Utterly quackers

I ventured on a different walk the other day. Did not see much apart from this duck, all by herself.

I was listening to Edward Parnell's Ghostland: In Search of a Haunted Country. It's a strange book, part autobiography, part travel writing, part a recounting of eerie fiction, and the film adaptations. It did make me want to read some more ghost stories and visit some of the places. He's also a keen birder, so ornithological comments pepper the text. He would not have been satisfied with a loan mallard.

The accounts of the writers and their tales are interesting, the evocation of place is effective, while Parnell's own story is desperately sad.

There's a fledgling starling in the garden next to me. I have been a little worried about it as it seems to be spending too much time on its own and on the ground. But after the blackbird experience, I will not try to catch it.

As for the robins, I hear three singing. One is definitely a this year fledgling. I hoped one was Tane, but none of them seem to trust me in the slightest. That said, the one in the front lilac has on a couple of occasions sat in the bush (unseen) beside me occasionally subsinging or making comments to itself.

Still no sign of the hedgehog, though I think the fox does visit. I should put the camera out.