Nutkin. We were working very close to where I found the squirrel on the last volunteer day at the Reserve. I made the mistake of looking at the videos and all the sadness welled up again.
At work, I told my colleague about the squirrel and as I did I remembered that Mischa had seen one like this last year. I started to wonder if neurological issues were endemic. A brief Google search failed to enlighten me.
That reminded me of Michael telling me he had two "vultures' in his garden: a male and female blackbird with bald heads. I have a bald blackbird. I thought he was just moulting but then I remembered a bald robin somewhere and being told it was a disease... Another search... this seems to be a matter of wear and tear:
During July and August, the breeding season is pretty much over for blackbirds. Males, after weeks of feeding young look pretty worn and some have lost many of the feathers of their heads. Males take care of the fledglings of the first brood, while females lay the second clutch and incubate. Blackbirds might have a third clutch, so that males spend more time feeding chicks - that is, sticking their beaks into their chicks' open beaks. The stresses of the long breeding season and offspring demands might be responsible for most of the bald blackbirds at this time of year. Not to worry, they will moult in the next few weeks and look black and glossy again in time for winter. - Thanks to "The Rattling Crow"
Mind you, it's now (as I write, rather than as you read) late September. Hurry up and regrow!
The bald blackbird was out with me in the rain. He went high in the lilac, under the dense canopy and started his subsong. It went on and on and though so quiet, it was beautiful.
The real beast of the day was someone who suffered a severe hammer attack just 50 yards up the road. The Air Ambulance scared the crows out of the park and then the police told me to go into my house and stay there. They closed the road to cars and pedestrians for an hour or so. I still don't really know the full story. It may have been a racist attack.
I need some beauty after this.
The following day, Bobbit and I had a few meetings and he sang, full voice, on top of my lilac, instead of the neighbour's sycamore.
Very interesting about the blackbirds. And lovely about his singing in the rain. Always nice to see and heat about Bobbit. Yes, necessary to have such stories to balance out the other beastie happening.