"Unwelcome Visitors" drabbles by Neville Hunt

A Darker Shade of Tail

Unwelcome Visitors #3

Bert gives the appearance of being fearless, but of course, a concerted “shoo!” together with a little run forward usually puts him to flight. Nonetheless, the easy strutty way he ponces about the garden understandably kept Blacky on top of the garage roof, in sight, but not in garden.

But what’s this? Our super smart melanistic visitor, ebony black and handsome, is getting bolder. “Why, Blacky, you’re chancing it with Bert around!” There was Blacky on the terrace ‘stop-starting’ nimbly in search of treasure. Bert’s treasure.

We Brits love an underdog, so “Do your best, Blacky, be my guest!”

Snatch ‘n Store

Unwelcome Visitors #2

One of our less welcome American imports, grey rats with pretty tails seem to have it all to themselves. Not content with robbing our little birds’ feeders, they strip and store hazelnuts from the trees, before I get a look in! But I know where to find them, buried in the lawn, flower beds, plant pots... And they ponce about the place like they own it!

One particular little beast I call Bert. He doesn’t do that cutesy ‘sit up and beg’ routine. He struts around the place. I give up!

“Have your fill, Bert. I know you will anyway!”

Who can resist the melanist?

Unwelcome Visitors #1

Pretty they may be with their magnificent bushy tails, but with hazelnut trees to left and right, joined by a potentially pretty lawn across our garden, they are NOT WELCOME! How cutely they sit up and beg. The children love them... not me!

Not content to rob me of all my lovely hazelnuts, they come in and plant them in our lawn, to dig up later.

But yesterday, sitting on the roof ridge on our garage was something different... a squirrel that was completely black. A melanistic squirrel. Absolutely beautiful!

“Go on then, Blacky, help yourself... all the others do!