Rutland - Farming & Conservation at Eyebrook Wild Bird Feeds (Day Trip)

In the spring and summer, summer migrants join the resident birds (such as Skylark and Yellowhammer) to breed on or near the farm and include common warblers, Yellow Wagtails, Swallows and House Martins. We will scan the skies for raptors which could include locally-breeding Osprey, Red Kite, Common Buzzard, Hobby, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel.

Strips of carefully cultivated nectar-laden flowers are managed for bees, butterflies and other insects and we hope to witness their comings and goings. A number of nest-boxes are utilized by a range of species and a wild bird feeding station is maintained for supplementary food.

The working farm has both arable and breeding sheep interests – typical crops include wheat for Weetabix, barley, beans and millet. Wildlife restoration projects include pond restoration, hedge planting and laying, over-wintering stubbles, grass margins and using the grazing methods of sheep to replace the use of chemicals on the land. Sympathetic wildlife-friendly farming designs to present fields with different crops next to each other and cultivating late in the season to leave stubbles to glean and moving to spring sowing which assists in natural food and breeding habitats for birds and other wildlife associated with farmland.

To encompass all of the farming principles, Rectory Farm is an active member of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming). The farm has won several awards including ‘Most Beautiful Farm Award’, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) Silver Lapwing Award and were regional finalists for the RSPB Nature of Farming Award and finalists in the Farmer’s Weekly ‘Countryside Farmer of the Year’.

Regenerative agriculture can be described as farming the old fashioned way with crop, grass and livestock rotations, keeping crops in the ground all year to improve the soil and minimize cultivation to protect the topsoil and lock in carbon.

Rectory Farm is also the home of Eyebrook Wild Bird Feeds and provides nutritious, naturally-balanced seed mixes grown on the farm. They also sell straight seeds, suet products, mealworms and similar, from local British sources wherever possible.

We will enjoy a tour of the mixing barn where the bird food is processed and all being well a hot beverage and home-baked scones at an appropriate time!

Should time and opportunity permit, we can conclude with a little birdwatching scanning the shoreline of the adjacent Eyebrook Reservoir, the body of water which in the Second World War was utilised by the famous RAF ‘Dambusters’ squadron to practise dropping the ‘bouncing bomb from Lancaster bombers.