Ignorant townie questions

[treecreeper]

At the weekend I found a large area of woodland fenced off with meshed wire, presumably to contain game birds. Every few dozen yards there was what looked like a little escape way at ground level. Does anyone know the function of these? Also, all the way round the perimeter, outside the fence, was a single wire suspended about 10 inches off the ground. It's visible in the photo. I thought it might be electrified but it proved not to be. What is this for?

[salukiwhippet]

That's a release pen. The little openings are 'pop-holes', used to let the pheasants back in when they've flown over the wire. And help with a steady release of the birds, putting them back in the pen at night until they regard the area as 'home'.

The single strand certainly looks like an electric fence, the birds are should be roosting off the ground now, so are less vulnerable to fox and badger predation. Ours are all still on though!

James

[treecreeper]

So now I know! Thanks James

[loripo]

Thanks also from another ignorant townie I was puzzling over this one.