I know, I know, I've not blogged for a month now. Truth be told it's been helter skelter at work over the last four weeks and evenings & weekends have been spent just sorting out the boys and drawing the odd breath.

So... just a quick post today, just to let the regular reader of this blog know I'm still alive. Just!

A few nights ago, just before we retired to bed at around 2230hrs, I stepped out of the back door into the inky black of the night, with my thermal camera pressed to my eye. On the lookout for hedgehogs primarily, as we are, I think, down to one hedgehog visiting us each night now, down from four (I think) earlier in the year.

I didn't see any hedgehogs through the thermal camera, but I DID see an interesting small, bright, heat source at the far end of the garden, 40-50 yards away (we have quite a large garden) sitting on top of the chicken coop in our chicken run. Again, the regular reader(s) of this blog may know that whilst we used to keep hens, and we intend to again when the boys can help look after them and themselves to an extent, we've not kept hens for a few years now and the chicken run is presently full of bikes, garden tools and bits and bobs - no hens live there at present.

I walked up the garden videoing what I saw through my thermal camera - and the short video can be seen below.

NB. There is NO sound on these thermal clips. The quality of footage isn't 4K or even HD either.

That said, I think (hope) you'll agree that this clip shows the stunning power of my wee HIK MICRO OWL OQ35.

Please understand, I couldn't even see the chicken run or coop in the pitch black 45 yards away when I shot this video, let alone a mouse sitting on the chicken coop.

Incredible - the stuff I can see in total darkness, with this bit of kit!

OK that shallot for now - I'll try and return soon with a little blog post on the return of "my" jays to the garden - the first time we've attracted jays to our garden for two years now after they failed to return at all last winter.

More soon.

TBR