What's missing?

Well, OPHELIA, obviously. OK, so it's not that similar, but this does, for some reason, always make me think of the Millais painting.

The other thing that's missing is the stoat I saw... well, the stoat wasn't actually in the stream. Or near it. He was about 100 yards away along the footpath. Still. I saw him.

I think it's only the second time that I have seen one - and I didn't see much. Just guessed at the species from the size and the tail.

Other ethology notes. There is one crow on the park who seems very unpopular. Only one fledgling seems to tolerate him. He is so much stouter (not stoater) and louder that I almost thought he might be a raven or a rook, but after inspecting the images online, I think he is a crow. He is intrepid with me and demands his nuts. But the big group from the bottom of the park fly over to dive-bomb him. Mind you, they get dive-bombed by the 'flying pair' in the middle of the park. One will swoop down and the victim rolls over to attack with his feet from a prostrate position. Much cawing accompanies this.

If a crow 'steals' a nut from another pair's territory, he will get chased and the birds are like fighter jets.

One from the 'brave three' flew to sit next to Jabi and then watched me, as if to say, give me some nuts while you collect your dog.

The bravest of the brave three will come over when I call 'Crow! Crow!' Not super close, but he is definitely responding. The pair at the top - one of them is brave, but he doesn't like me watching him eat. Neither Solo nor Bravest mind that. The Flying Two prefer to be unseen. The Raucous Group wait until I have moved away.

Ah, but clearly no one was too disturbed by the dog shit.

Thus ends today's Crow Discourse.