VISITORS of the feathered kind are flocking in their thousands to a new lake on George Westgarth's arable farm.

On some days more than 4,000 birds from 101 different species have been counted.

Numbers are likely to increase over the next few years, too, as up to 140 acres of previously-farmed land is returned to its natural wetland status.

Mr Westgarth farms 300 hectares at Newsham Hall, Newsham, and the "lake" lies beside the busy Scotch Corner to Penrith road near the A66 Motel.

For 35 years an Archimedes screw has pumped up to 22,000 gallons of water an hour from the land. The water originates from a line of natural springs.

Now the pump has been switched, off fields which once grew potatoes and crops are reverting to wetland and pasture.

It was three years ago that Mr Westgarth and his wife, Dorothy, applied to Defra to enter the whole farm into a ten-year Countryside Stewardship scheme. The wetland was the major feature and Defra and RSPB officials are still pinching themselves - it is the largest such scheme in the North.

"I thought 'wow!' when I saw it," said Sarah Boyd, RSPB conservation officer. "It is a very exciting scheme and is a brilliant example of partnership working between the landowner, Defra and the RSPB."

Nick Mason of the RSPB said all involved were highly excited about the project's potential. "We really cannot say just how much we appreciate Mr Westgarth's enthusiasm," he said.

The idea grew out of the family's concern about the way farming was going and the general drop in farm incomes.

They took the bold decision to sell their prize-winning herd of pedigree Limousin cattle and all their sheep. The outdoor pigs were kept and are managed by their son, Mark, but the rest of the farm is managed with birds and wildlife in mind.

A comprehensive network of six-metre wide margins has been created round the edges of the arable fields and seeded with plants and tussocky grasses to encourage skylark and grey partridge to nest.

Interestingly, the wide margins are said to have left the crops cleaner and free of weeds.

Hedgerows are also being restored and reinstated to benefit tree sparrows along with other species.

The wetland has already proved a haven for a wide variety of birds and the invertebrates they feed on. The water is shallow and visitors include snipe, redshank, curlew, golden plover, lapwing and oystercatcher, many from varieties whose numbers have declined in recent years.

The water level can be controlled to maintain optimum conditions year-round, taking into account breeding, chick rearing and winter foraging.

Mr Westgarth, a keen conservationist, said that, when he arrived at the farm, the area was bogland with water galore. "The drainage has worked pretty well over the last 35 years, although there were some parts of fields where you couldn't risk using a tractor for fear of it getting bogged down," he said.

"Now it's come full circle and the water is filled with birds. It's an amazing transformation - the chatter at dusk is incredible."

He was full of praise for Defra and the Countryside Stewardship scheme, which could see him introduce some traditional cattle such as Longhorn, Shorthorn or Galloway to keep the scrub down.

Stephen Duncan has worked on the project both as a Defra Countryside Stewardship project officer and on secondment with the RSPB as wader project officer.

"What's been achieved here could be applied to other sites across the UK to help stem the loss of wet grassland habitats," he said. "It's a perfect over-wintering site for migratory birds."

"It's a brave move on George's part and will radically change parts of the farm."

Mr Duncan said the wealth of birds visiting the site reflected the fact that Newsham was close to a variety of different types of landscape, particularly moorland.

Sarah Boyd, RSPB conservation officer, said: "We hope that Mr Westgarth's foresight in creating this fantastic wetland area will be an inspiration to farmers and other landowners in the North of England to carry out similar wildlife habitat creation."

Mr Westgarth, who was joint runner-up in the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's 2002 conservation awards, now plans to build a hide for bird watchers.

Countryside Stewardship offers payments to farmers and land managers to improve the natural beauty and diversity of the countryside. This year Defra has £3.25m for the scheme in the Yorkshire and Humber region, an increase of 25pc. The deadline for applications is March 31.x

More than 1,700 farmers in the region have CSS agreements and nationally about 14,000 have been signed up since it began in 1991