Birds on promenade in this wet warm weather: a downy woodpecker and a cardinal side by side on the magnolia this morning, each with their bright red, and a humbler chickadee foraging on the ground.

Yesterday a ring-necked pheasant fluttered across the road in front of the car, its bottle-green collar glowing in the dusk.

Oliver tracks furiously through the woods, camouflaged perfectly against the leaves, bark and black earth.

The deer better take cover.