Every year at about ths time, we clean out and repair our bird boxes - those which are accessible - to prepare them for the next season.

There are 22 nest boxes scattered throughout the gardens, some open-fronted, others with holes. This year we found one with a badly split front, one with a vastly enlarged hole, and two were missing – the trees presumably cut down. Of the others, nine had old nesting material, three had unhatched eggs, and several were clearly being used for roosting. But the most interesting box contained a mouse nest! Two little (very little) brown furry creatures erupted abruptly when the box was opened, one leapt to the ground (9-10ft down) and scurried off into the undergrowth, the second a few seconds later jumped into the face of our startled volunteer who managed to stay onboard the ladder - and likewise scurried off. All too quick to see any details, but we would very much like to know which mouse it might have been.