As a certain major sports event opened on Friday, with a spectacular ceremony featuring a pastoral idyll that helped shape our green and pleasant land, my thoughts turned to some of the amazing farm wildlife that share our landscape. A great case could be made for many contenders, but here is my winners list:
Also a hearty round of applause to Farm Team GB (by which I mean all those fabulous wildlife friendly farmers out there), who give this winning list of wildlife a sporting chance of survival. You can give them all a metaphorical medal by voting in this year’s RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Award – and you might just win a luxury break for two people.
Kingfisher: John Bridges (rspb-images.com) Brown hare: Paul Dunn - Glamorgan Heritage Coast Project
That sounds amazing Sooty. It's a memory to treasure.