Part of my attempt to ‘re-wild’ our land (9 acres) I have left the meadow un-cut the whole year. This won’t be a permanent state of affairs as grazing will become an important part of restoring the meadow but I wanted a rough grassland for winter in case any Short-eared owls decided to take up temporary residency (as they did last year). This habitat will give them shelter from the worst of the weather and also provide food in the form of mice etc.This is how the meadow looks in the last of the autumnal sunshine . . . just as one of the owls comes cruising through.