I couldn’t believe my eyes – a large, furry monster perched apparently motionless atop our water lily with his back to me. First of all I thought he was having a drink but when he didn’t appear to moving, I wondered whether he was looking at the tadpoles, maybe considering whether they might be at all edible. We have rather a lot this year, so hopefully I’ll be able to give a few of them away to some tadpole-less couples.
It’s a cack-handed shot from the bedroom window across the back of the house and it took me some time to (a) get moderately comfortable stretched across the (glass-topped!) bedroom furniture and hang most of my upper body out of the window and (b) summon up enough courage to loose a shot in the knowledge that a bad miss could have punctured the pond liner. I don’t take half-chances unless I can be sure they won’t be any consequences to missing.
Once I was semi-comfortable, I gave him a couple of little squeaks to see if he’d lift his head and give me a more sporting target but when he didn’t, I aimed for the high point of his spine. He crumpled on the spot without a sound or a twitch and I later found the pellet’s exit wound in his face, indicating that I’d hit his brain. Animals deserve to be despatched quickly.
