Hail and snow.

The high winds banging the barn door and hailstones hitting the windows got me up at 3.30am. Sat downstairs with a cup of coffee listening to the mice running around in the walls and gnawing away at the expandable foam we used to block the hole they made to get into the kitchen. I hoped the duck and her ducklings were safely tucked away in a hedge bottom somewhere, but she's now down to six ducklings. They are getting more independent, finding food for themselves and chasing chaffinches. The baby rabbit got very giddy running at and away from them and jinking up in the air. Mummy duck keeps up a constant low call to the ducklings and when a large pigeon flew in she gave a loud quack of alarm and all the ducklings ran under her. The ducklings are also using the bird bath as an infant swimming pool to the annoyance of the pheasants.