Tim'rous beastie

Woodmouse, Arnside

"Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!"

To a mouse, Robert Burns.

This pretty little woodmouse is feeding on the top of a low wall, immediately under the bird feeder, benefitting from the sunflower seeds that are scattered by the coal tits. But timorous he needs to be, as this is where Bob Cat does his hunting, head hanging over the edge of the wall waiting for the slightest movement. This little mouse was wee and sleekit, but not too cowrin, in fact he was bold coming out onto the wall top, making little dashes from cover, and turning tail if the birds landed on the wall. At times he was joined by a bank vole. We have had to move Bob on a few times, but we can't keep an eye on the wee beasties all the time. It's life in the fast lane for them.

It does make me realise what an ecological impact we have in our gardens by feeding the birds. The extra biomass in the system supports more living biomass in the form of seed eating birds and small mammals, and they in turn support predators. Last week a sparrowhawk was seen perched on the higher wall, presumably after an unsuccessful sortie around the feeder. I worry for our tame blackbirds, plump and well fed, and maybe easy targets for the hawk. A couple of years ago I watched a tawny owl drop off the telegraph pole on which it was perched into the hedge below. It emerged with a roosting sparrow in its claws, flew up onto the house roof where it plucked and ate it. But good news though is that the collared doves are using the garden again as a doting couple. Only one has been around for a while, and I thought the other might have been picked off again - but perhaps she had been sat on her nest.

I may have misled some people last night when I said it was my 200th consecutive blip. It was that, but it wasn't my 200th blip, there had been 155 before it. I missed a few days in December and odd days before that, when I was trying to convince myself that I was not a hopeless blip addict, that I could take it or leave it. This year I've thrown out the pretence and decided to go for a complete calendar's worth.

Thanks for your well wishes yesterday. I am much better today.

VIEW THROUGH THE LENS

ps I can confirm that this is most definitely a male, he is amply endowed.

pps It has just occurred to me that today would have been my 365th blip if I hadn't been a slacker in 2010.