Birds and Bugs

A healthy insect and bird population is important for our farming practices. In 2022 Heathpatch started a programme of putting up more owl boxes and have installed more than 30 around the estate.  

 

We also arrange for the baby owls in the nest boxes to be ringed each year giving each a unique ID number. They are then registered with the The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) which helps us and the BTO build a detailed picture of Barn Owl population in the area. 

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According to the BTO, Swifts have had a significant decline in population and are currently red listed under the UK Bird of Conservation Concern. To support their return our team installed 12 swift boxes and call systems around the farm in 2023. 

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In 2024 we started the conversion of over 100 ha to Organic Grassland.  These fields were over-seeded with an organic flower mix to provide food for birds and insects, whilst giving the land a rest from fertilisers and weedkillers.​