Friday, March 26, 2010

Swan punishment beating









There was some violent action at Maxey pits this morning. The dominant male Mute Swan was not at all happy at the visit of a potential rival pair. A massive battle ensued, and I was genuinely worried that the inferior male may be seriously injured or even killed. The big cob chased and pecked a the smaller one and eventually grabbed it and climbed on its back to hold it still while it tried to peck the other's head, neck and eyes.
Meanwhile the two females were battling, but it turned out that the big cob's partner was getting dominated by the other female. Chief cob, though, took his revenge on the female that wasn't his partern and gave her a similar punishment beating to the male.
I could only watch for about ten minutes before I was forced to return home (time constraints). So, I missed the final outcome. But I will let you know if I find any further progress.

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