Friday 10 April 2015

Men!

Why is it that the male of the species gets randy at this time of the year?   I thought it was only the animal kingdom, but when I think about it our little town is full of men displaying their top halves with rippling muscles and tattoos(hate them).   It is almost as though it is a vital part of evolution - and I suppose it is.

Pheasants here are in their full breeding plumage - as are all the other cock birds and they are fighting one another like mad.   It is not unusual to have to stop on the lane for two cock pheasants having a go at each other.

One has just stalked down to our bird table - cock of the walk he thinks he is.   If only he could see himself.  During a fight (I guess)
his tail feathers have got broken and hang down dejectedly.    I sneaked out in my bright red dressing gown (and yes it is 8.30am John) to take his photograph.  He saw me and quickly stalked away.   I am putting on the photo - a very bad shot - in the hopes that you can see what I mean.   Off to market in a minute (after getting dressed and having a shower!)

  Sorry - he's not very clear, although I think you can see those tail feathers better in the top picture where he is behind the chicken wire.  Incidentally, the wire is there to stop the pheasants (and the jackdaws) getting at the fat balls.  (the tits and other small birds quickly learn how to negotiate the wire and get at them).

16 comments:

Heather said...

He wears his battle scars with pride but would rather you didn't photograph him when he is not looking his best.

A Heron's View said...

Most people have a shower and get dressed. I note that you do it the other way around ? A good way of keeping cool in hot Yorkshire :) :)

Philip said...

The answer is that increasing light levels act on the pineal gland in the brain which affects endocrine function. "In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,When birds do sing, hey ding a ding Sweet lovers love the spring."

Cro Magnon said...

Yes, I noticed the same as Heron!

Unfortunately the only Pheasants here are raised and released; also they are shot on sight, usually still on the ground. Not very gentlemanly.

Elizabeth said...

Yes, I can see the pheasant!
I'm sure he was delighted to have summoned you forth similarly brightly clad.
What powers his gorgeousness has...

I ought to compile a list of rushing-to-take- blog-photo-mishaps
might be amusing.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Lots of pheasants about here this year, seeing them where I've never seen them before...hopefully I'll see a bit of scrapping when I'm running in the next few days

Tom Stephenson said...

It's all sex and violence in the country right now.

Frances said...

A couple of days ago we saw 2 mallards trying to " rape" a female duck on our local river ( River Lea in Harpenden) They were going some, and then suddenly one of the boys disappeared and the winner sailed off with his lady. We never did figure out where the other one went!

Rachel Phillips said...

I thought you were going to say the farmer was getting frisky for a minute there.

Craig said...

Ah spring...
"our little town is full of men displaying their top halves" - if you send me your post code I'll set it into my satnav and be right there...
I do see the little blighter in your photo. I seem to remember from the US when we lived there and a garden centre next door had one, they are very aggressive?

angryparsnip said...

Yes I can see him and his broken feathers. The price of spring.
The Mourning Doves have been especially frisky this year around my home.
And everyone is looking for a nest.

cheers, parsnip

Gwil W said...

The sap is rising in Yorkshire. We must put more bromide in their tea.

Anonymous said...

At the risk of sounding po-faced, why should men exposing their torsos suggest randiness on their part?

Men are often -quite rightly- ticked off for suggesting that women are signalling their availability by dressing scantily.

Oh dear. I do sound po-faced.

Hildred said...

I have to say, Pat, that I noticed your odd order of dressing and showering....

I was also very interested in Philip's scientific theories on the pineal gland and the brain, etc..... I had somehow thought it was more romantic than that, but of course, he's right!!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Yes, sorry folks, of course I had the shower first. Might try it the other way round sometime if I want to wash my clothes in an unusual way!!

Sackerson - I see no difference between woman scantily clad and men scantily clad - all amounts to the same thing in mybook.

Agree with Hildred - Philip, we all need a bit of romance in our souls.

Thanks for calling.

Philip said...

I did follow the science with a quote from Shakespeare.