Mornings start early, around 4am with the crescendo of bird song on the dormer roof providing a surround sound experience! The weekend has been hot, the stream which had already been reduced to a trickle is almost completely desiccated. A few years ago part of the water course was dammed with some slates to make a small natural wildlife pool which has become a water source for all kinds of animals, deer, red squirrels, even a water shrew and over the last few weeks has been the only puddle remaining. In an attempt to save all the creatures in the thick silt I ran the hose into it and within minutes red damselflies appeared, a bullfinch flew in through the ferns and splashed about next to me, then a great tit and a frog.