Every now and again you get the opportunity to go to an event that leaves you feeling inspired. Last Friday’s Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s grey partridge conference in Cambridge was just such an occasion.
Described several times by speakers as an iconic bird, grey partridge numbers have declined from over a million pairs pre-World War I to less than a 100,000 now.
But 40 years of research by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has identified what management practices farmers can put in place to reverse that decline.
The good news is they are mostly practical measures – things like providing additional food during the late winter and early spring, and controlling predators. Equally important is providing the right habitats all year round, from environments with abundant chick food to safe places to nest.
The loss of set-aside will, unfortunately, have an impact on farmers providing some of these habitats for the birds. Set-aside was a natural vehicle to use to grow, for example, some chicory to provide cover, while over wintered stubbles, which under the set-aside rules could not be sprayed off until after 15 April, produced food for chicks.
It will mean that some of the options and practices GWCT has developed will probably need some re-thinking – almost certainly into introducing more options into agri-environment schemes that farmers can use to produce the right habitats.
But listening to the enthusiasm of the GWCT staff you get the feeling that will only be a temporary hindrance.
Their successful project at Royston illustrates what can be done with good management. Following the strategies 40 years of research has honed increased grey partridge numbers by nine-fold over a five year period on the 10 sq m test site. As GWCT’s Peter Thompson said: “Let’s go and Roystonise the country.”
* To get involved in grey partridge conservation join the grey partridge count scheme (ring 01425 651066 or email partridgecountscheme@gct.org.uk) or one of the regional network of grey partridge groups