A Week on the Estate: Farewell Summer, Lincolnshire World & Brilliant Birds

Our very own Jon Thornes was featured in Lincolnshire World this week and you can read the article HERE. He talked about the work we’re doing to produce food sustainably while protecting and boosting biodiversity. Monitoring the number and variety of birds across the Estate allows us to optimise our farming practices and make them as bird-friendly as possible.

While nurturing birdlife is just one facet of our approach to farming, it is an important one. From tree sparrows in the hedges to the buzzards riding the thermals, our birds are all links in a food-chain. If they’re doing well, it means that measures like organic farming, a rejuvenated soil biome, re-established hedgerows and pollinator and bird-friendly field margins are paying dividends.

It also means that we can show off our birdlife to friends and visitors and get them enthused about our vision. We’ve embraced BirdWeather, a citizen-science project that uses remote-monitoring and birdsong analysis to give us an up-to-date picture of our avian activity. We have several monitors across the Estate and more will be added in time.

You’re welcome to take a peek at the impressive range of species thriving on our land by clicking HERE. Song thrushes, jays, redwings, tawny owls, hooded crows, long-tailed tits, bullfinches, goldcrests and treecreepers are just a few of the birds who’ve sung for our mics today, 29^th August. Most excitingly, in the last 24 hours, our monitors have picked up spotted flycatchers 779 times! These useful, pest-eating summer visitors have a UK conservation status of red, meaning they’ve suffered a steep population decline or there’s a risk of extinction. We’re chuffed to say they’re doing well here.

If we’ve whetted your appetite for our wonderful wildlife, why not join one of our exclusive Birdlife Discovery Tours on Thursday 19th or Friday 20th September? The three-hour tour costs £20 per person and includes a hot lunch and a complimentary gin-tasting. Here’s the low-down:

– The knowledgeable and friendly Farmer Mike will guide you through the fascinating world of our local avians.

– Expect a leisurely walk of approximately three miles, weather permitting. While we can’t guarantee specific wildlife sightings, we’ll share recent highlights and show you promising locations for further exploration.

– Your tour includes a gin-tasting session at the Massingberd-Mundy Distillery and a hot lunch featuring our delicious farm-reared Norfolk Black turkey at the Old School.

– Space is limited, so we encourage early booking.

– Don’t forget to bring binoculars and cameras, and dress appropriately for the weather. Birdsong-recognition apps will also come in handy.

– The booking page is HERE.

– Tickets and meeting details will be emailed to you upon booking. The event will last about 3 hours, starting at 13:00. We recommend you arrive 30 minutes early to enjoy a delicious turkey bap. Please bring your booking confirmation with you.

– This walk is for over-18s only.

– For any queries, email Daria here: daria.pipczynska@southormsbyestate.co.uk.

Do come along and share the joy! We’ll see you out there.

If you’d like to join the conversation, we’d love to hear from you. Just head to our Facebook page HERE and comment beneath the latest blog post. As ever, thanks for your support.

* Spotted flycatcher image by hedera.baltica via Flickr CC.