A group of farmers and landowners in Fife and Angus are getting all the credit for a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of the local corn bunting population.
Unlikely praise for the industry’s contribution to wildlife came from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) which more often condemns farmers for practices resulting in the loss of farmland species.
The corn buntings boost comes after decades of dramatic declines for the species. In eastern Scotland numbers fell by 83% between 1989 and 2007, but following a recovery project supported by 40 Fife farms and estates, surveys have shown that the number of the birds’ territories increased by 18%, from 62 to 73 on participating farms.
The expansion came after the East Neuk Estates Group, comprising of six estates, made a collective commitment to support the recovery of the local corn bunting population. Another 34 farms also got involved in the Corn Bunting Recovery Project.
The land managers doubled the area of wild bird seed mix plots and used a combination of agri-environment scheme options, voluntary action and upgraded greening measures to help improve the prospects for the corn buntings.
The RSPB say corn buntings in Angus can also look forward to a good 2017 as they will have access to safe nesting spaces, winter seed food and summer insect food for the chicks within a mile of their breeding territories from next year onwards.
Neil McEwan is the latest farmer to join the project in Angus.
He said: “We are very happy to start working alongside the RSPB Scotland and other local farmers by filling in the last food gap for the corn bunting in Angus.”
RSPB Scotand conservation adviser Yvonne Stephan said the future for Scottish corn buntings was looking better all the time thanks to the commitment of local farmers and estates.
She said: “ Without their hard work and generosity in going above and beyond, corn buntings would have a bleak future. It just shows what we can achieve working together with farmers, estates and other partners and what an immense difference it can make whenever people join forces.”
The Links Trust as well as the Kingsbarns and Fairmont golf courses have also joined the project and RSPB hopes that even more farmers, land owners and other partners will get on board in 2017.
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
