Animal rescue part 2 great tit and Slow worm

I went out to check on the juvenile great tit first thing and found it had got out of the box and was sitting on one of my old trainers.

I carefully picked it up in cupped hands and walked towards the door hoping to get bird back up in the tree where it would be safer. As I got to the door the bird flew from my hands and onto the greenhouse roof.

After struggling about it managed to get a grip of a step of the passion flower.

After a while it moved to the corner of the green house and flew across to the flint wall.

After a couple of minutes it flew away low across the neighbours garden and disappeared and was the last time I saw it.

Later, I noticed a very water logged red tailed bee on a Lily pad in the pond.

I carefully used a grass stem to lift him out of the pond. I put the bee on the pond edge where it would hopefully dry without getting dirt stuck to it. I carefully lifted one of the wings which was stuck to its body because it was wet. The bee disappeared so I presume it dried out and flew away.

Later in the day our cat was calling at the door. Laying on the ground was a slow worm, minus its tail and the tail wriggling a short way away. I carefully picked up the slow worm and put it in a box and waited for the cat to forget about it.

I checked it over and it seemed to only have very minor injuries. People often mistake slow works for snakes but they are actually leg-less lizards. They feed on ivertebrates inlcuding small slugs. They are a beautiful shiny copper in colouration.

I let the slow worm go on the rockery a while later.

By that time, black ants had already food the tail and began their work of scavenging. I moved the tail to the side of the garden.