Direct drilling helping birds?

[old'un]

Direct drilling helping birds? Standing in the yard at one of the farms I shoot, the farmer said look at that lot on the linseed stubble, turning round there were hundreds of Corn Buntings flitting about, he said that since he started direct drilling about three years ago he has never seen so many birds on the fields and this year he as seen a small covey of English partridge for the first time in over 25 years.

Direct drilling is almost like the days of spring sowing when the stubbles were left to over winter which helped birds during the winter months, anyone else noticed an increase in birds on the stubbles since more farms have turned to direct drilling?

 

[B725]

I think the direct drilling will help as the seeds from the original crop that fell on the ground are feeding the birds as they aren't ploughed in.

[mossy835]

when i worked on the farm, i direct drilled but we gave up for the slugs would eat the seeds, and we put slug pellets.

[JDog]

This is wheat direct drilled into a bean stubble. Its certainly good for some birds.

[stockybasher]

To me, as a non-farmer, that's an unusual way to drill into bean stubble.  Round my area they tend to wait until the beans have softened and put out shoots/volunteer crop, then disc and drill.  I would think much of those wheat seeds in your piccy will be lost as the beans re-grow and smother them ??   

Either way, should be a good feed meantime    

[NatureBoy]

22 hours ago, old'un said:

Direct drilling helping birds? Standing in the yard at one of the farms I shoot, the farmer said look at that lot on the linseed stubble, turning round there were hundreds of Corn Buntings flitting about, he said that since he started direct drilling about three years ago he has never seen so many birds on the fields and this year he as seen a small covey of English partridge for the first time in over 25 years.

Direct drilling is almost like the days of spring sowing when the stubbles were left to over winter which helped birds during the winter months, anyone else noticed an increase in birds on the stubbles since more farms have turned to direct drilling?

 

Certainly helped them when they first started doing it my way with Claydon drill a few years back when method of drilling and burial of old seed not so refined as now. Pulled a lot of pigeons in to. Still good as feed and cover for many species including hares. Not sure the increased use of slug pellets that comes with it so good for any birds though!? Need more birds to tackle the slug problem. . . . . .. Are you sure they were all corn buntings you saw Old'un? They fairly rare now and often hard to ID at distance. Plenty of flocks of mixed finches, buntings, larks and pipits my way. Grey partridges yellow hammers and greenfinches seem to be doing well again at mo. Lot of wild greys about and great to see and watch. Think the increase in rabbit numbers may of helped them? As more evidence of buzzards feeding on rabbits again now. Sadly they seem to of had a good year to. Seeing the odd of case of tricho in finches and canker in pigeons lately. Far to many magpies about that need sorting. . . . .  That field in JDogs pic certainly one to keep eye on. Lot of wheat on top amongst them beans. Some say pigeons don't like dressed seed? Others i know will not eat birds if they find it in them? . . . .  Seeing a lot more kite in Suffolk now. They often quartering the stubbles and fodder crops. . . . .   Something new/strange my way i have been keeping an eye on is fields of volunteer peas that have been left? Do/can these count of green manure now? Odd thing is i shot several good bags (40-80 odd) pigeons on them from seed time, right through lock down and up to harvest. But they have shown very little interest in them since. Some of those fields look like they have been sprayed of to. But in a strange way, like in every other pass/stripes?    NB