Dealing With An Elevated Intruder…
(Two redshanks square up at Wells-Next-The-Sea…)
A single redshank, tetchy in movement upon soft, dull mire,
Scoured the edge of a channel, as the tide receded.
It went about its business, flitting, poking with its short bill
And quick-stepping with slime coated legs of red.
Soon though, another redshank flew in from the opposite shore,
An intruder prepared to elevate itself and bully a rival…
The interloper stretched its neck in confrontation, higher
Than that of its adversary, which stood firm and conceded
No muddy ground, so the oppressor opened its threatening bill
And leapt at the smaller wader, with wings thrashing and spread
But the other bird responded, promoting a fierce furore,
Defending its ground fiercely and ensuring eventual survival…
Pete Ray
23rd September 2023…
It was almost like a pair of hares boxing, as the aggressive intruding redshank rose to appear bigger than its more passive opponent.
There was so much shoreline on both sides of the channel that there was simply no need for the oppressor to even begin a scrap…
The smaller bird stood its ground.
Eventually, after two or three skirmishes, calm was restored and both contestants fed voraciously, if some metres apart…
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