Things that bump in the night .....

[Mick F]

I awoke at 3.15 this morning, hearing a noise.

It was a very quiet scratching and scraping, and I couldn't make out where it was coming from. We live in a bungalow surrounded by woodland, and as we have French Doors in the bedroom opening into the garden, we often hear "strange goings-on" out there. Badgers, foxes, owls, mice, deer .......... squeeks and squeals, barks and growls, snufflings and grunts.

But last night sounded different. I sat up and strained my ears but it didn't sound that it came from outside. I knew the cat wasn't in the bedroom, because she'd be on the bed. I just couldn't recognise the noise at all.

I put the light on. Nothing. Quiet. I turned the light off, but the noise started again. I gave up and went back to sleep.

This morning, I've been doing my duties in the place - housework! I made the bed and tidied the bedroom, and then saw immediately what had been disturbing my sleep.

Any guesses?

[Si]

Was it Mrs Mick trying to remove your Mercian from the bed so that she might be able to get in?

[Flinders]

Presumably a mouse or shrew is too obvious- some small mammal the cat brought in?

[kwackers]

Probably just the sound of rust forming on the Mercian - that's steel frames for you...

[Mick F]

Here's the critter!
It jumped onto the bed as I was cleaning up!

[kwackers]

You want to get a new cat, your old one is obviously not up to the job.

[MattyDeez]

Holy moley!

That's <insert swear word> huge!

Is that a blown up photo or the original? I didn't know we had grasshoppers*? that size.

[Mick F]

Sorry, I should have included a ruler next to it! I picked the beastie up after the photograph, and let it go outside. It didn't half jump strongly!

It's body was about 2" long. Powerful chap eh?
(but only one antenna)

[cycleruk]

Is that a cricket or a grasshopper or locust.

[byegad]

Is that a cricket or a grasshopper or locust.

Not sure but in a few months time it will be 100 times bigger and eating the crew!


Or is that Sigourney Weaver?

[kwackers]

(but only one antenna)

Perhaps it's already made the switch over to digital?

[Mick F]

The cat is very ........ analogue!
Sleeps like one! (a log, that is! )

Cricket? Locust? Grasshopper?
Dunno, what's the difference? I was HUGE anyway.

[cycleruk]

It seems that a Locust is a Grasshopper when they swarm.
So the query is it a grasshopper or cricket?
Well, from what I have just read, a Cricket has longer antennae than a Grasshopper.
Crickets are nocturnal and tend to be a dark colour.
Crickets don't have wings or can't fly.

So it would seem to be a cricket, by Jiminy.

[JohnW]

Holy moley!

That's <insert swear word> huge!

Is that a blown up photo or the original? I didn't know we had grasshoppers*? that size.

We do in Yorkshire - and they wear clogs and flat 'ats.

[thirdcrank]

How can anybody say it's huge when there's nothing in the pic to give an idea of scale?

By coincidence, we had some unusual goings on last night. We cannot have shut our front door properly because at some time during the night it blew open. I got up several times to look out of the front bedroom windows because it seemed unusually noisy outside - obviously, it was the same level of noise but it was coming in through a wide-open door. (We sleep at the back.) So, it seems that the sayings about being able to leave your door unlocked may be true, although I think we were probably very lucky. Strangely enough, the milkman, who delivers at about 3-00am must have seen the front door standing wide open and not thought it was unusual.