Which British hedgerow hero deserves the top spot in our countryside affection?

A golden, wide-eyed rodent famously fond of a long nap, the hazel dormouse is one of Britain's most endearing and increasingly rare hedgerow residents.

With its sunny plumage and distinctive song, the yellowhammer was once a familiar farmland companion whose decline has become a symbol of hedgerow loss.

Tiny, brown and remarkably loud, the wren darts through the tangled base of hedges and belts out a song far bigger than its body.

Bold, quick and endlessly curious, the stoat weaves through hedge bottoms with a hunter's precision and a black-tipped tail flick.

Chestnut-furred and constantly busy, the bank vole tunnels beneath the hedge, feeding countless owls, kestrels and weasels along the way.