A long-term programme to boost the population of one of East Anglia's top game birds was recognised at the Royal Norfolk Show.

The 2011 Grey Partridge Award was presented to Hugh van Cutsem's head 'keeper Gerald Gray for the efforts of his team on the Hilborough estate.

Justin Ripman, who is a partner of leading East Anglian law firm, Mills & Reeve, and also a competition judge, praised Mr van Cutsem for increasing grey partridge numbers for 20 years.

'There are wonderful examples of field margins on the estate which is doing everything possible to further the grey partridge recovery programme,' he told more than 300 invited guests and professional advisors at a breakfast on the opening day of the show.

He said that more farmers and land managers were now involved and the number of farms and estates taking part in the autumn and spring counts had risen from 72 to 77.

The numbers of pairs of grey partridge has risen from 3,857 to 5,229 – an increase of about 1,400 pairs.

Mr Ripman said that a second hard winter had followed a good breeding season, which clearly demonstrated the importance of supplementary feed during a hard winter to 'assist the increase in grey partridge numbers.'

But he said that if the number of estates, which had a number of beats for example Holkham and Sandringham which were excluded, then only 40 Norfolk shoots were actually counting the number of pairs.

He also said that the Queen's Sandringham estate was contributing almost half the county's total population counted, with 2,041 pairs.

Although progress had been over the past few years, the government's biodiversity action plan target of 90,000 pairs by 2010 had not been met. And the British Trust for Ornithology has not yet published its findings but he thought that numbers would probably be around 65,000 pairs.

Mr Ripman said that Mills & Reeve, which had sponsored the competition for a decade, was keen to encourage more autumn and spring counting.

A case of champagne would be despatched to Bill and Lucy Cubitt, of the Honing estate, near Stalham, who had won the draw of the 'counters'.

He said that research into grey partridge populations had been conducted by Stephen Tapper, formerly of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. His findings had suggested that Norfolk's percentage of the national partridge population should be around 3,000 pairs – so an actual population in Norfolk closer to 5,800 pairs clearly demonstrated the importance of good management.

'We're doing far better. There are a number of farmers, shoots and estates, who should really be counting these birds. It is terribly important and these statistics are incredibly important for the whole project,' he said.

While some people were either counting in the spring or autumn, it was essential to count pairs twice a year and also provide the area involved, so that the population density could be calculated.

Mr Ripman presented the award to Mr van Cutsem's head 'keeper, who was thrilled to receive the accolade. He had been fortunate last year to win a British Association of Shooting and Conservation's award last year but the Grey Partridge Award recognised the estate's efforts.

Mr Gray, who has been at Hilborough for almost 23 years, was assisted by colleagues Martin Smith and Robert Minty on the 4,500-acre mainly arable estate, near Swaffham. 'It had taken a lot of time and a lot of passion from Hugh van Cutsem. His passion has really encouraged us to share that passion,' said Mr Gray.

He said that gradual progress was being achieved and the estate now had a population of 230 pairs. While the vegetable production was important, a strategy of better management of headlands and encouragements of the higher level and entry level scheme had made it possible.

And of course, creating the habitat for grey partridges also helped other songs birds and species too. Mr Gray said that the estate had about 45 pairs of stone curlew – an increase of one or two pairs on last year.

michael.pollitt@archant.co.uk