Where has the wildlife gone?

When I was young there was a lot of wildlife.

In the early 70’s around my house there was just endless birds. This was in the middle of a town. Even as a very little kid I was aware of Blackbirds, Sparrows, Starlings, Robins, and my favourite, the Thrush. There were a lot of snails around my house and a lot of concrete. the Thrushes would bring a snail and bash it open on the concrete. So I would be on my tricycle and generally pottering about as a small child and be aware of these birds, as I was little they would come quite close.

Then in the car I’d see great flocks of birds. In those days were were telegraph lines along the roads. The wires would be festooned with birds. Great flocks of them would be in the sky. I loved seeing them from the car as we passed along the fields.

That was before I was five years old. Then we moved to a house with a grass garden and I became aware of grasshoppers. In those days if you walked in any grass there would be these insects flying away from your feet. You’d never get close to a grasshopper. There were so many of them. I haven’t seen grasshoppers for so long now.

Then there were the Greenfly. They would be all around you a lot of the time in the garden or walking in the street. Not to mention the front of the car would be plastered in their dead corpses.

There were always loads of Ladybirds. If you were outside you’d often have a Ladybird on you. In the garden we’d see them and count the spots on their backs. Greenfly and Ladybirds are so scarce these days.

Butterflies were abundant in the 70’s and early 80’s. You’d see bushes full of butterflies. I rarely see any at all now.

There were also a lot of bees, especially bumble bees.

The level of roadkill was high. Rabbits, birds, hares, hedgehogs. I’m not saying I want to hit wildlife on the road but doesn’t it suggest there is way less if there is less getting run over?

Obviously, back in the 70’s they were mid early days of intense farming, mono-cultures and less insecticides. I don’t know if there was an explosion of insect life due to the fields of plenty. I have no idea. All I do know is, each time I see a small flock of birds it reminds me of the old, huge flocks of birds. I massively miss the abundance of wildlife.

I am noting this down, as, being old, I saw this and need to put it out there. Younger people will not know how it has changed. I feel it is important for me to say.