Meadow brown

I got up bright and early to help the mammologist, Iain, set traps for the small mammal survey. I learned about two different traps – the cheap plastic ones and the expensive metal ones. Guess which one is better. We filled the traps with grass, muesli, chopped up carrot and apple. It's a better breakfast than I'd enjoyed. We then hunted for the best rodenty spots around the community garden in Streatham Common's Rookery. Traps laid, we went to meet the folk coming for the small mammal talk. 

Iain has a great way of engaging young and not-so-young with his mammal banter. He managed, also, to keep all entertained even though, of course, none of the traps had any animals in them as yet. The mice, shrews and voles of the Community Garden are clearly not starving enough to race towards a grass-muesli breakfast.

I had a wee chat with a lady attending the talk, who used to do a walk in the Rookery every morning before work. I don't live as near as she does or I would make an effort to do the same. She was off for some coffee and I almost joined her, but had an urge to explore a little more. I'm glad I did for I spied a great-crested newt (see extra pic) with a magnificent tail. The meadow brown butterfly (main blip) was perched nearby. It makes the headliner as it's the better photo, but the newt was the star of the show.

I had a productive whirl around West Norwood with two pictures given to the framer that have been sitting around for months (years in one case). Then I went to the Bromley Beer Festival to see Si, Lidz and Rae, who were in fine fettle. The band was playing all sorts of classics from the ages and the sun shone. The festival was a short skip to my friends' house, so up we went and a curry was ordered for supper. Nom. It was lovely to catch up with them all and be given lots of cheeky smiles from wee Rae, who's fairly coming on with her words.

Fred's gone to Northern Ireland!