I wasn't sure if this survey was going to take place because the forecast was so awful, cool and rather damp - as in heavy rain. However, when we met in the car park for Thorncombe Wood, just up from Hardy's Cottage (Thomas Hardy's birthplace), the rain had eased off to virtually nothing. The decision was we'd give it a go. A bit of a walk later we went on to the survey site, which was new to me and checked the boxes and tubes for dormice.

We had mostly empty boxes and tubes but in two boxes, blue tits were nesting and in another were some angry bees. Several had collections of moss which can be the start of bird's nests and in the last group we checked, yours truly, discovered a torpid dormouse with a slug crawling over its head. For a moment we wondered if it was dead, but the little female was alive, so we cleaned her up and popped her back into an otherwise bare nestbox. So I got to handle another dormouse and my interest in them wains not one iota. I still think they're wonderful.

Of course my reasons for going is purely background research for Bike (coughs). Sorry no pics, couldn't carry it and take photos.