When it turns to winter….its wild
- Jan 20
- 2 min read
Some folks may have experienced their first fall of snow across the UK this month, with potentially more forecast to come. At the Estate, we have areas of 'wilderness', habitats that are designed just for these periods of tough weather conditions.
We do not think of just this farm when it comes to creating an environment or development of the landscape - our fields, watercourses and woodlands. For a number of years the Estate has looked to broaden our range of habitat to create wildlife safe havens and corridors, linking ourselves up to other neighbouring estates through initiatives such as Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
The scheme in England was designed to protect and improve the environment, through managing habitats, improving water quality, and creating wildlife areas. Sadly, the scheme has been scaled back in the last year by the current government, however, combined with our farming practice, we can still see the impact this work has had on the biodiversity of the Estate.
Venturing out on a snow-day across the Estate, really brings home this reality quite starkly. Looking across the fields, you see brown hares scamping in the snow. Turn a corner into a field of sugarbeet, you see six or seven Roe Deer feeding. The stubble turnips in the green cover crops we saw earlier in the autumn are now providing carbohydrate-rich food for all manner of animals and of course, the sheep brought over from the neighbouring estate - turning the green crop into fertiliser.
Further down the hedge there is movement as we see a covey of partridge scuttling into a warm and dry habitat and from a wildbird mix area of a field, starlings lift into flight. A little flutter of wings shows a Wren hunting in the cover for food, along with Yellow Hammers and Wagtails.
Our wild areas are helping so many species this winter. You just need to be wrapped up warm to go and see them all!
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