You may have noticed that some of our fields are changing colour as we approach the summer. We’ve recently added just over 4ha of Bumblebird mix to the fields below Tom’s Yat beside the A174 coast road. This brings the total to just under 19ha of the mix across the Estate.

Situated in favourable locations, the mix includes species such as Linseed, Fodder Radish, White Mustard, Kale and Quinoa. Not only does this turn to seed and feed the wild farmland birds in the winter, it also benefits insects such Bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies during the summer months. Combined with another 27ha of Winter bird food mix this equates to a significant area of land devoted to crops to encourage biodiversity across the Estate.

Keep a lookout for the fields of colour this summer, they’re bringing real benefits to the birds and the bees of Mulgrave Estate.

More information on wild bird food can be found here https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/conservation/conservation-and-sustainability/farming/advice/managing-habitats/wild-bird-seed-mixture/

These fields are just two elements of our extensive wildlife offer through our Countryside Stewardship agreements with Natural England, where we have a significant number of environmental options from the scheme that are benefiting the environment and wildlife across the Estate.