It is the ideal time of year, when the hedge leaves are only just emerging, to wander down country lanes to see the small, shy birds which later in the year are difficult to see behind the greenery. Last weekend I cycled to our local village and firstly heard the unmistakable song of the Yellow Hammer and then was able to stop and see a number of them in the hedgerows. As children we used to think they were saying “just a little bit of cheeeese”.

Another bird which is usually more difficult to see is the Dunnock or Hedge Sparrow because they usually keep well down in the bottom of the hedges, but again I was able to see a couple of them clearly.

The downside of this lack of vegetation is that you also see all the rubbish that people throw out of their car windows. If baffles me why people don’t care about keeping our countryside free of all the modern packaging waste.

I am of an age where I can remember being delighted if someone had left an empty lemonade bottle lying around because I could take it to the village shop and get 3d which then bought an ice cream from one of the vans which regularly called in the village.

I am hoping that when the earth’s resources become even more scarce it will once again become worthwhile for people to re-cycle their rubbish rather than dumping it in our beautiful lanes.

Rob