmland Bird Rely is, stated Joe “a fantastic initiative which gives farmers and land managers a simple way of recording the effect of any conservation work they may have undertaken on their land.”
See what else Joe and different contributors needed to say concerning the GWCT Massive Farmland Bird Rely right here bfbc.org.uk
Emma Jackson of the North Essex Farm Cluster, defined:
“As farmers and landowners, collaborating within the GWCT Massive Farmland Bird Rely is a extremely accessible manner of monitoring the pure capital we now have on farms. It is so essential for us to know what wildlife our farms help, and to see the influence of conservation and stewardship schemes we interact in.”
Emma, who represents the cluster of greater than 40 farmers and land managers who work collectively on landscape-scale conservation initiatives, organised a Farmland Bird occasion forward of this 12 months’s depend. The occasion introduced farmers and landowners along with native group the Essex Birdwatching Society and RSPB conservation advisor Mark Nowers. The purpose, stated Emma, was to “share ideas about supporting our farmland bird populations and to get support to identify the birds we have on our farms.”
The RSPB’s Mark Nowers said: “The GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count is a great opportunity to take stock of the birds on your farm. I was fortunate enough to spend time with the farmers of the North Essex Farm Cluster where we were treated to the incredible sight of over 700 Linnets bursting out of some Wild Bird Cover.
“Species like Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting and Linnet are heavily reliant on the stewardship of farmers for their populations to thrive,” commented Mark, “I hope that whatever you see, it acts as a trigger for you to think, how can I get more of these on my farm.”
What’s the GWCT Massive Farmland Bird Rely?
The annual citizen science venture, organised by the Sport & Wildlife Conservation Belief (GWCT) since 2014, asks land managers to spend half-hour checking in on their feathered associates, recording their numbers and submitting the outcomes to the Belief. The purpose is to encourage farmers and gamekeepers to help farmland birds and to focus on the exhausting work already performed by a lot of them to assist reverse species’ declines. The depend provides a significant nationwide snapshot of the well being of the UK’s farmland birdlife.
Land managers take care of 72% of the UK’s land space – the biggest songbird habitat within the nation – to allow them to make an actual and fast distinction by adopting efficient conservation measures. From immediately, farmers and sport keepers up and down the land, from Aberdeenshire to Cornwall, West Wales to Suffolk, will become involved on this big countryside conservation effort.
The chook depend can be, in keeping with Joe Stanley, a good way of “getting the message out to the Great British public that farmers are proud to act as stewards of our land.”
The GWCT Massive Farmland Bird Rely is sponsored by the Nationwide Farmers’ Union (NFU) and has the help of farming unions and organisations throughout the UK.
“It is not too late to get involved,” stated Dr Roger Draycott who organises the occasion. “Counting takes just 30 minutes and can be done anytime between now and 19 February.”
Simply choose sooner or later through the depend, obtain a depend sheet from www.bfbc.org.uk and spend half-hour recording the quantity and species of birds seen on one space of land. Then submit your outcomes through the web site.
Bird identification guides and movies can be found at bfbc.org.uk, together with steering on the way to help birds on farmland.
