Mouse and home! Photographer creates tiny Hobbit-style village with miniature wooden houses for wild mice who visit his garden
- Simon Dell, 46, from Sheffield created the houses resembling Lord of the Rings
- He befriended a mouse called George who has enjoyed exploring the setting
- The mice enjoy log-piles houses, miniature picnics, postboxes and floral gardens
A wildlife photographer has built a miniature Hobbit-style village for wild mice who come to visit his garden.
Simon Dell, 46, built the miniature houses from wood to resembles the scenery from The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films.
He has befriended one of the mice and named him George, who can be seen exploring various settings from log-piles houses, miniature picnics, a coconut shell home and floral gardens.
Simon, from Sheffield, has even created a miniature tribute to the NHS bench which George can be seen inspecting.
Simon Dell, 46, created a miniature wooden village resembling scenery from The Hobbit for wild mice who visit his Sheffield garden
Simon started the village after befriending a mouse he named George. He made a little home for the mouse using twigs and moss, before the returning visitor was treated to the hand built wooden village
The wildlife photographer says: ‘I once gave wood carving a try so what I learnt has come in very handy for making mouse sized homes and furniture’
Simon built a miniature tribute to the NHS bench which George can be seen inspecting
The village came about after George ‘seemed to like’ the first little home built by Simon and the photographer decided to build more
He has captured some impressive shots of George dining at a miniature table and chairs – snacking on cheese and nuts.
He said: ‘George had been visiting my garden for a few weeks as I was leaving a peanut out for him to return to the very same spot.
‘I then decided to make him a little safe home as I worried about cats getting to him – I piled some small logs, twigs and moss over a make shift little room and put some seeds and nuts inside for him.
One of the mice takes a snack on a miniature, wooden picnic table hand carved by Simon
George has been joined by other mousey friends sine the first log-pile house was built and they enjoy roaming around the village
George gets on his hind legs to turn the camera back on Simon in a playful photo shoot
One of the mice tries to hop on this little homemade bike to get his exercise in during lockdown
This mouse is checking whether its washing is dry yet as the residents really make themselves at home
One mouse village resident checks their homemade mail box created out of scraps of wood
‘He seemed to love it which prompted me to make more tiny houses using scraps of wood.
‘I once gave wood carving a try so what I learnt has come in very handy for making mouse sized homes and furniture.
‘Now that I have extra time on my hands, I have been making more furniture and it seemed right to make an NHS bench to show my support – they are doing an amazing job.’
George enjoys a miniature picnic complete with mugs, bottles, plates of food and a blanket
A wood-working mouse carves a cup on its work bench while enjoying a bucket of daisies and the smell of pine cones and cranberries on the floor
A mouse enjoys the view from its window in a tiny stone house complete with floral front garden
One of the residents draws the attention of the mouse village by playing a little trumpet
Simon says when it is sunny the wild mice seem more than happy to strike a cute pose ‘in exchange for a bit of home made peanut butter or some seeds’
Simon admits it can be challenging to take good photographs as they are wild animals.
But when the weather is good, they are a ‘pure joy’ to snap.
He said: ‘Some days are harder than others with them being wild.
‘But when it is sunny, they seem more than happy to strike a cute pose or two in exchange for a bit of home made peanut butter or some seeds.’