Simon Dell, a photographer, is a lovely host. He was taking pictures of birds in his garden one day when he felt something move under his feet. He recounted, “I aimed my camera at the ground and was astonished but extremely thrilled to see a very cute little house mouse standing up much like a meerkat in the freshly cut grass.”
Dell made the choice to amuse the creature rather than shooing it away. He fled to his residence to grab some peanuts for the mouse after realizing his potential as a star. It was only a matter of minutes while I was sitting there before he returned for the treats. Dell then had another idea: he would construct a little shelter for the mouse, who was now going by the name of George, so that he could “hide and feed.” To begin, the photographer surrounded a box with little logs, moss, and straw. (The logs served as cover for George from a neighboring curious cat.)
A few days after building the shelter, Dell discovered that there was also another mouse there. “I made the decision to build them a home because I wanted to provide them with a secure location in the garden so they wouldn’t become victim to cats or other animals.” It was advantageous for Dell and the mice alike. Being a wildlife photographer, I wanted to design an attractive environment for whatever photographs I might take. He created miniature dwellings for them out of wood and hollowed-out fruit, and he even included playable objects. The resulting images of the mice are charming; they appear to have thanked Dell for his generosity by admirably posing among their plenty of berries and apples.
Since then, Dell has increased the mouse houses. They have appeared in greater numbers, and one of them appears to be pregnant. Considering that mice may produce up to 14 young, he says, “I could be building a lot more log pile rooms.” But I have room and don’t mind residing with such adorable and adorable small critters.
Dell had dealt with mice before, not just in this adorable village. He and his family had given the name Stuart to another mouse that resided in his garden shed. Stuart departed the garden in the spring of 2018, but Dell is hopeful he comes back to get to know the new mice. Up until then, we’ll be anticipating the pictures.
Simon Dell decided to give the little mouse a treat when he saw him scuttling around his garden.
He initially constructed a structure to protect the mouse from an inquisitive cat.
… and as more mice appeared, Dell erected extra buildings and shelters for them.
The mice are shown in their wooden homes and enjoying sweet snacks in the resulting photographs.
The mice appear to be thanking Dell for his generosity by posing beautifully among their abundance of berries and apples.
Simon Dell: Facebook | Redbubble
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