Every year, about this time, a Wood Mouse starts coming into the house. We don't see much of him, but he scratches about the loft in the middle of the night. Every evening, the humane trap (baited with peanut butter) gets put out for him, and every morning he gets liberated back into the garden. It has become a bit of a ritual. I think we both quite enjoy it (he certainly seems to enjoy the peanut butter). One year I caught the offending mouse and let him go about a mile from the house. However I don't have the heart to do that to this one. The truth is that I like quite like seeing him scampering around the back garden and dodging under the back step.

Nevertheless, I guess something will have to be done, as this morning ...

... he brought along a friend.

Headed for Dumfries first thing. A quick stop at Castle Loch produced Great spotted Woodpecker (2), Nuthatch (2), Great, Blue, Coal and Long tailed Tits, dozens of Redwings, a few Fieldfares, a Buzzard, a Kestrel, a pair of Reed Buntings, a small flock of Siskins and around 20 Chaffinches with a single Brambling.