Sentinel

Over the last couple of months there has been an epidemic of severe hedgerow trimming, grubbing out and felling of old hedgerow trees around the village. It is countryside tidiness or safety or farm payments requirements gone mad! No consideration of wildlife needs - or, for that matter, landscape and people enjoyment needs - at all. The same farmer will probably put an owl box elsewhere (and probably expect payment for it) without thinking that the old hedgerow habitat, with invertebrates and small mammals, that the owls need is now trashed.

Anyway...deep breath...nearby I found this lovely little patch with a surviving field pond, some overgrown hedges and a perfect pollarded willow. I just hope it survives the next mechanical onslaught! I thought it looked better in monochrome.