Bashing,crashing,dashing,gashing,lashing,trashing,etc.

The silly season of smashing a large part our hedgerows into oblivion has begun, destroying some of the precious berry crop that our visiting winter thrushes will depend on to see them through the long winter months, and also the many life species in the form of the overwintering insects etc, and of course the flail operator will not consider it a job well done unless he can "tidy up" those grassy banks and field edges close to the sadly depleted hedge that he has already laid waste, further denying our small mammals the chance to play their part of being the food source in the natural chain of events.
Thank goodness more and more farmers are beginning to understand that a very tidy hedge is a most unnatural hedge playing a big part in starving our wildlife of sparse energy resources and protection from the weather during this lean time of year and although there are guidelines restricting height and width that hedges can be cut down, a better option is leave them alone for an extra year or two or more, hugely benefitting the flora and fauna and saving our farmers loads of lovely money in unnecessary farm operations that are destructive and pointless,

Fieldfare feeding on haws last winter in a hedge that has been well left alone.

camboy.