Richard Evans, one of the founders of BFWN, has made the effort to visit the farms of our members. This is his report of one of his latest visits.
“In early June I visited Glebe Farm, Methwold, to meet a Chris Cox and a John Secker. John is a bit of a legend in the arable conservative world and his name crops up regularly when I’m asking for examples of success by results.
We spent a magical evening watching and listening to their increasing population of Turtle Doves and Corn Buntings, which are largely supported by carefully managed cultivated margins. I think I’m correct in saying this is one of the very few increasing populations of Turtle Doves in the U.K., an iconic bird facing extinction.
As I speak to other farms bemoaning the loss of their doves, it’s reassuring to have John’s example to follow. Maybe this is another project to roll out across the group? We have reports of doves from Steve Mumford and Will Jolly- could we work towards a seamless population across Breckland?
We have established a ‘mini-cluster ‘ in this western corner of Breckland, to be coordinated by Tim Young and supported by John Secker. I look forward to seeing and hearing the outputs of their efforts.”