These mixtures are designed to provide a sustained source of food during winter months for targeted game and wild birds. A specified mixture or seed-bearing crop is sown and established in field margin strips and/or blocks within arable fields.
Enhance bird seed mixtures, suitable for HLS and ELS. Please check with your local adviser before sowing. Each mixture has been carefully put together by Bright Seeds and supported by Natural England, RSPB, and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Note: for the best result make sure the mix is sown away from field boundaries.
Autumn Bumble Bird
With the inclusion of legumes and wildlfowers this mix is designed primarily to offer a nectar source of pollinators. In addition to this, the cereal and brassica species produce a feed source for farmland birds. In a nutshell, the aim of this mix is to tick as many boxes as possible. It supports pollinators, it produces grain for farmland birds and it works well pratically as it is established post-harvest in the late summer.
GWCT Wildlife Mix
Bright Seeds launches the GWCT Wildlife Mix. Along with Dr Francis Buner, Head of Wildlife Recovery at the GWCT we have developed a new and exciting seed mixture.
Herb Rich Meadow - Grass
A modern take on a traditional herbal ley. The mix of grasses, legumes and herbs are suitable for productive cattle and sheep systems, whilst also providing the ideal habitat and food for pollinators. Fairly comparable to the AB15 option, this mix will improve soil structure and reduce nutrient run-off.
Herb Rich Meadow - No Grass
A modern take on a traditional herbal ley. The mix of legumes and herbs can be established into an exisiting grass sward and are suitable for productive cattle and sheep systems, whilst also providing the ideal habitat and food for pollinators. Fairly comparable to the AB15 option, this mix will improve soil structure and reduce nutrient run-off.
Legume Fallow
A two-year legume mixture. A popular option for reducing blackgrass weed burdens. The mix can be topped regularly to stop blackgrass from going to seed. From a conservation perspective the mix offers a huge amount of nectar throughout the summer. A further benefit is the fact that the legumes fix nitrogen and naturally improve the quality of the soil.
Legume Fallow with Ryegrass
A two-year legume mixture. A popular option for reducing blackgrass weed burdens. The mix can be topped regularly to stop blackgrass from going to seed. Including ryegrass in the mix is usually advisable as it improves ground coverage and establishes quickly in comparison to some of the other ingredients. From a conservation perspective the mix offers a huge amount of nectar throughout the summer. A further benefit is the fact that the legumes fix nitrogen and naturally improve the quality of the soil.
Spring Corn Bunting
This is one of our long-standing mixtures, put together over ten years ago in conjunction with Natural England. Tailored towards Corn Bunting but will provide benefits for a whole host of farmland birds. We also supply Corn Bunting Nesting (Spring Barley, Spring Wheat, Spring Triticale, White Millet, Red Millet, Mustard and Linseed) which is designed to produce spring nesting cover as well as feed value.
Comprehensive Mix
This mix has been designed to tick as many boxes as possible. It establishes quickly and goes on to produce a varied seed source for a range of farmland birds as well as a decent amount of cover.
Yellow Hammer
With the inclusion of fast-growing brassicas this mixture tends to establish well. When planted in the spring both the mustard and radish will flower then set seed, producing an invaluable feed source through the winter. As with the other mixtures the cereals and millets produce a healthy grain yield too.
Grey Partridge
With many customers keen to encourage and improve grey partridge populations this mix has been developed. Kale offers good cover from avian predators and linseed and gold of pleasure produce seed heads relatively low to the ground, so within easy reach of game birds.
AB1 Nectar Flower Mix
The AB1 Nectar Flower Mix is a very striking mixture; it will provide a vibrant display of colour all summer. All the components within the mix flower and produce a food source for pollinators. Works well established in late spring into a fine and warm seed bed.
Beetle Bank
A tussocky grass mix designed to be established on newly created bettle-banks. The habitat created by these grasses provides a haven for invertebrates whilst also creating ideal cover for ground nesting birds.
Margin Grass
An ideal mixture for buffer strips and margins on cultivated land. Our margin mix can be grown on all soil types and it creates a favourable habitat for invertebrates and small mammals. The main objective of establishing grass margins is to protect vulnerable areas, such as water courses, from agrochemicals and fertiliser runoff. Like beetle banks, they also create invaluable 'wildlife corridors' between large areas of habitat.
Wildflower Margin
This mixture of traditional grasses and wildflowers provides an important habitat for invertebrates, including pollinators such as bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies. The increase in insect numbers leads to a knock-on benefit to ground-nesting birds such as grey partridges which rely on a healthy insect population as a feed source for their young. This option can be established in the spring or autumn.