Poor chick

I saw this poor moorhen chick down by the stream today.  Or to be totally accurate, I heard it first so looked for it.  It was making tiny soft mewing noises.  It's pretty well full grown, obviously from this year's brood and Mummy has vanished.

I had other shots that included its ridiculously large feet and wrinkled yellow legs (Malvolio, eat your heart out), but this I think best shows the anxiety and stress.  When I stopped it almost began to come towards me as though I might be a protector.  Usually moorhens won't come anywhere near you. 

However, that gave me plenty of time to watch and blip it and as I stood quite still and quiet a cheeky rat came up to my feet, watching my face with its beady brown eyes and turning slowly - but just fast enough for me to miss the shot - as I swung the lens towards it.  As though it knew!

So that's my nature watching for today.  The rest of the time is being rather social.  How lovely.

Enjoy your evening, dear peeps  xx