Seed-eaters
Yellowhammers used to be a common bird in rural Wales. An opportunistic seed eater, that thrived on farmland where there were arable crops with plenty of grain to eat. With the many changes in Welsh agriculture in the 2nd half of the 20th century, this species declined dramatically in Wales. Yellowhammers were affected by:
· The removal of the hedgerows and the lack of possible nesting sites.
· Change from mixed arable farms to monocultures, particularly of grass for silage and grazing.
· The “dressing of seeds” with pesticides.
The lack of winter stubbles, caused by a move away from spring sown to autumn sown crops.
The Welsh Yellowhammer population has declined by 69% in the period 1991 to 2000, from an estimated 81,000 pairs to just 38,850 pairs. A similar story can be told for Tree Sparrows (photo above). By the turn of the 21st century Tree Sparrows could only be found in a handful of places in Wales, predominately in the north-east (along the Cheshire and Shropshire border) and in the south-east (Gwent).
