Close Encounters

I took Birdboy for a walk through our local patch this afternoon to see if they had removed the fence blocking the pathway (closed for tree felling) . At last we have access again!

I think this was the first time I've ever been there without a camera (I've been with the wrong lens before, and no memory card, low battery, etc.) and what happens? We have an extremely close encounter with a gorgeous stoat! I don't know if he was a youngster, or ill (didn't seem to be) but he wasn't shy and there was no fear from him at all. I could have picked him up he was that close but I had visions of Richard Whiteley in a TV studio with a ferret attached to his finger, so I thought it best not to! He eventually settled under some bark and weeds, so we left him to get on with it.

First time I've seen one so close and he was amazingly cute!

What a missed photo opportunity that was! I just knew going down there without a camera would be a mistake. Ho-hum.