Looking at the photo above you may think it is simply a wild piece of wasteland. If you look more closely you will see it is a wild piece of wasteland in the corner of a field. This additional detail is important because it means the farmer has made a conscious decision to leave this area, and the remainder of the field margin, in a natural state.

I'm lucky enough to look over this little patch of organic bedlam. It may appear uninspiring but it punches way above its weight when it comes to the wildlife that benefit from it. Regular visitors include:

• A kestrel
• At least one vole, last seen in the talon of the kestrel
• Sparrows
• A male ring necked pheasant following behind a female and two chicks
• Red legged partridges
• Goldfinches picking through seedheads
• Song thrushes
• Blackbirds
• Jackdaws
• Brown hares
• Rabbits
• And, the mole that uses it as a base to infiltrate my flower beds

Two mornings ago I was also treated to the sight of a pair of roe deer taking a wary meander through it and along the field margin. The rising sun washed across them at the perfect angle to accentuate the beautiful deep red-brown of their flanks.

This little area brings so many benefits to the natural environment. It creates a new habitat for small mammals and invertebrates, a food larder for some birds and cover protection for others. It is a sanctuary from sprays, fertiliser and cultivation which means wild flowers and other pollen ladened plants can flourish.

I have no idea if this field is part of an agri-environmental incentive scheme which encourages uncropped margins or if this corner has simply evolved because the farm machinery used is too big to get any tighter to the boundary. Whatever the reason, I am happy to see it in all its unruly splendour.