In the footsteps of my great grandfather

In his day the countryside would have been pretty much all pasture for sheep. Now there are very few of them, some cows, a lot of forestry. What will not have changed much is the river, maybe moving a little in its trajectory, but essentially the same. So I thought of him this morning, walking the same country. And hearing the same birds - wrens, meadow pipits, goldcrest, grey wagtails, willow warblers. Many more numerous, but, I should think, the same species. Connecting us, across the years.