I've had an exhausting week work wise and haven't had the energy to do much at all in the evening not finishing until 8.00pm most nights - and I'm supposed to be semi-retired. Then last night I went to bed early and woke in the night for a wee and couldn't get back to sleep for ages. consequently sleeping in this morning. However, I woke feeling much better and resolved to have the morning doing something I enjoy instead of slaving over a hot text book. I went to check the barn owl roost I know and found some more pellets. Once I get my utility room sorted and the binocular microscope, I can start dissecting them and identifying their victims. The object, apart from a challenge to me, is to send records to the various mammal recorders/county records as I know the location of the pellets' origins.

Then I went a short distance up the road to check out a site I'm supposed to be installing dormouse tubes with the RSPB and I'm still not sure where they want me to do it. I had a good walk and spotted over thirty species of birds including a pair of Marsh Harriers and to cap it all, correctly identified some otter spraints (checked with our resident otter expert in the mammal group). When they're fresh they're really gelatinous or more correctly, mucilaginous.

In case piccies of otter poo put you off your dinner, here's a drake shoveller who happened to be within range of my camera. Note the size of the bill.

You do have an episode of Bike tonight.