Even my garden blue tits have eventually decided to set up house in my nest box after a month of dithering. At one stage the local sparrows were going in and out, checking it out as a possible dwelling, while the blue tits looked on, swithering. Last Sunday however, nest-building began in earnest and the pair spent the whole day carrying in moss. They may have been putting it off until temperatures improved. Let's hope they are more successful than they were last year. I'll keep you posted on developments.

During the past couple of months, there have been a couple of new species of bird visiting my garden, which have been the first additions to my list for several years. The first was a handsome male reed bunting which still comes to the bird table on a daily basis, and the other, which I didn't actually see in my garden, but it sat tantalisingly on the dividing hedge between mine and next door's, was a male blackcap. He was singing his heart out, but I didn't see him feed. One lucky reader however, D. C. from near Jedburgh, went one stage further. Not only did he have one in his garden, but he actually managed to photograph it on his peanut feeder, as you can see. This once unusual behaviour is becoming more and more common, as yet another species of wild bird learns to exploit the regular food supply provided at feeding stations in our gardens.

Has anyone else noticed any strange mouse behaviour in their garden recently? At the weekend, I came upon a woodmouse staggering around the garden as if drunk. It rocked from side to side as it walked, and occasionally fell over. It was completely unafraid of my presence. I noticed a similar thing last year but then the mouse was walking in circles. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had similar experiences.

At the crack of 6am last Sunday, I was up and about in the policies of Philiphaugh Estate, near Selkirk, as part of the annual Breeding Bird Survey, which entails walking a predetermined route across an allocated 1km square and logging every bird seen or heard. This is done twice during the breeding season. Although it was overcast it was mild and calm, and ideal for hearing birds. Early results were interesting, in that the most numerous and widespread species in the square was, as expected, the wren, with eight birds singing, but right alongside it, in terms of number, was the song thrush – a bird, up until recently, reported as being in serious decline.

Whatever the eventual results reveal, it provides a great excuse to get up really early and get into the countryside, when the wildlife is at its most active.

The Central Borders branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust still has a few seats left on its annual Bird Bus, which this year is visiting Vane Farm RSPB reserve by Loch Leven a week on Saturday (May 17). For more details contact Eric Middleton on 01750 21829. Open to non-members.