Habitats

Creating specific habitats on farmland can help a range of wildlife, and is the most common way to deliver conservation on farms.  To guide this, management packages are available both within Environmental Stewardship and the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme. They work on the basis of providing nesting/resting and feeding opportunities throughout the year.

For farmland birds this covers the ‘Big 3’ – safe nesting habitat, summer insect feeding areas and winter seed feeding areas.  This can apply to an individual holding, or perhaps over a number of holdings covering a larger area.  Click the links below for more information

	Management for farmland birds Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package (WPFWP) - NE Farming for Birds - NE Delivering the HLS Package for farmland birds - NE
	Beetle banks Beetle banks advisory sheet - RSPB
	Conservation headlands Conservation headlands and field margins - GWCT Conservation headland advisory sheet - RSPB
	Fallow plots Uncropped cultivated areas for ground nesting birds on arable land - GWCT Fallow plots for ground nesting birds advisory sheet - RSPB
	Fodder crops Fodder brassicas - GWCT Brassica and root fodder crops advisory sheet - RSPB
	Low-input spring cereals Low-input cereals advisory sheet - RSPB
	Overwintered stubbles Winter stubble - GWCT Overwintered stubble advisory sheet - RSPB
	Pollen and nectar mixtures Pollen and nectar flower mixtures - GWCT How to grow nectar flower mixtures - NE Pollen and nectar mixtures advisory sheet - RSPB
	Skylark plots Skylark plots advisory sheet - RSPB
	Uncropped cultivated margins and plots Uncropped cultivated margins for rare plants - GWCT Illustrated guide to rare plants on arable land - NE Uncropped cultivated margins advisory sheet - RSPB
	Wild bird seed mixtures Wild bird seed mixture - GWCT Wild bird seed mixtures advisory sheet - RSPB
	Wildflower margins Wildflower mixtures - GWCT

As well as management of arable habitats, a range of options can also be used in grassland areas.  Much of this focuses on varied sward structure and increasing floristic diversity to provide nesting and foraging opportunities. Follow the links below for more information.

	Extensive grazing  Grazed pasture advisory sheet - RSPB
	Hay meadows  Hay and silage meadows advisory sheet - RSPB
	Species rich grassland  Wildflower mixtures - GWCT Arable reversion to species rich grassland: site selection and choice of methods - NE Arable reversion to species rich grassland: establishing a sown sward - NE Arable reversion to species rich grassland: early management of the new sward - NE Illustraed guide to lowland chalk and limestone grassland - NE Sward enhancement: choice of methods - NE

Images – The Farmland Bird Package ©Bruce Fowkes, Beetle banks ©Des Sussex, Conservation headlands ©Diane White, Fallow plots ©Hayley New, Fodder crops ©Harriet Dennison, Low input spring cereals ©Peter Thompson, Overwintered stubbles ©Bruce Fowkes, Pollen and nectar mixtures ©Des Sussex, Skylark plots ©Andy Hay (rspb-images.com), Uncropped cultivated margins and plots ©Hayley New, Wild bird seed mixture ©Hayley New, Wildflower margins ©Peter Thompson, Extensive grazing ©Bruce Fowkes, Hay meadows ©Peter Thompson, Species rich grassland ©Fay Pattinson