CAHL2 | AHL2 | AB9 1 - Year Wild Bird Mix: Finch and Bunting (CSS10/FCB)

50% Spring Barley
30% Spring Triticale
7% Sunflower
5% Red Millet
5% White Millet
3% Quinoa

COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP AB9 - WINTER BIRD FOOD

What To Sow

Establish a mix that contains at least 6 small seed-bearing crops between 1st March and 15th June. Seed mixes may contain a maximum of three cereal crops.  

Annual mixes include a range of cereal, brassica and other small-seeded crops such as millet, wheat, linseed and dwarf sunflowers. For two-year mixes, biennial plants such as kale, and stubble turnips can be used and will continue to grow. 

Structural crops such as chicory and dwarf sorghum can be used, but ensure they do not compete with the main seed-bearing crops by sowing at a low rate. 

Ensure that a single crop group, such as cereals or brassica, does not exceed 90% of the total seed mix by weight. 

Where To Sow

This mix will work best in sunny, fertile locations where woodland shade is avoided. Establish in blocks or strips of at least 6m wide and between 0.4ha and 5ha in size ideally next to a field edge. 

Larger areas of winter bird food allow essential food sources are kept later into winter, in small plots the birds tend to eat the food within a short period of time. 

How To Sow

Create a fine and stale seedbed and sow the seed mix between 1.5cm - 2.5cm. Sowing at a deeper depth will ensure sufficient levels of warmth and moisture to aid brassica to germinate and protect against flea beetle damage. 

Information in this article is given in good faith but should not be seen as a substitute for complete guidance issued at www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for further information.

COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP AB9 - WINTER BIRD FOOD

Maintenance and Management

During the summer, the plants will be growing and flowering. Leave these plots as in the Autumn the plants will have set seed which will help to feed farmland birds during the 'hungry gap'. Ensure the winter bird food plots are kept until 15th February each year. 

Re-establish one-year mixes annually and two-year mixes every other year to maintain seed production.

Records and Evidence

Keep records as evidence of establishment and maintenance such as, but not limited to, the list below:

• Seed invoices
• Field operations at parcel level
• Contractor invoices
• Records of grazing activity
• Photographs of the established seed mix

Information in this article is given in good faith but should not be seen as a substitute for complete guidance issued at www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for further information.