UPPER DEVERILLS WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION GROUP
Bird Survey Report
Background
1. At the start of 2022 plans were developed to undertake bird surveys of selective species on farmland in the Upper Deverills. A briefing paper and methodology was produce in March and widely circulated, including external review by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the AONB Farm Conservation Advisor.
2. The consequences of intensive farming in general, and the effect on biodiversity and the natural environment, are well documented. It is not clear to what degree these apply within the Upper Deverill’s countryside and how farmland birds may be affected. Surveys will assist in establishing the presence, or absence of selected species.
3. A new process of Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) was rolled out by DEFRA as a means to encourage biodiversity and regeneration. ELMS will replace the EU system of farm subsidies. Bird surveys could advise and support the ELMS process and help reverse the rapid and significant decline in farmland birds.
Target Species
4. It was agreed to target farmland birds that are known to exist in the area and are susceptible to decline. Species selected are Yellowhammer, Skylark and Corn Bunting. These species are red listed as birds of high conservation concern in BOCC5 [Birds of Conservation Concern 5] issued in December 2021.
Surveys
5. Surveys were undertaken during the period between mid-April to the end of June 2022. Each survey route (transect) was 1km in length and was selected as being suitable habitat for one or more of the target species. Surveys were conducted in a consistent manner at roughly 3-week intervals to ensure each transect was surveyed 3 times over the period when sightings of birds and breeding evidence would be most obvious.
6. To avoid conflict with landowners’ interests or farming activities, all the transects were along public rights of way (unless permission was given for more open access on sections of a route).
7. Surveys would be repeated annually over at least a 5-year timeframe to enable increases or any decline in numbers of the target species to be monitored. Potentially, changes could be linked to ELMS where appropriately adopted, or be explained by a lack of restoration projects, or other factors.
Analysis of 2022 Results
8. Following research and consultation it was concluded that BirdTrack would be the most appropriate IT system to record the selected farmland species. This on-line portal operates under BTO control, feeding into local and national records. Results were uploaded to BirdTrack following each of the 36 surveys undertaken along 12 transects. Tabulated results are attached.
(BTO = British Trust for Ornithology)
9. The results were recorded and presented to enable easy comparison of densities of target species across variable areas of countryside on different farms, where there may be variations in habitat, planting/land use, and where some farming practices may be different.
10. Not surprisingly there are some notable differences between bird numbers identified on some routes compared to others. Observations from habitat surveys, from crop patterns and land use may help to explain some of these differences where they are significant.
11. In Brixton Deverill, there is significant difference in numbers of target species on Lower Pertwood Farm (particular Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting) compared to numbers on the opposite side of the valley on Woodcombe Farm, where no Corn Buntings were recorded, although Yellowhammer numbers were more typical.
12. In Monkton Deverill, no Corn Buntings were recorded on MD2 and no Yellowhammers on MD4, yet numbers of other birds on all the transects were observed in good numbers. The records of Yellowhammer and Skylark were surprisingly high on Keysley Farm.
13. In Kingston Deverill, Manor Farm had very high Skylark numbers, except on transect KD4, with the presence of Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting recorded on all other routes.
14. Further detailed analysis by those who undertook the surveys may lead to identifying some factors that could account for some significant differences and explain very high or very low numbers.
Conclusions
15. These initial surveys effectively provide a baseline. With further annual surveys conducted in a consistent manner, results will be able to indicate improvement or decline and relate those changes to circumstances at the time where these might be appropriate.
BIRD SURVEY SUMMARY – 2022
|
Transect/Location |
Yellowhammer |
Corn Bunting |
Skylark |
Totals |
Comment |
|||||||||
|
Visit |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
3 visits on each transect over period of Apr, May, Jun |
|
|
BD1 – Woodcombe Farm, Brixton Deverill |
3 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
||
|
BD2 – Woodcombe Farm, Brixton Deverill |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
||
|
15 |
Low presence of arable nesting farmland birds |
|||||||||||||
|
BD3 – Lwr Pertwood Farm, Brixton Deverill |
7 |
1 |
6 |
14 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
||
|
BD4 – Lwr Pertwood Farm, Brixton Deverill |
4 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
20 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
||
|
62 |
High concentration of YH and CB |
|||||||||||||
|
MD1 – Manor Farm, Monkton Deverill |
13 |
6 |
4 |
23 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
9 |
||
|
MD2 – Manor Farm, Kingston Deverill |
4 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
||
|
57 |
Strong presence of Yellowhammer |
|||||||||||||
|
MD3 – Keysley Farm, Monkton Deverill |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
11 |
||
|
MD4 – Keysley Farm, Monkton Deverill |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
8 |
3 |
15 |
12 |
5 |
2 |
19 |
||
|
59 |
Very high for arable nesters, low for YH |
|||||||||||||
|
KD1 – Manor Farm, Kingston Deverill |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
||
|
KD2 – Manor Farm, Kingston Deverill |
1 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
||
|
33 |
Good Skylark presence |
|||||||||||||
|
KD3 – Manor Farm, Kingston Deverill |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
20 |
||
|
KD4 – Manor Farm, Kingston Deverill |
4 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
30 |
Very high but variable Skylark numbers |
|||||||||||||
BIRD SURVEY SUMMARY – 2023
The results of the subsequent 2023 Bird Survey are here and are attached for downloading.
