Ashley Whitlock
Hampshire & IOW Butterflies and Moths
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Farmers Clusters in Hampshire - Martin Down
17 November 2022
Martin Down farmers creating spaces for rare butterflies on Dorset-Hampshire border
British native wildflower seeds for planting on the new butterfly bank on Martin Down Farmer Cluster
Rare butterflies and bees will find refuge in the countryside on the Dorset – Hampshire border after two new butterfly banks were created on the Martin Down Farmer Cluster. The chalk banks, on farmland close to the Martin Down National Nature Reserve, have been planted with kidney vetch and seven species of native wildflowers. The rare Small Blue Butterfly lays its eggs, lives and feeds exclusively on kidney vetch.
The Martin Down Farmer Cluster is a group of 15 farmers who farm the area around the nationally important Martin Down National Nature Reserve. Since 2017 they have worked together to support the wildlife which make their home on the reserve and surrounding farmland by improving and developing wildlife-friendly habitat alongside productive agriculture.
The new butterfly banks were created on a farm within the Cranborne Estate which is part of the Martin Down Farmer Cluster. The project was funded by Natural England as part of a wider project of species enhancement through their ‘Creating Spaces for Species’ project and managed on their behalf by the Dorset-based Footprint Ecology. The chalk banks for small blue butterfly were part of a range of projects including scraping away the soil and sowing juniper seeds on Martin Down National Nature Reserve.
Megan Lock, Farmland Biodiversity Advisor with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), is the Farmer Cluster Facilitator. She provides conservation advice and support to the farmer cluster and helped facilitate the project. Megan said:
“After the banks were constructed, we planted nearly 400 kidney vetch plug plants, as well as seeding the banks with Horseshoe and Tufted Vetches, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Self-heal, Lady’s Bedstraw, Devil’s-bit Scabious and Salad Burnet.
“These plants should thrive in the nutrient-poor soil but still leave lots of bare earth for mining bees and burrowing wasps. The Small Blue Butterfly has been chosen by the cluster farmers as one of their priority species. This new habitat should help them increase their range around the Martin Down NNR. The new butterfly banks will also be included in our monitoring programme so we will be able to measure the impact of this conservation work.”
The Small Blue Butterfly is known for being the smallest butterfly found in the UK, although it is not particularly blue in colour. The chalk downland of the Martin Down National Nature Reserve is a key stronghold for this threatened species.
The banks are approximately 30m long and 1-2m high but are situated on slopes so look much larger with a south-facing flank. They were constructed by digging a trench and burying the topsoil from the bank and adjacent scrape. The chalk sub-soil is then mounded on top covering the topsoil. This created bank and scrape features that are approximately 600-900 sq m in size.
Scattering native wildflower seeds on the new butterfly bank at Martin Down Farmer Cluster
The Martin Down Farmer Cluster is one of around 200 similar groups of farmers working together for wildlife in the UK. The Martin Down farmers have chosen turtle dove, hedgehogs, harvest mice, arable flora, bumblebees, small blue butterfly, dark-green fritillary, Duke of Burgundy and lapwing, soil organic matter and chalk downland as the priorities for their conservation work.
Since forming the farmer cluster in 2017, the Martin Down farmers achievements have included planting more than 10km of new hedgerows and increasing pollinator habitat by 50%, installing barn owl boxes, creating 21 turtle dove puddles and ponds and five new butterfly banks, creating habitat for grey partridge and monitoring hedgehogs. As facilitator Megan carries out wildlife monitoring to measure the impact of their work.
The new butterfly banks were created with the help of the staff of Cranborne Estate and Footprint Ecology.
Rare butterflies and bees will find refuge in the countryside on the Dorset – Hampshire border after two new butterfly banks were created on the Martin Down Farmer Cluster. The chalk banks, on farmland close to the Martin Down National Nature Reserve, have been planted with kidney vetch and seven species of native wildflowers. The rare Small Blue Butterfly lays its eggs, lives and feeds exclusively on kidney vetch.
The Martin Down Farmer Cluster is a group of 15 farmers who farm the area around the nationally important Martin Down National Nature Reserve. Since 2017 they have worked together to support the wildlife which make their home on the reserve and surrounding farmland by improving and developing wildlife-friendly habitat alongside productive agriculture.
The new butterfly banks were created on a farm within the Cranborne Estate which is part of the Martin Down Farmer Cluster. The project was funded by Natural England as part of a wider project of species enhancement through their ‘Creating Spaces for Species’ project and managed on their behalf by the Dorset-based Footprint Ecology. The chalk banks for small blue butterfly were part of a range of projects including scraping away the soil and sowing juniper seeds on
Martin Down National Nature Reserve
Megan Lock, Farmland Biodiversity Advisor with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), is the Farmer Cluster Facilitator. She provides conservation advice and support to the farmer cluster and helped facilitate the project. Megan said:
“After the banks were constructed, we planted nearly 400 kidney vetch plug plants, as well as seeding the banks with Horseshoe and Tufted Vetches, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Self-heal, Lady’s Bedstraw, Devil’s-bit Scabious and Salad Burnet.
“These plants should thrive in the nutrient-poor soil but still leave lots of bare earth for mining bees and burrowing wasps. The Small Blue Butterfly has been chosen by the cluster farmers as one of their priority species. This new habitat should help them increase their range around the Martin Down NNR. The new butterfly banks will also be included in our monitoring programme so we will be able to measure the impact of this conservation work.”
The Small Blue Butterfly is known for being the smallest butterfly found in the UK, although it is not particularly blue in colour. The chalk downland of the Martin Down National Nature Reserve is a key stronghold for this threatened species.
The banks are approximately 30m long and 1-2m high but are situated on slopes so look much larger with a south-facing flank. They were constructed by digging a trench and burying the topsoil from the bank and adjacent scrape. The chalk sub-soil is then mounded on top covering the topsoil. This created bank and scrape features that are approximately 600-900 sq m in size.
The Martin Down Farmer Cluster is one of around 200 similar groups of farmers working together for wildlife in the UK. The Martin Down farmers have chosen turtle dove, hedgehogs, harvest mice, arable flora, bumblebees, small blue butterfly, dark-green fritillary, Duke of Burgundy and lapwing, soil organic matter and chalk downland as the priorities for their conservation work.
Since forming the farmer cluster in 2017, the Martin Down farmers achievements have included planting more than 10km of new hedgerows and increasing pollinator habitat by 50%, installing barn owl boxes, creating 21 turtle dove puddles and ponds and five new butterfly banks, creating habitat for grey partridge and monitoring hedgehogs. As facilitator Megan carries out wildlife monitoring to measure the impact of their work.
The new butterfly banks were created with the help of the staff of Cranborne Estate and Footprint Ecology.
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Farmers Clusters in Hampshire - Noar Hill
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Area of group (Hectares): 4182
Selborne’s varied landscape is underpinned by 5 soil types each supporting different wildlife. This variety was first acknowledged by Gilbert White.
Group Themes:
Woodlands and Grassland: protect, enhance and link existing species rich sites with wider countryside
Farm Wildlife: co-ordinated habitat creation for pollinators, farmland birds, mammals
Soils & Water: best practice soil management to enhance water quality; bankside management; enhance & connect pond network
Heritage & Culture: increase awareness of historic environment; develop links with local community
Priorities:
1. Biodiversity; 1.1 Designated Sites · Hangers (Natura 2000 site, SAC, SSSI) · Noar Hill (National Nature Reserve, SSSI) · Selborne Common (SSSI)
1.2 Priority Habitats · Ancient Woodland · Wood Pasture & Parkland · Lowland calcareous grassland & Lowland meadows · Fen, floodplain grazing marsh & rush pasture · Riparian · Arable field margins · Lowland heath
1.3 Priority Species CS priority species present: duke of burgundy, brown hairstreak, corn bunting, lapwing, turtle dove. S41 species e.g. harvest mouse, dormouse, great crested newt.
1.4. Woodland bird assemblage Willow tit, spotted flycatcher, tree pipit, lesser spotted woodpecker present.
1.5 Wild pollinator & farm wildlife package Farm Wildlife Package Hotspot for pollinators. S41 species e.g. grey partridge; CS priority species.
2. Woodland: Natura 2000 sites, SSSI & SAC; ASNW, PAWS, priority species; new planting.
3. Landscape: hedgerows, trees, permanent grassland – all present
4.Water Quality: Phosphate, nitrate, sediment & pesticides in Rother and Wey. Two EA surface water safeguard zones highlights methaldehyde, carbetamide & glyphosate as ‘at risk’ substances
5.Historic Environment: · Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) e.g. Selborne Priory · Non-statutory sites e.g. sunken lanes · Registered Parks & Gardens II* e.g. The Wakes · Listed farm buildings
6.Multiple benefits & synergies: landscape character, connectivity & water quality; habitat management for priority species & pollinators, climate change adaptation.
In Selborne, 16 farmers with a total of 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) surrounding the village have joined together to form a cluster group − the Selborne Landscape Partnership (SLP) − to coordinate the environmental work that is being undertaken on farms locally.
In addition to the 16 farmer members, there are four other important group members: the National Trust (NT), at Selborne Common and the Lythes; The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust at Noar Hill; the Woodland Trust at Binswood; and Gilbert White & The Oates Collections in Selborne village. The cluster group gains enormously from the expertise and enthusiasm of these four partners. Support is also received from the cluster’s advisors and stakeholders: The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), Natural England (NE) and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).
Group aims and objectives
With Gilbert White’s Selborne at its heart, the cluster group’s aim is to adopt a joined-up approach to nature conservation, building on the existing environmental work that is already being successfully undertaken alongside conventional modern-day farming activities.
The English countryside is primarily a managed and farmed landscape, and much of the biodiversity is as a result of the way in which the land is used. With a more joined-up approach to individual farm conservation activities, the cluster group plans to establish wildlife corridors and restore the interconnectivity between habitats across an entire landscape. This collaborative work includes managing a network of hedgerows and purposely created field margins; planting a mosaic of seed mixes for winter bird feed and wildflowers for insects; winter supplementary feeding, which involves spreading seed-food during the ‘hungry gap’ from January to April, when natural seed sources are depleted; and the management of ponds and woodlands, etc.
The farmers within the cluster have selected a number of flagship bird, mammal, insect and reptile species on which they intend to focus their conservation efforts. By monitoring these species, they hope to demonstrate that their conservation work is achieving positive results, while also enabling them to better target their future conservation work. The work that they do for their target species also benefits a wide range of others.
Species of interest
Positive stories tend not to be regarded as newsworthy, but in 2016 the Selborne Landscape Partnership did hit the headlines with national press coverage on one of its target species − the harvest mouse. This mouse was first identified as a separate species by Gilbert White, who in November 1767 wrote:
I have procured some of the mice… They are much smaller and more slender than the [house mouse]; and have more of the squirrel or dormouse colour: their belly is white; a straight line along their sides divides the shades of their back and belly. They never enter into houses; are carried into ricks and barns with the sheaves; abound in harvest, and build their nests amidst the straws of the corn above the ground, and sometimes in thistles. They breed as many as eight at a litter, in a little round nest composed of the blades of grass or wheat.
With only one harvest mouse nest recorded in the Selborne area since the 1990s, it was feared that the species was locally extinct. This prompted the farmer members, alongside a group of volunteers, to conduct a harvest mouse survey, resulting in more than 470 nests being recorded during 2014 and 2015. The tennis-ball-sized nests, constructed of woven grass, were predominantly found close to hedgerows in arable field margins, which are established and managed specifically for wildlife. Further surveys will enable them to continue to monitor this species and to more effectively focus their management strategies.
Noar Hill Nature Reserve and Selborne Common are home to two rare species of butterfly: the Duke of Burgundy and the brown hairstreak. A great example of both the landscape-scale approach to nature conservation and the benefits of collaborative working is demonstrated by the downland restoration project undertaken by Blackmoor Estate. An area of land between Noar Hill and Selborne Common that was formerly in arable use has now been successfully converted to chalk grass downland. In collaboration with the NT and the SDNPA, green hay was harvested from its flower-rich meadows in the village and this green hay was spread by volunteers on the prepared arable land.
After a period of careful management, the newly created meadow now has a wide variety of plant species that benefit these two rare butterflies along with numerous other species. Linking these known butterfly hotspots boosts the resilience of those populations to threats such as climate change. The meadow creation has been such a success that it is now being used to supply seed for further new meadows in the SDNP.
During the spring of 2018, in collaboration with SDVRS volunteers, cowslip plug plants were strategically planted in grass margins around the edge of arable fields adjacent to Noar Hill, to encourage the Duke of Burgundy to widen its range; cowslip is the main food plant for this species. This project was extremely successful, with more than 400 plants being planted, and the intention was to repeat this activity later in the autumn.
A brown hairstreak egg count was also planned across the partnership for winter 2018/19 to continue the existing survey work carried out by the NT, to identify areas where this species is present in and around Selborne village. The survey will allow us to better tailor our management practices – in terms of hedge-cutting and margin management. The brown hairstreak lays its eggs on young blackthorn suckers at the base of hedgerows, so, if a hedge or margin can be cut on rotation rather than annually, this means there will always be suitable egg-laying habitat available. A follow-up hedgerow management training event for group members was scheduled for later 2018.
Group coordination
In 2016 the SLP cluster group appointed a conservation advisor or ‘facilitator’ to assist the group in devising its aims and objectives, selecting its target species and developing conservation projects. The group’s facilitator provides support to the group and its members, coordinating group activities, training events, meetings, species monitoring and knowledge transfer. This facilitating role is funded for five years by NE.
The group meets formally twice per year to discuss existing and planned projects. From these meetings various other sessions are organized, so that members of the cluster can learn from others within and outside the group that have experience or expertise of particular land-management and conservation techniques. Hearing about other work that is going on within the cluster group area is inspiring, and all the members of the SLP take pride in their conservation work. It is very rewarding to see the positive results of the work that has been ongoing on the farms. The fact that Rotherfield Park Estate has scientifically proven data showing increasing numbers of farmland bird populations is encouraging and demonstrates that this landscape-scale approach to nature conservation does work.
All of the farms within the SLP are commercial farming businesses whose primary objective is food production, and we are very fortunate to have a diverse range of farming types in the locality. These include beef and dairy farms, sheep, orchards, speciality flowers (e.g. lavender) and combinable crops such as wheat, barley, oilseed rape, linseed and oats. It is these viable farming businesses that have the ability and desire to deliver significant environmental benefits and that are carrying out this valuable conservation work with the support of NE, GWCT, SDNPA and NT.
We are convinced that a collaborative and mutually supportive approach to nature conservation across the SLP’s area will deliver what we’re seeking − a diverse and vibrant wildlife population.
KATE FAULKNER and DEBBIE MILLER
Selborne Landscape Partnership
South Downs Farmers Group
In 2016 18 farmers in the South Downs came together to form the South Downs Farmers Group. Together they farm over 5,000 hectares and new members are joining all the time. Group members are all motivated by a deep respect for the landscape of the South Downs. They have a shared passion to farm in a way which delivers public benefits, including high quality, affordable food, as well as enhancing the natural environment and local wildlife.
The land within the South Downs Farmers Group has huge diversity with areas of lowland calcareous grassland, coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, ancient and native woodland and arable margins. The area is characterised by some prominent local landmarks many of which have important conservation designations. There are the great downs of Butser Hill and Kingley Vale which are both National Nature Reserves and Special Areas of Conservation. Between them are many areas of undesignated chalk grassland including several County Wildlife Sites. In addition to important conservation sites the cluster group area also includes many archaeological and historical sites which members are keen to maintain and enhance through appropriate land management.
The South Downs Farmers Cluster Group has set some challenging priorities for the first period of its operation. These include the following:
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Increasing the connections between habitats to improve the opportunities for wildlife. Mapping of existing habitats is to be followed by targeted habitat management and creation with an emphasis on connecting species-rich grasslands, woodlands (especially Yew woods), hedgerows and ponds.
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In partnership with Portsmouth Water deliver new soil, crop and nutrient management (including maximising the use of cover crops and fallow periods) to improve the protection of water resources.
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The group has identified 4 priority species and 1 priority habitat type to focus on with the intention to increase the potential for species populations to flourish in the land within the South Downs Farmers Group. The priority species are Lapwing, Grey Partridge, Barn Owl and Brown Hare and the habitat type is insect-rich habitats including on arable land.
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Increasing partnerships and wider engagement to improve community understanding of and involvement in land and habitat management in the South Downs.
Farmers Clusters in Hampshire - Winchester to the SouthDowns
THE BENEFITS
The mixed farming practised across the South Downs is especially beneficial, in itself providing a wide range of habitats and resources for wildlife.
Government funded agri-environment schemes provide a means of utilising less productive areas of the farm whilst contributing to the wider business, both financially and ecologically. For example, leaving grass margins around the edge of fields provides a home for beetles and spiders, which in turn prey on crop pests such as aphids, reducing the need for spraying to control them. This section looks at the range of conservation work that farmers are doing across the South Downs.
HABITATS
Wander through the South Downs and you will discover a rich mosaic of habitats, many of which are a result of the farming that takes place here. These habitats form a living network across the Downs, and provide us with many important ‘ecosystem services’ such as access and recreation, food, timber and pure clean water.
Our farmland has more to it than first meets the eye, with many farmers and land managers actively creating and managing these habitats. They include iconic chalk downland and other grassland habitats such as wet meadows and rough tussock pastures. Arable fields are managed to include a variety of habitats such as grass margins, low intensity crops, wild bird seed mixtures and pollen and nectar plots. Linking all of these together are a network of hedgerows, woodlands and copses that provide connectivity across the landscape.
SOIL
The soils on the South Downs are usually described as being very ‘light’, which means that they generally easy to cultivate. With underlying chalk, most of the farmland on the South Downs also drains well. This is useful for farmers as it means that there are not many times when the ground is too wet to tend or harvest their crops. Cattle and sheep can also often be grazed outside during the winter on pastures that don’t become waterlogged. Bordering the chalk in the north and west is an area known as the western Weald, with light soils based on Greensand, and heavier clay soils, all of which are also farmed but can be prone to waterlogging during wetter periods.
Despite the variation in soil types, they all have one thing in common; they are the primary resource in which farmers produce our food. Soil conservation is becoming a key priority for the farming sector, and many techniques and methods are being employed to care for and rejuvenate this important commodity.
SPECIES
Farmland on the South Downs hosts an array of birds, plants, insects and mammals. They range from the skylark with its bubbling summer song, to rare arable plants such as the prickly poppy and brown hares that roam across the open landscape. Many of these species are farmland specialists, meaning that they rely on the way in which farmers manage the landscape and the habitats that they provide.
As part of the way in which they manage their farms, many farmers create habitats that are designed to benefit certain species or farm in a way that fits with their life cycles. This is not only because they want the countryside to be ‘alive’, but also because wildlife also has other unseen benefits or services on which we depend. Insects pollinate many of our food crops; trees act as carbon stores and provide wood fuel; wildlife such as fish, pheasants and deer are a source of food; and many wild animals control pests such as mosquitoes and aphids. So, protecting our wildlife not only benefits them but all of us as well.
WATER
Water on the South Downs takes two key forms, surface water including rivers and streams, and ground water that is stored in the chalk aquifer. Acting like a giant sponge, the famous white chalk of the South Downs hills soaks up and stores water for around 1.2 million people in the south east. Farming has an important link to this process, and can significantly influence the quality of the water that is stored.
Many farmers have adopted practices that improve the quality of the water in the aquifer by reducing the inputs that they use, specifically nitrates, and making sure that the crops they grow use it in the most efficient way. They are also starting to work with water companies to find cost effective and practical solutions that help to make our water cleaner at the source and therefore reducing the amount that is spent on treating and cleaning water before we can drink it.
In the river valleys, floodplain grassland becomes annually inundated by the winter rains. Farmers manage ditches and put intervention measures in place to stop the soil from being washed off the fields and contaminating watercourses in times of flood.
