Hedges are a fund of interest
Hedgerows draped in the autumnal colours of changing leaves and ripened fruit are my favourite place to watch nature celebrate its harvest festival.
These quintessential mainstays of the British countryside, laid as boundaries by generations of farmers, are a roadmap for wildlife to journey through the seasons.
In winter, ivy-clad branches and clumps of frothy clematis offer welcoming roost sites for finches and sparrows to resist rain and frost, while spring sees exposed sprigs become song posts for robins, blackbirds and yellowhammers as they make territorial declarations and attract mates.
High summer and deep inside cloaks of lush greenery, hedgerows become sanctuaries for birds to nest and nurture fledglings, be they residents such as the dunnock – a bird formerly known as the hedge sparrow – or common whitethroats visiting from Africa.
Come autumn, birdwatchers scan hedgerows with hopes of sighting migrating songbirds navigating their way southwards and using the abundance of riches to sustain their long journeys. The sugary-rich sustenance of elderberries and the fruits of other hedgerow shrubs, along with the many insects that exist amid the tangles of vegetation, are vital food sources for a host of migratory species.
Recent walks along the hedgerows of my local hills brought back memories of travels in the Middle East and the sub-Sahara, with redstarts, whinchats and wheatears as active and abundant as when I’ve watched them in desert wadis and oases.
Casting an eye along a sunlit hedgerow for a flicker of wings or a bobbing tail is birdwatching’s equivalent of fly-fishing, with each step full of anticipation of catching sight of something out of the ordinary – a wryneck or yellow-browed warbler.
Modern farming and the never-ending demand for more housing in our rural landscape has seen the destruction of tens of thousands of hedges. Others have been savagely trimmed, neglected or affected by drifting agricultural chemicals.
With only 280,000 miles left, according to conservationists, what better way to celebrate the accession of Charles III than a modern-day restoration of the brilliant British hedgerow.
In summer, hedges are a sanctuary for birds to nest and raise young