I do normally enjoy a nice quiet morning of contemplation before work, but it was RUINED this morning due to the actions of a guinea pig OUT OF CONTROL.  Dougal has been recovering well from his earlier dental difficulties.  After coming home from hospital he weighed a pitiful 913g, but with generous applications of food he has chunked up to the respectable figure of 970g.  And still rising. 

In fact Dougal has become rather too insistent on regular feedings.  For some time now he has shown increasing interest in cereal.  I have occassionally fed him little bran flakes from my bowl, which in light of this morning's occurences may have been a mistake. 

There I was sitting on the floor with my breakfast on my knee, when friendly little Dougal came to investigate.  I thought it was cute.  It was not so cute when he grabbed the end of my spoon in his mouth and flipped it up and out of my bowl, spraying oat milk everywhere.  Little bastard.  I told him as much as I was drying off my legs but he was entirely unrepentant.  He remained at the scene of the crime licking the milk from the carpet, like a starving dog desperately tearing the last scraps of meat from a carcass... 

And then afterwards, when I had eaten what was left they swarmed around the remains, Strathpig joining in with the ill-gotten bounty:

Exhibit A

And let's have a close up on that:

Note the crazed expression in the eyes

Just as well I had a happy morning of mothing with the Moth Man to calm me after this challenging start to the day.  And a nice calming walk to work:

View from the blue path

2 new species were caught today, along with 3 very beautiful Poplar Hawk-Moths:

Spot the moth: Green arches

Light Emerald

I then went on a very pleasant walk (aka litter patrol) during which I found this dead Water Shrew:

Water Shrew

And perhaps more scenically some pretty flowers:

Red Clover and Bumblebee

Stitchwort?