Habitat

There is so much that is questionable about the management approaches of the present bunch of conservation wallahs. Many of them come down to their relationship with cows. I'm beginning to wonder about this in more ways than one. For example they cut and strim bracken areas to create a grazing portion for the cows. Ten to one if you ask them about it their answer will somewhere contain the word 'habitat'. But their 'creating' of a habitat is actually destroyng another habitat. A habitat is a place where creatures live and thrive. The idea that wildlife trusts should artificially choose the habitats thus privileging farm animals over wildlife is turning subjectivity into office living deity.
Well certain creatures do live and thrive in bracken and they have been out to prove it in recent weeks.



The bracken has become a veritable mansion with many rooms and corridors for the deer. They peer out from balconies and picture windows. They retire into boudoirs and they even do their exercises in the gymnasium - as one leaping stag was keen to prove this morning. Taking a stroll around their private estate they are never far from their chosen residence and should a curious visitor happen along they drift back in to be seen perhaps later checking on the state of play below.



This morning's cold north westerly, well suited to a bank holiday weekend, saw them in the south east facing sun lounge.



The lie of the land in this whole area is one of the reasons that mornings on Blacka have been the regular choice for them.
So what should we think of those whose instinct is to wreck this popular wildlife habitat just to make a space for cows?