'Screwball' the baby racoon!

Great White Egret stayed at Wall Farm, Telford for a few days at the end of February with the Cattle Egret still up road at Ellesmere in the north of Salop

  I've returned from Florida after working in the Everglades for five weeks. In the time I was there I only had a few days off as the place where I was working were short staffed. 'Screwball' the baby raccoon that I rescued with it's mother, who died in my arms from internal injuries after being hit by a vehicle, was like a pet dog in the time I was looking after him. I mean, he didn't chase the postman down the road or fetch my socks but he was at times, very affectionate and would sleep on the pillow behind and sometimes on top of my head, as we were both sleeping! At other times he would bite your hand off and was a pain in the butt! It's now been over a week since I've been back in the UK and I'm missing him.

Screwball was always grooming my beard

Most of the time he relaxed on the back of my neck until he dozed off

While other times he would get excited and jump onto my back at speed, as you can see in this image, quickly jump off, run around the chairs and repeat this a number of times.

And at bedtime, he slept on the pillow behind my head!

No they're not dead! Both the Quail in the pocket and the Pheasant are asleep on my legs after I had fed them.

   

Shopping in Walmart and walked from the children toys, I was kicking a football and I got told off, and around into the next isle and jumped out of skin! I could not believe what I was looking at. Rows and rows of guns from $9 and some being authentic! That night there was a shooting in Nashville where five people were shot by a group of children!! People's lives and NRA=profit!!

'Oh, I just shot a Turkey! It was such hard work and now I'm goin to kill it's brother. If I knew where he was. I brought this gun in Walmart for $20. So I got four!!' 

This guy was still looking for a cricket pitch at the local Mexican market! Like his bag though!

Picking out the best peppers.

 Back in Shropshire I twitched the Great White Egret only two minute down road at Wall Farm last week. The egret showed pretty well and returning to the car in the bright warm sunshine I had my first Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell of the year sunning themselves.
  A few days later I was at Venus Pool and saw my first Comma Butterfly of the year with 2 Small Tortoiseshell and another Peacock. Yesterday I went to Middle Pool where a Pink-footed Goose turned up two days ago and was being fed from the hand! It will probably end up still being here next year

The Great White Egret showed well at Wall Farm 

Mute Swan

This Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock were just outside the hide 

This Comma was at Venus Pool

Also good numbers of Lapwing at Venus Pool

Spring at Venus Pool!

Here's footage of 'Screwball' grooming my beard while at the same time chilling out on the back of my neck! He was a cracker but also a pain in the butt!!