Sunday 13 April 2014

Countryfile at the Allerton Project

Dr Alastair Leake announced the findings of the Big Farmland Bird Count that took part in February on over 500 farms. BBC's Countryfile visited the farm on a wet and windy afternoon and Tom Heap talked about the issues surrounding declining numbers of many farmland bird species.

The Big Bird Feeder was on display and Tom helped Alastair top up the feeder with the farm land bird mix, supplied by Kings.

Tom Heap and Alastair Leake

Great weather for ducks!!!


Big Bird Feeder during the winter of 2012/13

We were also finishing some ploughing when Countyfile visited. We plough in March to give our heavy soils time to 'weather' we then start planning the next crop to be sown in April/May and June.


Farmer Phil out ploughing during the filming of Countryfile

Few minutes more and its time for home.

During January and through to the end of April we feed our farmland birds a mix of linseed, wheat, oil seed rape, canary seed, sunflowers, red and white millet. This helps with a feed source during this hungry gap before spring food source become available.

Feeders in the winter are part of the recipe for helping farmland birds.
Small bird feeders at the Visitors Centre with sunflower hearts, millet and small seed mixes
During the Big Farmland Bird Count in February, Phil and Ruth Jarvis counted 21 species of birds in the half hour observation window
One of the feed hoppers observed on the Big Farmland Bird Count



Farmer Phil....counting...

 

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