Back to the routine today with just a few photos. The Muscovy ducks stand out against the crowd. They would do because of their size and unusual body shape, but the male of the pair took it one step further. Just in case he wasn’t getting enough attention he spent the early morning perched on top of a bench.

At lunchtime he was back at ground level with Mrs Muscovy, sharing a drink from a puddle at the edge of the pond. The water level has dropped slightly over the past few days, but the fringes are still prone to flooding. Not that this bothers the ducks one jot!

Further round the pond there’s a stone wall which divides the village from the local fields, and passes along one of the two graveyards that flank the pond. The local squirrels use it as a handy highway.

Back home, the apparent improvement in Pretty’s foot seems to have been temporary. She was limping heavily again tonight, though I’m sure jumping down from high walls is not on the fox’s guide to avoiding injury. Other than the foot she looks in good shape. We’re watching her closely but will only intervene if she seems in genuine need of help. Meanwhile she is looking healthy and motoring around at a fast rate of knots.

Camera note: all daytime photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The fox was photographed with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens