I've been seeing too many rabbits in our garden recently. Normally that wouldn't bother me but each morning for the last few weeks evidence of their droppings have increased - especially on the front graveled drive up to the front door. It's just as if someone after a trip to the supermarket has dropped and split open several bags of currants. Plus they've dug holes on the drive-way. Rather than shoot the rabbits I prefer to catch them humanely and then release in a nearby wood.

So I set a trap. Results after 10 days are one hedgehog (which I released from the cage) and this morning a little critter which resembles a large field-mouse. Perhaps someone can confirm if the photo that follows is in fact of a mulot; photos I’ve seen on-line appear to show mulots with a darker brown coat and without a white fur ‘mask’.



So planning to release it humanely, I picked up the cage and put in the rear seat of the car. Mme TPipe had been watching this and when I closed the rear door, she said, "Aren't you going to put the seat belt on it?"
I'd realised she'd meant the cage, but after almost choking with laughter I quipped, "I tried but it kept slipping off him!". She thought I was being serious and said, "Not the field-mouse, the cage!" (She's French you know, and unfortunately not improving with age like an excellent French Bordeaux).........