Crop and habitat diversity

We try to maintain a relatively wide range of crops on Abbey Farm and retain diversity in the surrounding landscape. This creates a wider range of conditions on the farm at any one time. We occasionally come across examples of common wildlife species focussing in on particular parts of the farm. Some are predictable, such as Pink-footed Geese feeding on harvested sugar beet fields. Others we didn’t expect:

  • Curlew on late spring stubble
  • Stock Dove on corn gromwell stubble
  • Lapwing on corn gromwell in the late spring
  • Black-headed Gull feeding on small chafer
  • Skylark on oilseed rape in snow
  • Thrushes in oilseed rape stubble
This small area of cereal stubble was still being used by a flock of 12 Curlew through into early May when no other Curlew were on the farm
This small area of cereal stubble was still being used by a flock of 12 Curlew through into early May when no other Curlew were on the farm
Wintering Stock Dove over a corn gromwell stubble
Wintering Stock Dove over a corn gromwell stubble