Building Bridges.....

  For many years, the number of small birds in our residential areas declined.  Nobody really knows why. Could be pesticides, habitats for the birds, etc. But then a few years ago the small birds came back.  Last year we had a record number of nesting pairs of tawny owls, blue tits, chaffinch and house sparrows. Also a lot of robins. Last winter these flocked around our bird tables. Great fun and useful for biodiversity. For many years, our condominium association has not done much about the vegetation in our area. It has looked messy but these little birds have benefited from it. But this year, replanting has been started. Most bushes and small trees have been dug up. It looks neat, maybe a bit spartan, but the small birds has disappeared.  This is also true for rabbits and hedgehogs. I don't know what to say but the clearing has gone into overdrive. There is a lot of talk about the environment and climate and that is good, but how about well-being for the wildlife. Let's hope