photo from the BBC Wildlife Finder website

LIFTING THE LID

... on a Grass Snake.

There's one in my compost bin!

On our first meeting, the shock of seeing it curled up there, basking on the top made me jump out of my skin, but ...

I am glad it's there, and for choosing our garden as its perfect habitat.

At this time of year a female will lay eggs in this warm and protected environment, and those eggs will incubate and hatch in September/October.

A Grass Snakes staple food is frogs. Guess that's maybe why I haven't seen many this year!

Grass Snakes are a protected species, so the compost will have to be left well alone

... for a while at least.

Easy identification - a Grass Snake and Smooth Snake (non-venomous) has round eyes, an Adder (venomous) has slit ones.

o

images from the RSPB website

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN

Drifting in and out of light sleep I woke up this morning at about 4.45 to a scratching noise outside the window. Looking through the curtains I caught eye of something moving very swiftly into the undergrowth. Whatever it was, it was having a happy old time romping through my clump of Cerastium - Snow in Summer!

It took about a minute or so before discovering it was infact a ... very fat hedgehog!

I've only ever seen one other in the ten years we've been here. It's now hedgehog breeding season, so it would be lovely to think it may be an expectant mother. How great it would be to have a family of hoglets in the garden!

It had a good nose around, before disappearing out of sight.



I then sensed movement on the garden steps. It was only a fox, the one with the bent tail, the same one I'd spooked in the garden early morning a few days earlier.

After having a sniffle around, it too disappeared into the undergrowth. On this occasion no calling card was left!

It's good to know, that whilst us two are sound asleep, these two are paying a visit to our garden.

o

my photo

... now here's proof I have a fox in the garden!

Can you believe this urban fox was quite happily sunning itself on a bare patch in our garden. I managed to take this photo through the window. Unfortunately it sensed movement, was spooked, and took off like a bullet into the undergrowth.

Just a relief I don't keep chickens!

o