Willy ( see photo) and his fellow vigilante Jack have been attracting the attention of local and national media this week. They have been recruited as part of a strategy to protect the eggs and chicks of ground nesting birds such as Lapwing and Avocets from predators such as foxes. Llamas are highly territorial and are fond of spitting, kicking and neck wrestling all accompanied by a pretty revolting soundtrack which will hopefully discourage the foxes. My little terrier is very uneasy near them and she's quite blind and deaf in her old age!
Nesting Lapwings have been closely monitored in recent seasons by a group of students from the nearby Edge Hill University and as this continues, hopefully, the success of this experiment should be apparent before long.
The thinking is that a bruised Llama is preferable to a shot fox.
This afternoon the Long-billed Dowitcher back in front of Nel's hide on Rimmer's Marsh.