Protecting Skylarks on Warren Farm
“Skylarks do not like man-made structures, including fencing and posts. Posts provide perches for predators which they can use as a vantage point to pick-off skylark chicks. As heartfelt and well-meaning as it is to want to put a boundary around the skylark nesting area, this action will do more harm than good” - BRCS
Anyone who takes a walk on Warren Farm can see that this incredible green space is thriving with wildlife. We know this in great detail because our team of nature experts regularly undertake species records here.
One of our meadow’s biggest stars is of course the skylark. A small brown bird, with a crest (or ‘punk hair cut’ as we heard a dad say to his daughter!) that can be raised when the skylark is alarmed or excited. Skylarks are renowned for their beautiful song and display flight, shooting vertically up into the air, singing to mark their territory before dropping vertically out of the sky into the grass and walking back to their nest.
Nesting on the ground can on the face of it seem like a stupid idea, as it leaves them open to predators, but skylarks are smart. They can have more than one brood a year, with 3 – 4 eggs in each brood between April and August to up their odds of success. Skylark chicks have THE shortest incubation period of ALL British birds – just 11 days!
Chicks scatter from the nest just 8 days after hatching, well before they can fly. The chicks are fed by both parents and because they are quick to become mobile it means they can also begin to feed themselves and still get fed by mum and dad. Skylark chicks feed exclusively on insects and spiders for the first few weeks of their life, so running around in the grass is like running around a sweet shop for them.
Why are skylark numbers declining?
The sad reality is, skylarks are on the UK Red List, which means their species is globally threatened. Here in Britain, skylark numbers have dropped by 61% in the last 40 years. This is mostly due to farming methods which have resulted in fewer insects in crops and the loss of meadow habitats, such as Warren Farm. Skylarks are under huge threat as are many of our other red-listed birds on Warren Farm which may not have such an obvious presence, but who we should not forget need our help too such as our starlings, linnets, house sparrows and mistle thrushes.
What can we do to help them?
Let’s look at what The Royal Parks are doing. The big difference between Richmond and Bushy Parks and Warren Farm is that they already have National Nature Reserve (NNR) designation with dedicated wildlife byelaws in place. Byelaws are a prescribed set of laws that a local authority can choose from and importantly, enforce, in a particular given area. They are there to keep the green space in question safe for both wildlife and visitors. If a byelaw is broken, this can lead to legal action and prosecution. We are campaigning for Warren Farm to receive Local Nature Reserve designation so we too can have dedicated byelaws in place to safeguard our wildlife.
Which brings us to Warren Farm. Brent River & Canal Society together with Warren Farm Nature Reserve group have put forward a vision to Ealing Council which lays out all the steps required to safeguard and protect Warren Farm and the surrounding Brent River Park Meadows for posterity. Initial response from Ealing Council has been extremely positive and we are fully confident that the entire area will be put forward for Local Nature Reserve designation in due course.
We are already working closely with Ealing Council who have been helpful in implementing our experts’ suggestions to improve the site for its exceptional wildlife interest and for public access. We owe it to our skylarks to work together to see the BRCS Vision become reality.
What our experts say about how to protect skylarks on Warren Farm
Skylarks love wide open spaces in which to nest. More than that, they depend on them. Skylarks do not like hedgerows, trees, man-made structures, including fencing and posts. Posts provide perches for predators like birds of prey, magpies and crows, which they can use as a vantage point to pick-off skylark chicks.
Fencing also prevents hay-cutting which is essential to ensure that the vegetation doesn’t grow too thick for the following year. As heartfelt and well-meaning as it is to want to put a boundary around the skylark nesting area, this action will do more harm than good. Ealing’s Rangers are experts in managing nature reserves and follow carefully consulted management plans and policies. We need to trust in them and allow them to work without distraction.
What our experts ask is for people and their dogs to keep to the mown footpaths. We know that lots of walkers are doing just this, which is fantastic. Thank you! We believe the vast majority of visitors to our meadow do stick to the paths and are respectful of the skylarks. For the small minority who don’t, we can educate - point to the posters and share this blog post.
We are aware that there a couple of new paths that have appeared and main paths have become wider due to increased numbers of people discovering this incredible green space during lockdown. The Council are cooperating with us to mow only the main paths, encouraging people to use these safer routes. The widening of our footpaths has been unavoidable and the problem is unlikely to go away as visitors will still want to social distance. Currently these paths are working to allow this to happen safely. Stay safe. Keep social distanced. Keep to the paths.
That rectangular area on Warren Farm is mown by the Council as part of a Licence Agreement with the Warren Farm Radio Flyers. The Radio Flyers have been flying model aircraft on Warren Farm for 25 years. This mown area is a runway. When you see the radio flyers flying their aircraft here, please do not walk into the middle of this area for safety reasons, but it’s okay to walk along its edge.
When the radio flyers are not present, this closely mown runway makes for a nice place to sit and watch skylarks and wildlife, if they turn up and wish to fly their planes please respect their request and move to the edges to watch! (They have some impressive skills!) And of course, take your litter home with you and / or put it in a bin. We like all bugs, but nobody likes a litter bug.
Lastly, it is important to remember that Ealing Council own the land. We sought and were given permission to put up our posters. The council have the right to remove anything from their land and also the right to take action against people who are doing damage.
How you can help
Please trust that we are doing everything we can to safeguard the skylarks, all the wildlife here and to ensure ongoing public access - but to do so we really need your help;
Sign and share our petition asking for Local Nature Reserve Designation
Stay on the main footpaths
Keep dogs under close control and on the main footpaths
Educate (but don’t berate!) people who wander into the meadow
Take your litter home with you / put it in a bin
Together let’s realise the BRCS Vision and get Local Nature Reserve designation! Sign our petition here.
Thank you.