Birdlife

Conservation is at the heart of the farming practices at Hare Farm, and over the last ten years, we have seen great improvements in the variety of wildlife that has settled here.

Our owl boxes in barns at Hare Farm and at Great Knights Farm (just across the river) have been hugely successful in allowing the barn owls to become permanent residents. We have enjoyed their company for over ten years now, with the annual highlight of owlets being born, and the regular highlight of the parents flying to and fro the barn in search of food.

The native grey partridge is now in residence down on the marshes. We introduced the species back on to the farm in 2010 with a dozen young birds that our uncle hatched and reared. The 2012 Birdtrack report proved our success with ten sightings officially recorded on 9th March. 

This latest Birdtrack report, based just a few metres from our farm boundary, cited an astonishing 61 bird species in total that were spotted in one single day. The Brede Valley where Hare Farm sits, is undoubtedly a fabulous area for bird watching. 

Here is the list of sightings from the Birdtrack Report 9th March 2012:

• Mute swan
• Greylag goose
• Canada goose
• Hybrid goose
• Mandarin duck
• Wigeon
• Gadwall
• Teal
• Mallard
• Pintail
• Shoveler
• Grey partridge
• Pheasant
• Little grebe
• Cormorant
• Little egret
• Grey heron
• Marsh harrier
• Buzzard
• Kestrel
• Water rail
• Moorhen
• Coot
• Lapwing
• Snipe
• Black-headed gull
• Common gull
• Herring gull
• Great black-backed gull
• Feral pigeon
• Stock dove
• Woodpigeon
• Collared dove
• Green woodpecker
• Great spotted woodpecker
• Skylark
• Pied wagtail
• Wren
• Dunnock
• Robin
• Blackbird
• Fieldfare
• Song thrush
• Mistle thrush
• Goldcrest
• Long-tailed tit
• Blue tit
• Great tit
• Treecreeper
• Magpie
• Jackdaw
• Rook
• Carrion crow
• House sparrow
• Chaffinch
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Linnet
• Bullfinch
• Yellowhammer
• Reed bunting