The breeding season tensions are rising and the water fowl are getting wired. First of all there was rape and violence on the lawn this morning. Four mallard drakes had got hold of a duck. One had her neck in its bill, a second was getting on top of her and two more were crowding in as well. Our presence at the window scuttled the drakes and the duck cleared off. I have noticed similar behaviour before. It's as if there are couples on the one hand who quietly swim around together, and gangs of lager lout drakes on the other who take what they want by force. Or am I being anthropomorphic?
Meanwhile the temperature is rising with the moorhens as well. After some months of general mingling there was a moorhen altercation this morning which ended up with one bird escaping to a branch about fifteen feet up in a Scots Pine tree. They look rather comical when perched due to the size of their legs and feet and they don't often head for the trees.
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