Noises in the wood pile.

Monty and Pip have  blanket outside on the  terrace for daytime sleeping - which they do a lot of when it's hot - near that is a smallish wood pile and along the edge of the woodpile are some houseplants,  2 of which are spider plants.   

I heard a clicking noise from the woodpile a few days ago,  noticed also  that some of the baby spider plants were no longer hanging down and seem to have got inside  the logs!   All very strange.  And then there was the noise.  Something flexing it's muscles?   Cracking it's knuckles?  Chomping it's way through the woodpile?   But something that didn't bother either of the dogs, and believe me, they can chase a gecko or mouse when they see one!!

So we decided the next morning we would empty the pile and find out what had taken up residence.  Armed with sturdy gloves, a can of insect repellant (just in case!) and a mattock (just in case it was bigger than an insect)  we started to move  the plants.

That was when I noticed that the spider plants were now much smaller than the day before and down to a stump in places!  But we set to work moving logs and - I didn't see it  - but John said "there it goes!"  apparently a rat had shot out of the log pile and dashed straight into a larger pile.  Even Pip, fast as she is, didn't get hold of it but we put her to work trying to get it out or at least frighten it off.

That seems to have worked, as it's not been seen or heard since then.  And what was the noise?  It had taken the spider plant leaves to start a nest and there were also almonds in there with holes in and that was the noise we'd heard - the rat chewing / gnawing holes in the shell to get at the nut.