Even now in late winter time the days are already
lengthening and the precious sunlight is creeping over the cold earth warming
the soil and bringing the promise of new life.
From times immemorial this is that vital period when, if man is to
survive, he must plant the seeds for the crops which will grow through the
coming months and allow his family to live and thrive. Life for agrarian societies, dependent as
they were on the land, was harsh and even mere existence was a tenuous
affair. Starvation was a constant threat
in such people’s life. Freshly sown seed
and tender new growth were always in need of protection from the brutal forces
of nature which conspired to destroy man’s future scarce resources of food. Birds
and especially the Corvid family have always plagued farmers, descending en
masse on the freshly ploughed and sown winter fields to sate their voracious appetites
on man’s hard won crops.
