AHW5 — Nesting plots for lapwing

This action’s aim is that there are fallow cultivated plots within an arable crop which: - have enough bare ground for nesting lapwings - are present from early spring until the arable crop is harvested in the summer The purpose of this is to provide: - nesting sites for lapwing - habitats for other declining farmland birds, farmland wildlife and important arable plants

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s: - identified by you as not being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff – you must keep evidence of this - an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information) - registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps - declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover You must not do this action on land that’s within around: - 100 metres (m) of woods, in-field and hedgerow trees, buildings, overhead power lines, main road and public rights of way - 200m of wind turbines Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code Arable land used to grow crops | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops Temporary grassland | Arable land | TG01 Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01

By early spring, you must establish a fallow cultivated plot within the arable crop. You must manage the fallow cultivated plot in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes managing natural regeneration if it means there is not enough bare ground for nesting birds. You must retain the fallow cultivated plot until the arable crop is harvested in the summer and the bird nesting season is complete (usually this will be late July). You can maintain an existing lapwing plot to get paid for this action if it: - meets this action’s requirements - is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship option AB5 (lapwing plots)

You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration. If this action’s start date means it’s too late to establish the lapwing plot, you must do this within 12 months of this action’s start date. In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the arable crop is harvested in the summer or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you: - follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’ - do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

You must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is not at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan you’ve already produced for SFI24 action CSAM1 or SFI23 action SAM1 to identify this. You must also keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as: - field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices - photographs or other documentation If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.