More About Catching Mice
Following on from last months contribution we have been advised that you should catch a mouse in a Wellington boot, not a dustpan This does seem to make sense as they will instinctively run into a dark corner and a boot laid down at the right point should present a dark area to run to (unless it has just been taken off by the wearer).
And Sparrow Hawks
The sparrow hawks appeared, very high in he sky gently circling around and emmitting the familiar scream. When I looked around the little birds had their first practice at getting under cover and had vanished..
Trimmed up Seedlings
We found a pheasant and three of his wives tucking into bird seed dropped from the seed feeder by the little birds. The grass underneath had been well trimmed up and putting two and two together it didn't take too much guess work to realise what had been eating the sprouting seedlings that annoyed the head gardener living here.
An Urban Fox
Coming home in the late afternoon I was going up Firgrove hill in Farnham, (the road to Frensham and Hindhead) when a four legged animal came from the road to the station and following the verge, ran across the railway bridge. I gently followed it in the car. It had a thick beige coloured coat and was a young fox. Once across the bridge it dived through a fence onto the top of the wooded banking of the railway and someone's garden nearby. Despite the bad press often given to the foxes  they do clear the roads of animals killed by traffic. The magpies remove the dead battered bodies of small animals killed on the roads.
Of Birds
Di was invited to see some reed buntings that were regularly visiting a garden in the village. The owners had been putting out mixed bird seed which had attracted this pair of buntings. I was delighted to accept this invitation as I had never seen this bird before - with its white collar and black head The male bird looked similar to a stone chat. The female was duller in colour with brown streaks. Buntings are plump little birds about the size of a sparrow. They frequently flick their wing and tail feathers. Favourite breeding grounds are marshy places or riversides and they are never far from water. Nests, which are made from grass and moss, are well hidden in the reed beds, close to the ground. Two or three broods may be raised in a year. I was delighted to see them. Also feeding along with them were a pair of bull finches. They are spectacular looking birds, which have also been seen in our garden, with their red breasts and black heads; the female has a lighter pink tinge to the breast.
A blue tit was observed chasing the Great Tits and Chaffinches off of the seed feeder. This is very unusual behaviour for such a small bird as they are more usually the underdogs in the pecking order; but this bird obviously considered the feeder to be its own personal property.
And Butterfly's
Butterfly's seen in the warm Easter air this weekend have been lots of Brimstone Yellow, Cabbage Whites  and Commer just emerging from hibernation and on the look out for a mate, several overwintering peacocks, and a male Orange Tip. The female orange tips do not have orange on them and look like a Cabbage White. The only difference is that they are much smaller. It is lovely to see the spring butterflies emerging to sample the first spring flowers and tree blossoms.
Bees (Bumble and Honey)
Bumble bees have also been active on the deep pink Flowering Current bush which is putting up a splendid show this year and I have also seen a Honey Bee (a rare sight these days). The Bumble Bees gather pollen late into the evening because they can tolerate colder conditions due to a bigger and much hairier body which helps to keep them warm.
And a Toad
While digging in the garden I came across a toad, well camouflaged except for his red eyes, Green caterpillars hidden in the couch grass probably Meadow Brown and big white grubs, beetle larvae?.