Farmland Is Wilder Than It Looks

Walk a footpath across arable fields in late spring and you might see nothing more dramatic than a hedgerow and a distant tractor. But the British countryside is not empty. Farmland supports a surprising share of our wildlife: hedges thick with yellowhammers and whitethroats, rough grass margins where brown hares box in March, damp corners holding rare arable flowers such as cornflower and shepherd's needle, and ditches that carry water voles and dragonflies between fields. Skylarks, lapwings, grey partridges and corn buntings all depend on the working landscape rather than on nature reserves.

That landscape is also somebody's livelihood, and the paths you walk are usually there by long tradition rather than open invitation. Farmland is a shared space, and sharing it well comes down to a handful of habits that are easy to learn and easy to keep.

Keep to the Path, Even When It Is Muddy

When a path is churned to slurry, or a crop has grown across it, the temptation is to step onto the field margin. Please resist it. That narrow strip is often the richest habitat in the field — deliberately left uncropped to feed insects, shelter chicks and connect one hedge to the next. It is also where ground-nesting birds choose to lay, because the cover is thicker and the predators fewer than in the open field.

Walk single file through crops rather than fanning out, and avoid widening a path by walking along the edge of a tramline or hedgerow. If a path is genuinely obstructed, blocked by a locked gate or diverted, follow any waymarked alternative and report the problem to the local highway authority afterwards. A few extra metres of mud is a small price for a healthy field margin.

Leave Gates as You Find Them

This is the oldest rule in the countryside and still the one that causes the most trouble. If a gate is closed, close it behind you. If it is open, leave it open — it may be open for a reason, such as moving stock or giving animals access to water. A gate left swinging can release a herd onto a road, and a gate left shut across a track can cut off a farmer's afternoon.

• Use stiles, gates and gaps rather than climbing walls, fences or hedges.
• Do not feed livestock, and do not attempt to stroke animals in a field.
• Take all litter home, including fruit peel, which draws rats and foxes to nesting areas.
• Keep to public rights of way — permissive paths can be closed on a whim, and crops are not footpaths.

Give Livestock Room

Cattle, sheep and horses are not exhibits; they are working animals with a strong sense of personal space. Walk around the edge of a field rather than straight through the middle of a herd, and never pass between a cow and her calf. Move quietly and steadily, and avoid sudden movements or flapping coats.

If cattle approach, stay calm, keep your dog close and walk away towards the field edge; if you feel genuinely threatened, letting a dog off the lead gives it a chance to escape while you retreat. Ewes with lambs can be surprisingly bold, and a dog that chases sheep can cause injuries, abortion and, in the worst cases, the death of the animal. It is also an offence to allow a dog to worry livestock, so keep it under control at all times.

Respect the Breeding and Nesting Season

Between March and September — peaking from April to July — the countryside is at its most fragile. Ground-nesting birds such as curlew, lapwing, skylark, meadow pipit and grey partridge lay eggs directly on the ground, often in the very margins that walkers find most tempting. A single footprint can crush a clutch, and a parent flushed from the nest may abandon it altogether, leaving eggs or chicks exposed to crows and cold.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use, so this is a legal matter as well as an ethical one. Keep dogs on a short lead near ground-nesting habitat, stay on the path, and avoid lingering where you hear alarm calls or see a bird feigning a broken wing — that is a distraction display, and it means you are close to a nest. Brown hares and young deer also hide in long grass in spring; if you find a leveret or a fawn, leave it exactly where it is, as the mother will return once you have gone.

Small Habits, Real Difference

Wild flowers should be left to set seed — uprooting any wild plant without the landowner's permission is illegal, and picking it robs birds and insects of food. Fires, disposable barbecues and cigarettes are a serious risk in dry summer fields, and a discarded bottle can start a blaze in strong sun.

If you spot something wrong — an injured animal, a trapped bird, fly-tipping or signs of wildlife crime — tell the landowner or farmer first, and contact the police on 101 if you believe an offence has been committed. Most of all, enjoy what you find. A walk that leaves a field exactly as it was found is a walk that can be repeated for generations, and the skylark singing above it will thank you.