The Lincolnshire Bird Club

It's not always bad news for farmlamd birds.
Grey partridge in my area around Horncastle would appear to have had the most successful breeding season in 2010 as I can remember in the past 30 years that I have been farming. This BAP species of gamebird has been showing a long term decline since the early 70's and this spring adult pairs were at a low density. The warm dry weather in May and June together with a plentiful supply of insects seems to have combined to have produced a fantastic chick survival rate with exceptional large coveys now evident on the stubble fields. There would appear to be few barren pairs around with the majoriy of coveys containing over a dozen juveniles. Let's hope for good winter survival to produce a higher density of pairs for spring 2011.
Good news from the farmyard as well where 6 pairs of swallows have also had an exceptional breeding season. The 6 pairs have all been double brooded and 2 pairs have reared 3 broods producing well in excess of 60 fledglings of which over 50 have been ringed as pulli.
I have also been thrilled to have had a pair of buzzards nest within 150 yards of the farmhouse and fledging a single chick, another first for me.