shrike

the shrikes showed up 4 days ago and have been a constant presence. they like the dead branches close to the waters edge on the london plain tree.
we witnessed a swan, fight to near death match recently. the swans that had been feeding with their babies in front of the house(a very interesting show, the adults stir up the bottom with their beaks then tread water with their huge feet bringing lunch up to the surface for their young)were really upset by the 2nd pair with babies that tried to get past them in the canal. the males locked together, beaks clamped on the others neck. the battle ranged up and down the canal, across the yard to the back canal beating each other with their wings, making horrible gasping noises, feathers flying everywhere. up and down the slough the battle raged. in the canal behind the boathouse the stronger swan began climbing on the others back, to drown him. i, right or wrong, intervened allowing the weaker swan to escape. the winner did the strangest dance the rest of the day, he laid his neck down on his back, his head above his tail, stuck his wings up and swam extremely fast up and down all the canals.