Monday 20 August 2007

All the Queens soldiers....

Sunshine and showers this week, "nice weather for ducks" apparently. So, I thought I'd go and feed them.... I love feeding the ducks. I've never seen an animal so chuffed with a bit of bread. Waddling around, smily beaked contented muffled quacks.
Busy Sparrows collecting all the bits others have forgotten about.

The Mallards try and be camouflaged, but have one showy bit just so they can feel 'special' too.


I gave this chap loads of bread because he'd got a poorly wing. He ate tons, he won't be hungry tonight.



You little ba#&$*d!!! Poorly wing! He'd took me for a chump. I'll remember you...cos you look like all the other hundreds of Canada geese. Damn, he'd got away with it.




The Swans were slow to arrive, and after admiring themselves in the wibbly wobbly reflection of the car spot lamps, came over for a snack. They played nicely and took the bread gently. Just as well for such a big bird. All was fine until the bread ran out.....





"WHERE'S MY BREAD?" Legs were pecked, pockets examined, cameras lunged at, and finally....






SWAN ATTACK!! Oww! I left him to it hoping he'd realise his mistake, but no, he was going to chew on this arm until he could pull a chunk off. There was nothing I could do. All the Swans in the UK (if unmarked and on open water) are owned by the Queen. A law dating back to the 12th century meant I would be in big trouble for harming a Swan, you could get 7 years transportation! Hang on, a free 7 year holiday to the Australias, didn't seem so bad....but on the other hand, my arm was beginning to hurt. Ooh! Blood! Well, a tiny bit.







"Yeah, yeah, you wouldn't have got away with it if you didn't know the Queen. "......."Yes, alright I'm going!"








It was probably bedtime anyway.....









14 comments:

"M2" said...

I LOVE the swan attack shot... absolutely hysterical!
I've heard they will chase coyotes away..though I don't know if you have coyotes there.
It is amazing the attitudes they have.. Riding a 2500lb horse... I will have a canadian goose chase me hissing... impressive little suckers.

Lavender said...

HAHAHA brilliant post,thanks for the laughs! Some nice shots there too Mate - Bravo!

at Twisterton Library said...

Cool photos -- especially the view down the jaws of a swan and, my favorite: the rapent swan -- never seen a swan like that. It's just like a statue.

photowannabe said...

Amazing shot down the swan's throat. I guess that swans and geese are pretty fiesty creatures. Great shots Barky.

Gill said...

Attack of the....Queen's Swans? My god man, that is the funniest thing I have read today. Cheers!
xo
Blue
(I'm telling this one at the pub tonight!)

Anonymous said...

This post was hilarious! Great shots, particularly of the swan :)

Anonymous said...

I like your photography as well as your subject matter. I used to buy a 50 pound sack of corn at the feed mill and lug it through the park to the open water and find a shallow spot and dump it in for the ducks and geese. They loved to see me coming each morning. Then I got old and can't walk that far with anything on my shoulders.

You have a nice blog.

Abraham Lincoln

Angela Marie said...

Great photos and story! The color purple feathers are pretty!

I have gotten chased by geese out in the country riding my bike when I was a teenager. Very scary. I never even excpected it. They will fool you.

Sharon said...

I love feeding the ducks, geese & swans too! They never seem to get enough though. You have to wonder how much they must really eat in a day!

I've never been attacked by a swan and by the looks of that photo I never want to be either!

"M2" said...

back.... checking for loin cloth photo

Barkfoot said...

Secret agent - Ladies first!

Gerald (SK14) said...

just been to Barb's blogwhere she's apologising for posting another duck pic and here you are with all these.

in some places I've known ducks and swans get very aggressive, whilst in others they are more laid back.

takes all sorts

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi Barkfoot, You visited my blog and now I visit your in return.

I Love Swaens, ducks and your photography.. HAHA than reminds me I posted this week ; Me feeding a BIG NAKED SNAIL" and than you have to read the comment! Ha ha I did not realise that many people like to kill snail for eating their veggies and other plants.

So uhhhh its safer to feed swaens and duckies, Right?

Great photograpy!

Bye :) JoAnn from Holland

Unknown said...

I am amazed at your power of weaving stories around animals. it is quite marvellous