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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pratincol" data-source="post: 3230352" data-attributes="member: 65801">Oh! not that old chestnut-Hope Farm.This farm is always mentioned  but one farm isn't going to make a great difference.Many of the farmers I speak to haven't got a clue about birds and habitats.I am often surprised when I mention birds like Northern Wheatear,Whinchat,Stonechat and they look at me blankly-they wouldn't recognise a Wheatear if one flew in their face.I met one custodian of the countryside recently: he is paid to not to  destroy a huge area of gorse where Yellowhammers breed.He didn't have any idea what a Yellowhammer was,never mind the gorse he was preserving was a habitat for them- even though he was 70 and farmed the area since he left school! None of these farmers will have ever met anyone from the RSPB even though some of them lament the loss of one of the few breeds they do recognise-the Lapwing.The loss of these Red Listed birds is occurring outside the boundaries of Hope Farm and the other nature reserves-that is where the work needs to be done.When they actually do have a farm given to them they do nothing with it for 13 years,upset the locals and end up on the national and local media-for the wrong reasons</blockquote>