WILDLIFE STRIPS can benefit songbirds and game species if planned correctly, advises Chris Stoate of the Allerton Trust.

Game management is important on many farms and farmers considering planting wildlife seed mixes or cover crops should make sure they are compatible for a range of birds, he said.

At the Trust’s Loddington site a mix of kale, quinoa and triticale is used to attract a range of species, including reed bunting, linnet, yellow hammer, tree sparrow and corn bunting, as well as a number of game birds.

“With the ELS coming in, many more will be looking at such strips and deciding whether they are appropriate for their farm. Farmers need to design a combination of habitats to meet their own individual requirements,” he stressed.

While the cost of establishing wildlife mixes can vary considerably, depending on the type of plant species used, soil fertility and weed pressures, the returns from stewardship grants (up to 450 points per ha) should be sufficient to cover them, he said.

It is also worth monitoring bird numbers to evaluate the success of any new wildlife strip, Dr Stoate added.

Where farmers are familiar with particular species, this can be easily done ‘in house’. But if expert help or detailed surveying is needed, farmers should contact the British Trust for Ornithology, or the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, he said.