For the fourth year running, Norfolk has topped the table of responses to a national survey which reveals our most abundant farmland birds.
The ninth annual Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC) took place in February, organised by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).
Norfolk submitted more counts than any other county, with 141 reports from farmers, land managers and gamekeepers, followed by Hampshire with 80, North Yorkshire with 78, and Wiltshire and Suffolk both with 75.
The survey recorded 112 different species across more than 84,000 acres of Norfolk farmland.
The most commonly-seen birds in the county were woodpigeons, pheasants and blackbirds, spotted by more than 65pc of participants, while robins, buzzards, chaffinch and blue tits were seen by over 50pc.
And the five most abundant species recorded were lapwing, pink-footed goose, woodpigeon, starling and golden plover. A total of more than 57,000 of these birds were seen, making up over 69pc of the total recorded.
GWCT conservationists said they were also "delighted" to report that six of the top 25 most frequently-counted species are on the Red List for Birds of Conservation Concern: lapwing, starling, fieldfare, linnet, yellowhammer and skylark. They were among 22 Red List birds recorded in total in Norfolk.
The BFBC was launched in 2014 to highlight the effect of conservation work done by farmers and gamekeepers to improve habitats and help reverse the decline in farmland bird numbers.
The GWCT said 69pc of participants are in a long-term agri-environment scheme, and 36pc were providing extra seed feed for birds, either by growing wild bird seed mixes, or providing additional grain through scatter-feeding or hoppers.
Count organiser Dr Roger Draycott, of the GWCT, said: “The Big Farmland Bird Count shows that farmers are not only on the frontline of the country’s ever more important food security, but also its conservation efforts.
“The count highlights the commitment of land managers to not only undertake farmland wildlife conservation measures, but also to record and evaluate the benefits of that vital work.”
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