What the heck does that title mean? The dictionary defines microcosm as – a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger. During the lockdown, being confined to our houses and having some great weather right now, means we have probably been spending a lot of time in the garden. As a frustrated wildlife observer, now that I can’t visit my woods and only having a very small garden, I have been watching the activity closely. I’ve just built a small pond and desperate to see some life in it, have been staring into it on a daily basis. I’ve sat in the sun and just looked at insects flying around and birds landing before making for next doors feeders. It suddenly occurred to me how much I have seen that I would not normally have noticed and that I am becoming an expert on my own miniature nature reserve – butterflies such as Peacocks, Tortoiseshells, Commas and hoverflies.

To ease my lackdown frustration I bought another trailcam to put out in the garden. It’s something I have toyed with in the past to see what goes on during the night. The garden is tiny and I had no expectations of seeing anything of interest. Neighbours cats, Wood Pigeons, Jackdaws and an assortment of common garden birds attracted in by next doors feeders was all I expected. To my delight, the trailcam has revealed two interesting night visitors. My first downloads revealed a field mouse and a hedgehog sussing out the freshly dug soil by the pond.  I haven’t seen a hedgehog for years and certainly not in my garden so I was over the moon to see one. It was what I’d really hoped for but didn’t expect. I told a neighbour who also got excited and gave me a small packet of cat food to put out for it. I was unsure, expecting her cat or the Jackdaws might gobble it up but to my delight, next morning the camera revealed not one but two hedgehogs. I put together two compilations and you can see them here –

I’m taking my daily exercise walks and am really lucky to live close to a river and woodland. That’s a two-sided coin though. I get my daily “fix” of spring trees, blossom and wildlife but it also reminds me of what I am missing seeing at my woods. I must not complain because I know there are people locked up in urban areas who don’t have that opportunity. Anyway I shall try to continue putting something on here to give you a short escape from the subject (corvid19) that we are continually bombarded with. Take care and get some nature into your head.