Slug patrol this evening was low, even in the area around the compost heap I
didn't get any. As I headed up along the strawberry patch my torch caught a
glimmer in the cornsurprisedfellow slug catcher bolted out of sight into
the cover of the Kerria.

Slug patrol will now be missing the south west corner of the garden and the
pickings from the rest aren't going to be sliced and left in place any
more. I'm not *entirely* surprised to see a slow worm since the corner of
the garden it went into has been deliberately left overgrown, there are
some logs left lying around down there to encourage beetles and other
predators, the compost heap is down there, the undergrowth is a bit thicker
and it is fairly sheltered and warm.

I'm fairly sure it wasn't there until recently, and I think I know where it
probably came from. One of the gardens that backs on to that section of our
garden was, until last week, a wilderness. They've been the source of our
bramble incursions and the dreaded knotweed. Last week there was a black
land rover parked outside their front and lots of gardening sounds in the
rear. The wilderness was cut down and the back garden was gravelled over.

I'm guessing the slow worm is a refugee from there. I'm *very* pleased to
have it make a home in my garden and will be doing everything to encourage
it to stay (and hopefully bring family). As I don't know if it was alone,
if there is a mate around etc and it is mating season, I won't be stirring
the compost heap too much and I won't be doing the planned clearing of that
corner for the pumpkins. I'm going to have to think a bit about how to
increase the nice places for slow worms while making it a little less
untidy to the eye without disturbing the current cover or making too much
noise. The first priority will be Holly proofing that corner. As there is
only a 3 foot gap between the Kerria and the greenhouse that should be
possible. The slug patrol will now become a delivery service an to
encourage the slugs to not wander back up the garden too far, I'll scatter
slightly gone flower heads and dandelions around the area along with the
buckets and planters that they take refuge under already. I have a couple
of gravel boards going spare and I can lay them flat just above the ground
(resting on small rocks) with planters on top to help things look good and
give the lizards somewhere safe and welcoming.

Lizard-cam anyone?