Lots of Linnets

11/11/2015 03:46:00 pm 0 Comments

Dr Richard Broughton from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, had a great visit to the farm this month when he came to update the bird survey. The size and diversity of our bird food plots is really paying off.



He recorded approx 300 Linnets, 100+ Yellowhammers, 35 Goldfinches, 60 Greenfinches, 140 Fieldfares (on the hedgerow berries), about 30 Song Thrushes, and SIX new bird species! These were Stonechat, Brambling, Grey Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, Golden Plover (a fly-over flock) and a young Cormorant checking out the ponds from the air. That takes the bird list to 67 species. Richard also added a new mammal - Grey Squirrel - although this was close to the owl box and might have moved in.

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Cotswold Rivers Trust Demo Day

11/02/2015 11:30:00 am , 0 Comments

Last year, with the help of the Cotswold Rivers Trust, we created a natural flood management feature at Honeydale Farm to hold up water flow at peak times and reduce the input into the River Evenlode, as well as creating a more diverse wetland habitat. Since the project at Honeydale provides a small scale, working example of how this type of flood management can be implemented on wider catchments in the UK, we were delighted to welcome representatives from various water and river authorities, councils, and bodies including the Environment Agency, as well local people and flood action groups, to discuss what we had done and it’s wider implications.





The day's events, which began at the Beaconsfield Hall in Shipton Under-Wychwood, were introduced by Trevor Cramphorn, Chairman of Cotswold Rivers Trust, before Ian Wilkinson and Sam Lane talked about the water management works that have been undertaken at Honeydale Farm. This was followed by presentations from waterways management specialist Vaughan Lewis, Dave Gasca, Hydrologist from the Evenlode Catchment Partnership and, Alistair Yeomans, Chartered Forester from the Sylva Foundation who spoke on the topic of Woodlands for Water. The day ended, after lunch and a Q&A session, with a site visit and tour of the works at Honeydale Farm.






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