The RSPB is asking farmers in the North-East to help safeguard skylarks - by going bald. Skylarks are one of the UK's best-known farmland birds but during the last 30 years, their numbers have steadily dropped. Newly-released figures show that the number of skylarks declined by over a third in the North-East between 1994 and 2004. However, there is now better news for the region's skylarks, as Defra's new Entry Level Scheme (ELS) is offering a lifeline to this small farmland favourite. By leaving small bald patches in their winter crops, farmers can provide ideal nesting habitats. And it only takes a few seconds to create the plots. The birds traditionally nest and feed in and around spring-sown cereals, but by creating "skylark plots" in their cereal fields, farmers can make winter-sown crops just as attractive to these birds. Skylark plots are small areas of unsown land within a winter-sown crop. The presence of these small `bald patches' has a minimal impact on the yield of the field and can be used to score points as part of an application for the ELS. The plots make ideal foraging areas for skylarks and have been shown to increase the number of chicks, making them an important resource. Nick Mason, RSPB conservation manager for the North of England, said: "A countryside without the beautiful song of the skylark would be a much poorer place and for farmers who spend so much time out in the fields, the loss of these delightful birds would be very sad indeed. "To help the skylark, farmers just need to turn off their seed drills for a count of two seconds when sowing winter cereals. The resulting skylark plots are a really simple and yet effective way in which farmers can deliver enormous benefits for these birds, within fields of winter cereals. "We are urging farmers to help these birds by including skylark plots within their Entry Level Scheme applications. Farmers are paid £5 for each of these four-by-four metre patches, which help skylarks access nesting and feeding areas within the dense crops. Our research has shown that if enough farmers put these plots into their fields, then the decline of the skylark in England could be reversed." Farmers in the region have until the end of May to submit an ELS application allowing them to incorporate skylark plots into their agreement. Farmers can apply to enter this scheme after this date but a later application would prevent them from creating skylark plots this autumn. | 
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Enterprise North East
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