Come on join the band(ed snail)...

Out with the dog in the park in the dark, I was all set to take a classy photo of this dark-lipped snail (Cepaea nemoralis*). It was lit by my headtorch and crawling along a blade of grass. Then, just before I pressed the shutter, the grass blade bent and the snail slumped off. I swear it looked surprised!

* that species identification is tentative. If correct, this is one of the commonest snail species in Western Europe and much loved by our local song thrushes. This very path where the photo was taken is punctuated by the stone 'anvils' used by the song thrushes to bash apart the snail shells. It is a tough old world out there for critters...