Introducing...

Wednesday 9th at Sherborne was focussed on the March bat count on what was definitely the most miserable day of the year and felt like the coldest. Despite the weather there was an exceptional turnout with Morris bringing a caving friend Joe, Mike who was pleased he had to drive the tractor to the bat cave {4x4 being full}, James and myself. It didn't feel like it but the temperature had risen to 8.5C outside the cave and 8-10C inside the cave. There were 158 lesser horseshoes in the Bat cave, 2 in the Kennels, 20 in the Bothy and 14 in the Cellar giving a great total of 194, 20 better than last year.

Toby discovers his first countryside gate

Ollie & Toby in the valley next to Barbers wood

My new dog Toby {sprocker} arrived on 13th March, after Ollie persuaded him who was boss he's started to settle in nicely. Off lead walk today around Barber wood went well aside from Toby's first encounter with local cattle. He'd snuck under a 5 bar gate and decided to challenge a big horned cow. I fortunately managed to grab him before anything bad happened. Hopefully my control and his recall will be improving over the coming weeks. The walks so far show he is better at socialising than I was prepared for all looking promising from this spaniel aid Uk 'rescue'.