Big Farmland Bird Count

Taking part in the GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count.

On a crisp February morning I set off with binoculars in hand. Positioning myself at the edge of a field I dedicate 30 minutes to the Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC)! We certainly don’t classify our set-up as “Big Farmland” ! It’s a smallholding. But I put myself in the “Anyone” category. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, (GWCT) organise the Count. They state “anyone with a “farmed” landscape can take part for free”. And “ideally 2 hectares of farmed landscape”.

I follow the guidelines. The “farmed” landscape is permanent pasture grazed by sheep and cattle, producing an annual crop of hay, weather permitting! It’s bounded by native hedgerows and a small woodland. I start identifying species and counting the highest number of each.

Every February, for 2 weeks, this counting is quietly happening across the British countryside. The Big Farmland Bird Count is now underway and this year finishes on 22nd February. Launched in 2014 the count is building a valuable nationwide snapshot of farmland bird health. Farmland birds have declined by 63% in the UK since 1970. In 2025, nearly 359,000 birds were spotted across 1,332 surveys. Starlings, woodpigeons, and pink-footed geese were the most abundant species in 2025.

Endangered farmland birds on the Red List

Starlings remain on the red-list, the highest status of alarm, of the Birds of Conservation Concern latest review. In 2024 over 65 k Starlings were counted in the Farmland Bird Count. This increased to over 80k starlings in the 2025 count. SO an encouraging trend for the starlings. In total, 26 red-listed species were recorded in the 2025 BFBC. This was out of 70 species on the Red List.

But sadly I saw no starlings here on Farmland Bird Count day. This is a little worrying for us as we have seen very few this winter compared to last year. They did visit our grazed permanent pastures in the summer. There were plenty of leatherjackets for them in the autumn. Perhaps we need to look at some supplementary feeding for them in the late winter. It will be interesting to see what transpires from this year’s countrywide results. Let’s hope the overall 2026 outcome is still positive.

Fieldfares are also on the Red List. But for these winter visitors there were notable decreases in sightings across the country last year. Recently a little flock has made itself obvious here. During the count I was thrilled to see a group of 17. Hopefully my counting was precise. They are quite gregarious and quick as they flee into the nearby hedge.

2025 recordings of red-listed common gulls were up 112% and they are certainly much in evidence here. They also make their presence known spectacularly from time-to-time. Their high-pitched calls echo down from the turrets of St Bartholomew’s Church tower, which borders our property.

It is rewarding to note that 2 other species on the red list seem to be thriving here. Greenfinches and skylarks are now much more common to see around.

How our guests help farmland birds

Taking part in the Big Farmland Bird Count gives a snapshot of our feathered friends in February each year. Fortunately for us monitoring does continue pretty much throughout the year as we are helped by our guests. We’re so grateful to those who tell us about sightings on and around the fields whilst staying with us. Sometimes there is the bonus of a photo. Thereby with this team effort our observations can cover seasons as well as years. It has been a positive and hopeful story so far. It encourages us to introduce further wildlife-friendly habitats wherever possible.

Interestingly, 65% of the farms taking part in the 2025 Big Farmland Bird Count were part of an agri-environmental scheme. Since becoming a smallholder there has been no funding available for us under these schemes. Thus it is with thanks once again to our paying guests who help to fund the conservation work we undertake.