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The possibility of animals and birds becoming extinct in North Yorkshire isn’t something we often think about. Instead elephants, gorillas and cuddly pandas usually spring to mind.

But extinction isn’t something that's only happening to exotic creatures in far flung lands, it’s right here under our noses in North Yorkshire.

Skylark

Birds in particular are struggling to cope with modern changes in farming. The pressures upon farmers mean ever more intensive methods are introduced. Mixed farming is now a rarity as most specialise in either arable or pasture. Different sowing and harvesting methods mean that some birds and animals find their natural habitat has changed or disappeared.

In recognition of the financial loss that farmers suffer by switching from intensive farming practices, grants are available to farmers to help them help the wildlife without any financial loss.

Skylarks suffer...

Skylarks, that quintessentially English bird with the beautiful song is one of the birds that’s in danger of disappearing from the landscape. Rob Stoneman from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust explains why.

“They were once found all over North Yorkshire but you rarely see them now because they need open ground to nest on.

Dingy skipper. (Photo Jim Ashey)

“Farmers are now harvesting before the chicks fledge, so they are actually going through the nests.

“The skylark is the song of my childhood and I want it to be the song of my son’s childhood as well.�

The dingy skipper butterfly is another species in decline. They prefer the grassland of Yorkshire’s chalk Wolds but most of that has now been ploughed up and seeded. Conservationists like Rob Stoneman believe that although there are a few populations hanging on in nature reserves, farmers need to be encouraged to return to less intensive forms of production and bring back a mixed farming economy.

Voles in decline

One animal which has seen a catastrophic decline says Rob Stoneman is the water vole.

Yellow Wagtail. Photo Chris Gomersall

“Around nine out of ten have disappeared from the English landscape. Once upon a time they would have been in every stream, ditch and riverside.

“Their decline is mainly due to mink which have escaped from fur farms. Mink are voracious feeders so to eradicate mink humanely and improve water quality is the way forward.�

Changes to the way we farm is also causing problems for other birds. Tim Melling from the RSPB explains.

Corn bunting. (Photo Andy Hay)

“The yellow wagtail nests in arable land and used to nest in the hay meadows of the Yorkshire Dales, but we no longer have hay, it’s all changed to silage and this is cropped too early for them.

"Five years ago we were hanging onto just about seven pairs in the Yorkshire Dales. But through working with farmers and getting late cut hay meadows we’ve managed to get the population to double to about 14 pairs, but it’s still precarious when you think that in the 1960s they were nesting in virtually every field.�

Corn buntings and lapwings are also disappearing as both prefer arable land. The corn bunting is a late nester and with new varieties of cereal being sown and harvested earlier means the corn bunting has problems finding somewhere to nest.

Lapwing. (Photo Andy Hay)

The lapwing prefers an old fashioned mixed farm where it can nest on the spring sown arable land and then move into the pasture when the chicks have fledged to feed on the insects. Another problem for the lapwing is new varieties of autumn sown crops which are around six to eight inches high in the spring, they need bare open ground to nest on.

Tim Melling mentions a farmer near Masham who has recently won a conservation award.

"He makes sure there are wet corners in fields for lapwing chicks to feed. Also, he doesn't roll his grassland which can crush eggs and when he does do work he goes through the field and marks nests so that he can drive the tractor round them."

But what about our own back gardens? If you live in York then you will still see plenty of house sparrows, but in other parts of the UK they have virtually disappeared.

House sparrow.

Rob Stoneman says "It’s not clear why these chirpy, dynamic, messy little birds are disappearing, but that they are part of the urban scene in York is fantastic.�

But we can help and encourage the wildlife in our gardens says Rob.

Add structure with trees and shrubs, don’t mow your grass to death, leave it to grow a bit longer and make sure you have a flower bed for bees, moths and butterflies and a bird table or feeder for the birds.

“A compost heap is a good idea too, they are stuffed full of wildlife and the compost will also help the wildlife in the soil when it’s put on the garden.

“Make sure your garden is a service station for wildlife!�