Slugs and snails and puppy dog tails

Ste Gisèle

The wildlife count has gone up recently and today has been especially busy.

It started when Jon got up this morning to make some tea and found a lizard in the living room. He went to pick it up and as I was saying 'It's tail will come off!' it ran under the cupboard and hasn't been seen since. We don't know how it got in, except that my theory is that it came in through the roof and ended up in the living room - bearing in mind the fact that the loft roof isn't insulated and is open to all sorts of creatures climbing under the tiles at the moment.

The house fly and bluebottle population is high at the moment. Luckily our new fly screens, fitted last September and never really put to the test, are keeping most of them out. Those that we do find indoors we also suspect of getting in through the roof. It's a good job those bees are still in the chimney and don't find their way down through the roof too.

When I pulled back the pool cover this morning I found the largest frog I've seen around these parts on the margelles. It hid its face from me in the manner of 'I can't see you, therefore you can't see me' and crawled into the grass. I called Jon over to see him, keeping a close eye on The Little Bar Steward who was mouse hunting close by and he put him safely into longer undergrowth.

Speaking of the Little Bar Steward, we were very upset the other day when he brought home a red squirrel in his jaws. Whether he found it or caught it I wouldn't like to say but I suspect the latter. He was suitably scolded and deprived of his prey which we disposed of in a neighbour's field (Sorry!).

Finally, Martin from the pool company discovered our well the other day and went down the little steps to investigate. He tells us that the water must be just perfect down there as there are several salamanders living there.

Hmmmm.