Highbridge Farm is a medium-sized working farm near Allbrook in Hampshire. It is non-intensive and includes a range of habitats such as hedgerows, ponds, a section of the River Itchen, scrub, reedbeds, grassland, cultivated areas, grazing pasture, damp grassland and a considerable area of water meadows managed under Higher Level Stewardship. It has an added layer of interest in that it includes a couple of acres which form a community farm project, part of Eastleigh Transition Network (ETNet).
Starting with a popular and familiar group, the bird life of the farm has proved interesting. Even though relatively small, the reed-beds are intensively used by species such as sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) with the breeding season sounding as if male territories are packed tightly together with a lot of singing activity and other territorial behaviour. Reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) also appears abundant and I shall keep my eyes open for bearded tit (Panurus biarmicus) - you never know! The fields and meadows are used actively for feeding by swallows (Hirundo rustica) - see below for more on the invertebrates that bring them to the farm - and occasionally by lapwing (Vanellus vanellus). Birds of prey are also frequently seen, including numerous buzzards (Buteo buteo) and a frequently-seen pair of kestrels (Falco tinnunculus), plus occasional sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus) and to date a single sighting of a red kite (Milvus milvus), relatively far south for Hampshire. My first sighting of a kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) on the river running through the farm occurred a couple of weeks ago and I'll be watching to see if it becomes a long-term resident rather than simply passing thrugh on the way to some other winter habitat such as the coast.
