We put up a lot of birdboxes last winter (expertly made and decorated by some of the younger members of our Farm & Feast scheme)
Join us for a sunrise stomp through our fields to enjoy the spring dawn chorus.
Learn to identify some common farm & garden birds from their calls.
Finish with a communal breakfast - soda farls cooked over our firepit, with butter and homemade jam
We’ve been growing vegetables here at Laurelbank Farm for seven seasons, and I’ve spent so much time and energy thinking about creating healthy soil, and supporting and encouraging the microorganisms in the soil, until recently, I have barely looked up or paid much attention to the life flying about above the kitchen garden!
Cat Fegan, our Assistant Grower, brings a wealth of knowledge about wildlife friendly farming, and specifically birds to our team! Before joining The Laurelbank Farm team Cat was Barn Owl Officer for Ulster Wildlife and before that, Farmer Alliance Officer for the RSPB NI. (So please do come equipped with all your barn owl questions!)
As Cat says to me, it’s pretty hard to see what’s actually going on in the soil beneath your feet - it is a lot easier to learn about the health and resilience of your ecosystems within your farm by observing the bird life.
We’d be delighted for you to join us for an early morning stroll around our fields, to listen to the dawn chorus, identify some of the more common farm & garden birds from their birdsong, learn about their habits and habitats, and see what this can tell us about the health of the farm.
The time: 7am to 9:30am on Friday 8th March 2024.
We’ll meet at 7am outside our polytunnel.
The place: Laurelbank Farm, 121 Middle Road, Saintfield, Co. Down, BT24 7LS.
What to wear: Obviously, we’ll be outdoors for this dawn chorus walk, so come dressed up warm and wear suitable shoes. Wellies (and perhaps even waterproof trousers) would be ideal for walking through long grass. You can bring binoculars if you want, but note this walk is primarily about using our ears, not our eyes.
The cost: £25 per person (inc VAT and booking fees).
The food and drink: Tea, coffee and a simple breakfast will be provided after our walk.
Dietary requirements: Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements or allergies when you book and we’ll try our absolute best to accommodate you.
Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel your booking, for whatever reason, please let us know as soon as possible. For full details of our cancellation policy please click here.
