Overview

• The Kelly family in Ballyalton, near Newtownards, recorded consecutive breeding after years of habitat management with Ulster Wildlife and RSPB NI.
• Measures include winter bird cover, thick hedgerows, pollinator margins, species‑rich meadows and ten nest boxes installed across the farm.
• The farm is part of the County Down Farmland Bird Initiative under the Environmental Farming Scheme, illustrating how agri‑environment projects support wildlife.
• Chicks have been ringed under licence as part of monitoring, with the owls present on the farm year‑round and hunting abundant small mammals in cereal fields.
• With no replacement support currently available, groups are urging DAERA to prioritise and fund the proposed Farming with Nature package to help prevent further losses of rare farmland species.