The Face of Pure Evil

Ever done something a bit daft?
This morning I spotted this little fellow on the road looking a bit dazed. So, without thinking I picked him up to move him somewhere less dangerous to gather his thoughts. I picked him up like I would pick a hen up, but it turns out that not only do owls have heads that swivel, their feet do too. And this one grabbed my hand (i don't know how) in his horrendously sharp talons. While he clung on (now dangling upside down from my hand) I established that he had no external bleeding and his wings still seemed to work. Unlike me - I was now bleeding profusely! It took quite some time to pull his claws out of my hand. Then I popped him in a quiet spot under some bushes and took this photo - with my left hand - hence quality. He's eyeing me up for another go - but I made my excuses and left. Hand sore & swollen now, so I'm just going to pop down to casualty to see if I need any injections.
If you see an owl in the road and haven't got gloves on, probably best to give it a gentle nudge with your foot.

In other news: HAPPY NEW YEAR