Nature-friendly farming methods allow biodiversity to flourish at Wimpole
Key results from Wimpole
Wimpole conducted in-depth surveys over two years into farmland birds, invertebrates and soil health.
Key findings from the farmland bird survey conducted across half the farm revealed that since 2013:
- Numbers of rare skylarks have increased by 75 per cent, from 12 to 21 pairs
- Number of rare linnets have doubled from three to seven pairs
- Wimpole is one of the most important populations of the rare corn bunting in Cambridgeshire, with between five and eight pairs breeding each year
- The farm provides winter feeding habitat for at least nine rare bird species - grey partridge, lapwing, linnet, skylark, starling, yellowhammer, woodcock, hen harrier, fieldfare
A total of 1,145 species were recorded in the invertebrates survey, equating to an increase of 38 per cent in the number of species between 2003 and 2019.
This included 95 rare species with formal conservation status including Bombus Ruderatus – the large garden bumblebee and Tyria Jacobaeae – the cinnabar moth. There were 75 species of bee, 49 species of wasps, 46 species of hoverflies and 22 types of butterflies recorded. Other key results from last year included:
- 150 per cent increase in Hymonptera (wasps, bees, ants)
- 30 per cent increase in the number of butterfly species including the silver washed fritillary and marbled white
- The organic field margins support on average 30 per cent more invertebrates then conventional field margins