Last week Richard attended a really informative meeting held at Rotherfield Farm near Alton, to hear about the conservation work they are doing to help re-establish grey partridge on the farm and increase lapwing numbers which have been in sharp decline over the last decade. The farm is owned by Sir James Scott and has been in the family for the last 200 years. It is a 5,000 acre estate, with arable, forestry and a large dairy.
Grey partridge are one of the 3 main indicators for modern day farming. The other two are brown hares and skylarks. Here on the farm we have hares and skylarks in abundance, but we lost our grey partridge about 5 years ago - so this was a fantastic opportunity for Richard to find out what we can do to help them recover.
Grey Partridge
So far, April has been a very dry month here on the farm. In fact, we haven't had a single drop of rain all month. This means that our spring barley which we planted in early April badly now needs a drink. Rain is forecast next week and I am sure there will be some mightily relieved growers everywhere when the rainclouds appear.
This year, we have tried direct drilling for the first time and we are very excited about the huge positive impact this type of drilling may have on our farm. You may remember that last November Richard topped off a field of mustard which we had sown after harvest as a 'cover crop' to hold nutrients and moisture in the ground.
Mustard planted after harvest last year and used as a cover crop for this year's naked oats
This year, for the first time in about 5 or 6 years, we have a flock of Golden Plover back on the farm, which is really lovely to see. They are enjoying our over-wintered stubble fields, where they can get stuck into all sorts of worms and invertebrates, and they are also enjoying our grass seed, wild bird cover seed and hedgerow berries. As I am writing this, I am wondering whether the plural is 'plover' or plovers'? One sounds right, the other looks right...need to consult the dictionary!
As you may have already noticed, we've had a bit of a makeover here at reallywildbirdfood.co.uk. Our new website went live yesterday, and we're very happy with it - we hope you like it too!
Not only does our website have an eye-catching new look, it also has responsive functionality that makes it easier to browse and buy our products on a smartphone or tablet. The dynamic design 'responds' to the size of the screen you're using, giving you a smooth online shopping experience across all kinds of different devices!
We at Really Wild Bird Food offer an extensive range of stand-alone feeder cages and guardians, which can be used with your existing feeders to make life much more difficult for squirrels and large, unwelcome birds like seagulls and pigeons. We also stock Nuttery caged bird feeders, which include both the guardian and the feeder itself.
Click here to browse our full range of feeder guardians, or choose from the featured products listed below. Remember, we offer FREE delivery on all feeders IF you also order seeds or live worms from our Bird Foods department.
Two sizes available (small or large). Compatible with Droll Yankee tubular feeders.
Buy now >
A delicious and very high energy seed mix, containing crunchy dried mealworms for extra protein and delicious berry flavoured suet pellets for extra warming calories.
Well - who doesn't put on a few pounds over Christmas?!
This crumble is a real winter-warmer for your resident robin and will be loved by other soft-billed garden visitors such as thrushes, dunnocks and blackbirds. This mix also contains home grown naked oats, home grown millet, sunflower hearts, pinhead oatmeal and peanut granules.
You can order some right here!
Save 20% on everything Garden Bird in December, when you collect from the farm!
How to Find Us The farm is Street End Farm and our post code is SO32 1FS We are about 1 mile outside Bishop's Waltham. If you are using sat nav - look out for The Really Wild Bird Food Company ( that is us!) How Click and Collect Works It is easy peasy. Just visit our website at www.reallywildbirdfood.co.uk Browse the site and chose what you would like to buy.
At checkout, select the Click and Collect option The website will automatically apply a 20% discount to your purchases Tell us when you would like to collect and we will have it all ready for you! You can also just give us a call on 01489 896785 - and save 20% Or drop us an email to orders@reallywildbirdfood.co.uk - and still save 20%! Or request one of our catalogues here.
Around this time of year (mid to late November) when average daily temperatures start to fall and the seeds, masts and fruits in the hedgerows are pretty much eaten up, garden birds will start to return to your feeders. The seed-eaters like tits, finches, robins, dunnocks, blackbirds etc will visit feeders and will fill up on dry seed. However, it is a bit like having toast in the morning without an accompanying cup of tea if you don't also offer them clean drinking water!
Most garden birds do need to drink at least twice a day. They lose water through respiration and droppings. Really lucky people have a free-flowing stream or river running through their gardens and will notice that birds will find easy access points where they can drink and bathe in relative safety. For us less fortunate, putting out a birdbath, or an upturned metal dustbin lid, and keeping the supply of water clean, will be gratefully received. Here are a few water 'top tips' to make winter healthy for your birds and easy for you!
