With temperatures set to plummet again this winter and snow forecast in some parts of the UK as early as October, it is as important than ever for shoots, landowners and conservationists to think about the survival of our favourite farmland birds during ‘The Hungry Gap’.
But what is ‘The Hungry Gap’? Is it possible to assist our songbirds and farmland birds this year even if nothing has been put in the ground? And why is it important that we start thinking about next years hungry gap already?
What is ‘The Hungry Gap’?
The hungry gap refers to the time of the year when the winter is at its harshest and natural food sources – such as seeds, berries, and insects – are scarce or unavailable to farmland and game birds. Typically, it lasts from December until the middle of March.
What Causes ‘The Hungry Gap’?
There are two causes above all that can be seen as the reasons for the hungry gap. One is the weather, and the other is modern agricultural practices.
With regards to the weather, this is fairly self-explanatory. Hard, cold snaps throughout these non- growing months make finding any sort of diet difficult or non-existent. We are all familiar with the bare trees, hedgerows and bushes at this time.
Modern agricultural practise, with its machine-like efficiency since the end of WWII, has also led to an increase in the severity of the hungry gap for several reasons –
- More Winter cropping has replaced Spring cropping which has resulted in no stubbles and less weeds.
- There is considerably less grain waste due to more efficient combines. This results in less grain left behind in the field.
- Better grain storage facilities prevent wildlife from helping itself in the yards.
- More effective herbicides leave less weed species to seed.
- More hedgerow cutting – hedgerows need second year growth to produce fruit and berries.
It isn’t just agriculture that has caused reductions in habitat. Woodlands cut down for timber, and more recently housing and industry have all encroached both brown and green fields.
How to Help
The two main options recommended are to feed through the hungry gap and to plant wild bird mixes that provide feed through the hungry gap – also known as supplementary feeding.
If you are looking to enhance the hungry gap this coming winter but have not planted anything, then supplementary feeding can still be extremely helpful to farmland birds, game birds and other wildlife. There are a number of mixes available – please see our options – which include specific feeding mixes and holding mixes. If nothing else, wheat and cut maize can do an excellent job due to its high protein and starch levels.
Unlike supplementary feeding, planting wild bird mixes requires forward thinking and planning, so that the crop is ready and providing seed when the hungry gap arrives.
Increased areas of wild bird mixtures are ideal, especially if spread across land and linked up via ‘corridors’. Bigger plots are also better than smaller plots for sustained usage and cover from the kind of weather conditions that can be expected in winter.
An example of supplementary feeding
Best Options…
If thinking ahead and looking to plant stewardship and wild bird mixtures, there are a number of options. The ideal scenario is to plant a mosaic of species and mixtures tat will establish and ripen at different times – staggering food production throughout the hungry gap.
For example, species such as summer sown fodder radish will hold its seed until the depths of winter, whereas a spring sown cereal mixture will be spent by the end of December.
Though much of this depends on location and weed burden, an ideal way to work it would be to have two-hectare blocks which consist of four mixtures – Early Bird, Broad Buster or Easy Grow, Pheasant & Finch and Grass Buster. The benefits here are that the four mixtures will allow for different planting times, spreading the workload and providing staggered ripening times. This example also offers weed control to help make the plots more productive. Although weed seeds can provide feed, ultimately if left unmanaged they will choke out the crop.
Understandably, some may not have the luxury of space so the previous example may be difficult to turn into reality. The most important aspect of all of this is to plan ahead. For example, Kale won’t produce any seed until the second year – this must be considered when planting Kale.
We have a huge range of mixtures that can be used to provide feed in the hungry gap, and advisors on hand to help you decide – so feel free to contact the office an talk options through.
Final Thoughts
A final important piece of advice is to use land sensibly. If there is difficult land that cannot be farmed – due to poor access for example – then rather than leaving it bare, this is a perfect area to set up wild bird mixtures on.
Another thought that is worth taking into consideration is the changes made to stewardship programmes by the New Agriculture Bill. It is expected that farmers and landowners are set to receive more money from the government as reward for doing more environmental work – such as feeding farmland birds. Once the complexities of the bill have been voted on and agreed, it is well worth taking note of its implications. Hopefully this includes something that protects the high standard of British food…
Our Pheasant & Finch Mixture – Ideal for providing feed for farmland birds