Destruction of the Magpies (by sarah)

I was hoping to get some nice pictures of the little blue tit family that had taken up residence in the bird box on the apple tree. The little chicks were being fed by the industrous perants and we were concerned as part of the rose bush that lives near the tree had blown infront of the opening making it a bit of a struggle.

The wind came and sorted that out for us as we hadn't wanted to disturbe them too much is we could help it.

Then Barabara comes over all sad - she found the top of the nesting box ripped off, she had already risked disturbing the nest to nial down the lid to try and prevent the magpies doing this but is had only been at the very corners and wasn't obviously secure enough :'(

She climbed up to find the little nest ripped to shreds and no sign of the eggs.

She then climbed the tree to nial it on good and proper so that if the blue tits had another brood they would be safe. Here she is hammering the lid on:

However this turns out to have been a bit in vian as she found what is probably the mother, dead and forlorn, we think she was probably sitting on the nest when they ripped the lid off.

I also found this egg down by the compost heap now it is possible that it just fell out of the nest once the chick had hatched - I can't remember what Barabara said it belonged to - something like a hedge sparrow or something. But it is possible that either the Magpies got that nest too like it did the ducks last year or (and more lickily) a cuckoo did it as this is one of their favourite nests to lay in.

It's about 3 cm long and a bright terquoise blue with little dark flecks.

Jeans Adventures in the Wilds (by sarah)

I ment to post these pics ages ago they are from when Jean first learnt to walk!

Wiggly Pet Winner (by sarah)

Is.....

drum roll

Andy!!!!!!!!

He guessed that indeed Percivial was a mouse - here are some pics of him.

It was a bit silly of me to try and keep the poor little thing but Hydrogen droped him at my feet and looked at me all expectantly and I picked him up and fell in love. I was worried that he would have internal injuries but he seemed fine.

The cats wouldn't allow us to release him just hounding him out again so we put him Brocclys old cage and shut the cats out of the room. He seemed happy with his new home but deleyed shock unfortunatly got him. We thought he was ok he had even made little caches of food and a little nest.

The burial rite was a bit of farst though as it was supposed to be a viking burial but his boat capsized and sunk :/ (comedy then insued as we tried to get him to float away involving long garden impliments and much we shouldn't laugh.)

Apologies (by sarah)

Sorry I haven't posted for ages - Percival died so I was a bit sad but I will post with pictures about him.

Not to mention the Wiggly Pet winner 😀

Jeans Taste in Music and Percivial (by sarah)

I now have two whole fans of my guitar playing, one of them is Alaric and well... ok look he thinks everything I do is great and the other one is Jean.

Yes - Jean, she adores it and even asks for more, unfortunalty she prefers my punk and thrash metal versions of things which is unfortunate as they are what I do (badly) when I can't actually play the song but she seems to think they are the best things ever!

So far in the percivial compertition we have established that Percivial is a: Vertibrate Quadraped Terrestrial (land animal) Warm Blooded Has Live young Mammalian

Todays clue is that it is soft and furry and small.

Carry on guessing and asking questions remember there is a wiggly pet to be won!