With spring rapidly springing, our bird expert Richard Broughton came to conduct a survey at Honeydale last week to check up on how the winter feeding programme is going and he counted a flock of 60 finches/buntings (mostly Yellowhammers and Chaffinches) on the feeding area. Interestingly, as in last month’s survey, the birds were almost exclusively concentrated here, proving the importance of our programme of broadcasting bird feed throughout the hungry gap. It’s clearly continuing to support large numbers of birds right up to the end of winter.
On the other hand, the sown (unfed) plots are now totally barren, so we are planning to continue the winter bird feeding programme well into May, when there should be be enough new growth on the sown plots to provide alternative sources of food.
Richard also sighted a Sparrowhawk, Raven, Kite and noisy Kestrel in the area, which may have their beady eyes on the owl box or the old crow nest in the tall ash tree and we’re delighted to welcome Chiffchaffs, the first of the summer migrants to arrive on the farm.
