Mammal magic

Sometime my job has its perks, and today was one of those days - I spent the morning with the Nottinghamshire Dormouse Group at a woodland in north Notts, where dormice have recently been reintroduced, checking nest boxes. We found two dormice, both of which I handled; one was active, the second was torpid - 'cute' just doesn't do it justice...

On the way north, I did of course manage a quick patch visit. No notable waders, but my fist patch Red-crested Pochard of the year was on Mons Pool - bringing up 130 species for the year (and 156 points) for Patchwork Challenge. I'm currently lying in third position in the East Midlands minileague, behind Ian Cowgill at Lound and John Hopper at Hoveringham, so hopefully this will contribute to a maintenance of that position.

A rather back-lit Red-crested Pochard