Tracking the Cami de Cavalls: Scat # 3 & Scat # 4

Scat # 3 was found beside a small stone beneath a large bush at approximately 7.45am. It was relatively fresh and retained a gooey and viscous texture and a shiny black colour. Scat # 3 appears to have been deposited on top of the stone and although the smear-trail of faecal liquid showing where it had slid down the stone to the position it was found had evaporated it had left a dark stain on the stone which is clearly visible in the photograph. Scat # 3 was approximately cm wide and appears to have settled into an amorphous mass however the linear/tubular shape that the original scat had upon excretion can be seen in the photograph. It had a musty odour, although not as strong as in Scat # 1. When broken up Scat # 3 was found to contain insect elytra although proportionally less than Scat # 2, which contained a very high proportion of elytra. There were no tracks in the immediate area of the stone that could assist with species identification although several meters away beneath the same bush a similar, although smaller scat had been deposited, again on a rock. This is referred to as Scat # 4. A striking feature of Scats # 3 & 4 are the deposition sites atop stones and rocks. This, coupled with the viscous semi-liquid nature of the scat points to a bird, although which bird is quite another matter?