I should know better

This is one of three lovely ladies who sauntered by the fence the other day, and as I have no stock on at present they are welcome to the grazing.

The dogs reacted as you would expect. Shelby attempted to stare her down and the Papillons jumped up and down like demented hairy popcorn, screaming out their ardent desire to have her for lunch. Xena, one of the Heroines of the Soviet Union who in her heyday has chased deer with just that intention, became particularly emotional and loud.

Their leader favoured the pack with the aristocratic sneer you see above. (Clearly she puts great trust in my fences.)

I see a lot of wild animals here, especially since the foot and mouth epidemic which has left a legacy of less stock and more tree planting around here. But yesterday in a seedy little mall in Glasgow I saw some I would rather not have seen. Birds of prey of all varieties, tethered to posts whjile their owner handed the hat round "for our sanctuary". Dejected tiny kestrels and owls, sad little feathered mounds on their perches, an eagle tearing at its chain and an eagle owl staring madly around, obviously planning escape.

Some animals domesticate well. I personally believe that birds of prey do not. They have no natural social order that provides them with any sort of natural alleigance to transfer to humans - no flock or herd or pack instinct. Tied to a post, often hooded for falconry - what sort of life is that?

I see lots of birds of prey here - kestrels, sparrowhawks, the ubiquitous buzzard. I see them flying free. They come quite near the house. I know where the sparrowhawks and kestrels nest, and I`m not telling anyone.

I prefer it like that.