Nauseatingly cute

On a recent visit to Martin Mere wetland centre, the experience included practising photographing the ultimate in cute, wee furry things.  The day we visited there were lots of folks who'd brought their animals and their crafts to display. Many owners were willing to allow visitors to hold or stroke ferrets, birds and baby coo's and pigs and such like.The meerkats were problematic to photograph as they would not sit still and smile for the camera.

Some beasties were closer up than others, and the just as cute but feathered instead of furry were enclosed in their own ponds but further away from the enthusiastic photographer.

Flamingos in their shed.

No picture records my not quite distant enough encounter with Priscilla the death inducing tarantula. I spied Priscilla across a hut I’d entered following my discovery of how soft chinchillas are.  I was a little off balance from narrowly avoiding verbalising my thoughts that I could now understand why heartless people made them into coats thus upsetting the terribly nice owner and ruining any credibility I have as a vegetarian.

But Priscilla and my near death experience…
All arachnophobes have dramatic tales to tell (as opposed to being drama queens) and seeing what I first thought was an ugly pattern on a chap’s jumper turned out to be blood-chilling to the extent I was capable of emitting only a feeble squeak. Sig Other congratulated me on keeping my cool. I later admitted it was shock not cool I felt.  Actual end of life was averted by staggering over with whatever aplomb I could muster to cuddle a cute python.  Equilibrium mostly restored, I carried on to the next building which held an assortment of birds of prey.

The outlying parts of this waterfowl sanctuary are home at the moment to vast numbers of pink footed geese.

And the final cute pic was taken when the otters were being fed.