Squirrel on the nets, rat on the lawn ...

Well, if it were colder I might have more fires and that would deter squirrels coming down the chimney.

The local magpies occasionally perch on our chimney and cackle down it.

And I convinced they knock down gingered me last year. I was working with the patio door open and all of a sudden there was an explosion of cackling from a flock (?) of magpies. Intrigued I went out to see them all flying off. Except one that seemed to be left behind to confirm I had fallen for it.

SWMBO did suggest they may have seen a cat in our garden and this was their ruse to get rid of the moggy. Which I can believe. Smart birds, the old corvids.

It wasn't a rat. It was the squirrel without its tail wig. ;-)

Years ago, I had a pond in the garden, and when a magpie found a bit of bread on the bird table was too hard, it would bring it down to the pond and dip it in the water.

One of my uncles, many many years ago, swore that after he put a roll of wire netting down his chimney to stop crows nesting, a group of them came and lifted it out.

The rats are always there, even if you don't often see them. In an open area is unusual though, unless there was a source of food there.

I blame ursula vander squirrelbra

I blame it being too long before the rubbish is emptied for the rats, the Squirrels, well we do grow a lot of trees with the produce they like, but as to whether there is anything they might want in your house is anyone's guess. I have to be aware of Fox cubs, Pigeons and more recently large herring gulls simply walking into the kitchen when the door is open. Neither bird seems to have any control over their bowels it seems.

Herring gulls in Surrey,I know, they are probably frequenting the nearest tip. Don't imagine these know what the see is. Brian

No, is the answer. I had one in the spring, it managed to break through the draft excluder at the bottom of the chimney. When I heard it, it was already in an agitated state, it started hurling itself at the patio doors, in a vain attempt to escape. As I tried to open these doors, to let it out, it hit my legs. It was surprisingly heavy.

I have to be aware of Fox cubs, Pigeons and more recently large

I think they regularly migrate, inland.

As a kid, I was told they move inland before a storm. I used to live about 20 miles from the sea. It seemed to be true. It is only a short extra hop to Surrey.

Adam