Apologies for the rather vague description. Time constraints at the point of sending stopped me explaining fully.

I took a shot at him with my 16ga when he popped his head over the branch. He pulled back, I was pretty sure I missed so I started walking away.

About 5 yards later I heard a thump, and there he was lying on the floor stone dead without a mark on him.

Heart attack, maybe?

And yes I know there was some paint missing on my grill insert!

Even still Conrad, not the first vehicle that generally comes to mind when one hears the words "pest control" whatever it's state, I think.

Is that a 300e? if so what year?

Close but no cigar. It's a 190E 2.5-16v automatic (sorry) of which there are 94 still registered in Britain, 35 of which are SORN at the moment... According to the DVLA.
It's a 1989.

I'm a total geek about that car, any questions feel free to ask. Unfortunately I was forced to sell it when I moved to Canada having spent a little over a year rebuilding it with the intention of taking it with me.

As ever, life chose it's own course that only slightly followed that that I had intended so it was left behind to my anguish.

Tree strike?

I detest tree rats. The Eldest Child, and his Younger Brother, used to pot those things with a .22 air rifle. We let the cats have them now. Both sons are sharpshooters though, thanks to the squirrels, so they do have their uses.

To be fair, my lads never shot the nasty things unless they were in the fruit trees or noshing on the food in the bird feeder. We had quail, pheasant and other birds eat from our feeder in the winter, so I loathed the furry thieves all the more, as they could gather and bury their food, but the birds needed a bit of help.