Today Paul Gillet and I went to see some game cover and stewardship seed mixtures sold by David Bright Seeds Paul is the Head Keeper at Overbury and together we wanted to go down and have a look at different mixes of seed after the hard winter weather we have been having. This would help us determine if there are any new varieties or species we should be trying that will stand up better to the cold weather.
Much of the grain maize was still standing, as was the cobless maize but much of the forage maize was flat. We looked at varieties of sorghum, millet (red and white), kale, mustard, turnips and a host of other species of planted, all designed to either feed or provide cover (shelter) for game birds, with benefits to other species.
Having just been accepted into the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme, I was keen to look at different seed mixtures aimed at providing feed and cover for our 6 target wild birds (Grey Partridge, Lapwing, Turtle-dove, Skylark, Yellow Wagtail and Trees sparrow). We saw mixes for yellow hammer and tree sparrow, both of which we have tried here at Overbury, containing mustard, mixed millet, spring wheat, spring barley and fodder raddish. Lots to think about and plan for ready for planting this spring.
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