AN INITIATIVE designed to benefit nesting birds in the North Pennines got off to a flying start this week.

Twenty farmers attended a meeting in Mickleton Village Hall, Teesdale, on Monday to hear details of the RSPB's new Pastures for Plovers scheme. Becky Cash, the RSPB's first agricultural adviser for the North of England, was host at the meeting.

The three-year project aims to work with farmers to encourage agricultural practices benefiting birds nesting in the area, such as curlew, snipe, redshank and lapwing.

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is nationally and internationally important for wading birds. The RSPB estimates it is home to 22,000 pairs, making it the most important upland area in England for waders.

Despite the abundance of bird life, and the good work of farmers, some species have begun to show signs that not all is well.

Ironically, some of the management conditions imposed on farmers in the Environmentally Sensitive Area schemes are said to be partly responsible.

"The ESA scheme put restrictions on eliminating rushes, but now they have proliferated to such an extent that they have had a detrimental affect on some of the birds," said David Bentley, who farms at Lane Head Farm, Kelton, where his farming practices have been described as a "great example of the kind of active farmland management that can easily benefit nesting birds".

On Monday his farm was host to a demonstration of rush cutting.

Over the years he has seen a great increase in bird life on his land. He farms in partnership with his son, Simon, and they have about 200 acres near Selset reservoir and 350 acres on a higher farm three miles away, where there are also 2,000 acres of heather fell.

They have Swaledale sheep and suckler cows and have been in the ESA scheme for 12 years, with eight years left to run.

Over the years Mr Bentley's management practices have seen a large increase in bird life. "The way that we farm is conducive to these upland birds, we have always had them," said Mr Bentley.

He welcomed the fact that environmental bodies and Defra now seemed more ready to discuss projects with the farmers who would be involved.

He said that, since the start of the ESA scheme, many farmers had warned that restrictions on rush control would lead to problems - "and we have been proved right".

"We had the experience and they should have listened to us a bit more," he added. "I think the management has affected the bird life to a degree. This overwhelming incursion of rushes did no good for the ground-nesting birds."

Rush cutting can be particularly beneficial for lapwings, curlew and snipe. Although they like some cover for their chicks, they also like open areas close by.

Mr Bentley's land is still home to many birds such as lapwing, curlew, redshank, oyster catchers, the occasional golden plover and all types of wagtails. Forestry, which has been planted nearby, has also led to woodland species such as green finches, siskins, and woodpeckers, while the margins of the reservoir attract water birds including several types of duck, along with cormorants, coot and herons.

Miss Cash believed the warm wet weather of recent years had contributed to the increase in rushes and said a mosaic of different habitats was best for the bird life.

Farmers in the area were doing a lot of good work, she said, but she hoped the scheme would give them the opportunity to swap ideas and pick up new ones.

The project includes Weardale, Teesdale, Baldersdale, Allendale and Hexham. Similar meetings and demonstrations will be held throughout the year with the next one in Allendale in October.

Further information is available from Miss Cash on 01768 870 681.