On a 320-hectare working farm on the Leicestershire-Rutland border, researchers and farmers have developed techniques that have contributed to a significant increase in farmland bird populations, even as numbers decline nationally. The Allerton Project, established in 1992, has seen bird abundance on its land rise by 145% over the past three decades, contrasting with a 23% decline across the UK during that period.
Alistair Leake, director of the Allerton Project, describes experimental farming practices designed to benefit wildlife while maintaining crop production. One key approach involves minimizing ploughing to preserve seeds, earthworms, and insects that provide food for birds. Birds are observed feeding primarily on fields where crops such as winter wheat are drilled directly into unploughed soil covered by the remains of previous harvests, rather than on fields that have been ploughed.
The project also incorporates features such as dedicated strips of land planted with seed-producing plants including kale, teasel, sorghum, and millet, ensuring a consistent food supply during the winter months. These strips, known as “bird tables,” are critical for helping birds survive the "hungry gap" in early spring, thereby supporting breeding success. Additionally, “beetle banks” — uncultivated strips planted with perennial grasses — provide hibernation habitats for beneficial insects that control crop pests and serve as a food source for birds.
Other measures include supplemental feeding during winter using feeders filled with wheat and humane predator control focused on reducing fox and crow populations during the birds’ nesting season to protect eggs and chicks.
Leake stresses that the Allerton Project’s success demonstrates the potential for reversing the national decline of farmland bird numbers by integrating wildlife-friendly practices into standard farming operations. “There is no reason why this couldn’t be done across the whole country,” he said, emphasizing the importance of incentives to encourage adoption by farmers.
Meanwhile, water supply challenges across parts of southern England have heightened concerns about natural resource management and infrastructure resilience amid climate change. The Ardingly reservoir in Sussex, which supplies approximately 95,000 homes, currently holds just 19% of its capacity, reflecting prolonged drought conditions that have intensified following the UK’s hottest summer on record. Severe drought declarations have been issued across several counties, including Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, and East and West Sussex.
Residents in towns such as Haywards Heath express frustration over the strain on water resources exacerbated by local population growth and limited infrastructure capacity. Local water utility South East Water manages Ardingly reservoir, while nearby Weir Wood reservoir, managed by Southern Water, holds 80% capacity but remains underutilized due to an offline treatment facility since 2018. Plans to connect the two reservoirs via pipeline have been proposed to bolster supply but remain in various stages of development.
Experts attribute the water shortages to a combination of increasing demand, climate-related reductions in rainfall, and decades of underinvestment in maintaining and upgrading water infrastructure. The Environment Agency reports that reservoir levels across much of England and Wales are significantly below typical levels for this time of year, and that substantially above-average rainfall will be required through the coming months to alleviate drought conditions.
Water companies acknowledge the challenges and are pursuing long-term projects to improve system resilience. Southern Water is rebuilding Weir Wood’s treatment works to enhance supply security in North Sussex with completion targeted for 2030. In the interim, local residents and officials continue to call for accelerated infrastructure improvements to address the impacts of climate variability on water availability.