 |
Golden plovers visit Tuesley Farm17 January 2005 A flock of golden plovers, visitors from northern latitudes, have made their winter home at Tuesley Farm, Godalming, providing a spectacular sight for local birdwatchers. This year, as many as 2,000 birds have moved onto Tuesley Farm, and birdwatchers say that it is perhaps the largest golden plover flock anywhere within Surrey, and possibly within Hampshire and Sussex. In summer, golden plovers breed in Scandinavia, Iceland and on upland moors in Scotland, Northern England, Wales and Devon. In winter they move to southern England, France, parts of Spain, coastal areas of the Adriatic Sea and as far east as central Turkey. Harry Hall, the farm’s owner, has provided a favourable environment for the flock by delaying the drilling of winter wheat on a large, open field. Plovers prefer short vegetation, and by delaying drilling he has ensured a low crop during the time that the plovers are visiting. In other areas, he has left stubble, weeds and uncut areas to provide important food resources for seed eating birds. As well as encouraging the plovers to take up winter residence, Harry is keen to help other farmland birds such as the yellowhammer, linnet and song thrush. Beetle banks and field margins are being put in, with hedgerows that will create a favourable environment for birds and nurture other forms of wildlife including beetles and other insects. Not only will these help control pests that might damage the farm’s soft fruit crops, they also provide food for the birds. Nearly four miles of wildlife banks and margins have been planted, along with about three miles of hedgerows and trees including hawthorn, dogwood, blackwood, hazel, alder, field maple, buckthorn, ash, lime, beech and guelder rose. The newly planted hedgerows re-instate the old parish boundaries and restore the traditional appearance of the countryside, which was lost when ancient hedgerows were grubbed up during the 1970s. |
