Radio 4 was waxing lyrical this morning -the Today team-about sightings of large cats -pumas for instance-throughout these islands and is looking for evidence that these creatures actually exist and are not figments of overheated imaginations. Foot prints have been found but no positive identifications made. Listeners are invited to send in hard evidence. Sadly our Panther hunter, Dave the Paper having abandoned his early morning newspaper delivery is no longer in a position to report furthe sightings to those he has already made. About two years ago he saw a panther (a bit 'bigger than a Labrador') and a local villager also saw one in the snow behind his house a few months previously-glowing black in the snow as he lyricised. No photos, no hard evidence. No glory on Today. Its a pity that Roan deer (or Bambis as D the P used to call them) don't count as exotic creatures of the wild. Dave had hard evidence of those since one committed suicide under his wheels leaving lots of hard evidence all over the body work of his Landrover. Any sightings to the Duty Officer, Fauna and Road Litter section, Hutton Think Tank, please.

Huttonian can only offer images of Ollie, the Hen Pheasant-rarely sighted these days She is being pursued passionately by Cockie but he has not yet been able to cement the union (if that is the right technical term) Ollie is a stickler for the proprieties-no Spring No Sex. Any advances before 21 March and its peck rather than pecker. In the meanwhile she is chasing her would be paramour away from the food centre. But no matter, he is off nuts-all he wants his his greens. But it could be a long wait.  ¶ 11:10 AM