A Week on the Estate: Wonky Weather, New Tradition & Big Birdwatch

We’re getting ready for the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch (28-30 January) and we’d love to know which birds are making the most of our hospitality. We’re hoping for more tree sparrow (Passer montanus) sightings this year. Slightly smaller and less tolerant of human activity than its close cousin the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), the tree sparrow is distinguished by its chestnut cap and tail-cocked, restless movement.

An occasional visitor to gardens during wintry weather, the tree sparrow is a good barometer for the health of our working countryside. Intensified farming has caused a 93% population decline since 1970 and the species is still on the UK conservation red list.

We’re doing our bit to improve the picture and we were thrilled to read last month that Richard Doan of Lincolnshire Birding saw at least 150 tree sparrows when he walked the Railway Tavern Trail around the Estate. As tree sparrows take insects on the wing, they’re helping us avoid insecticides and embrace regenerative agriculture.

If you’d like to shake off those midwinter blues and experience the Lincolnshire Wolds in their bracing, midwinter glory, we commend our walking trails to you. Click HERE for free, downloadable guides to beautiful Wolds walks ranging from gentle ambles to mighty hikes.

If you’re new to our walks and fancy a quick leg-stretch on a short, winter’s day, we recommend Short Walk 1. On this 2.6-mile (4.2km) loop around a small part of South Ormsby Estate, you’ll wander through cattle and arable fields and alongside Calceby Beck and Furze Close Wood. You might see muntjac deer darting across your path and hear the drumming of woodpeckers. You could round off your walk at The Old School Tea & Coffee Shop where we’d love to offer you a complimentary hot drink and choice of tasty treats.

Pre-booking your refreshments is essential. Click HERE to book and check opening times. Please note that for the rest of the winter season, The Old School is open from 10am-4pm Thursday-Sunday and closed all day Monday-Wednesday.

Finally, over Christmas we published ‘A Year on the Estate: 2021 in Review’ – a whistle-stop tour of a full year at South Ormsby Estate. If you missed it, you can catch up HERE.

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