Dead Birds, Live frogs.

I have four pairs of blackbirds nesting in or around the extensive wilderness of Chez Rich. This weekend I had 3 dead young blackbirds in the garden. Either Magpies or Cats. And, since I think Magpies are protected, I'm blaming the Cats. Worse, I found the body of an adult female. She had got some plastic mesh wrapped around her neck and had hung herself in the pine tree. So not much hope for her chicks. Blackbirds are one of the species that are doing pretty well still, despite mankind’s best efforts, but its still rather sad to lose so many.

On a happier note, I have a frog. Not from the tadpoles (although they are just starting to grow legs - Red tells me that according to Muppet science this makes them Pollywogs) but an illegal immigrant. Now I have worked long and hard to build a wildlife pond & frog des res. But does Mr frog use it. Oh no. He's in the half completed formal pond. I'm not sure how he got in, but I'm damn sure that there's no easy way out. So I'm there with a net. For 40 minutes. Getting crosser & less pro frog by the second. Just as I am about to accept that I have lost this particular battle of wits and leave him to rot, he decides he's had his fun & jumps into the net. So he (she, it) is now in the correct pond & hopefully will spend his evenings devouring my excessive slug population. Now, if I can just get some bats to deal with the mosquito explosion all will be good.