Websailor's Wacky Wildlife World
Created | Updated May 7, 2008
A quirky look at wildlife. To be taken with a pinch of salt, but with more than a grain of truth!
Seven Deadly Sins
On being told that this issue coincided with the seventh anniversary of The Post, I got to thinking about the significances of the number seven in our lives, such as the Seven Deadly Sins. Seven days in the week, the seven-year itch, the Magnificent Seven, the Dance of the Seven Veils, etc. I am not going to continue that theme, except to say that there are a number of excellent articles on the subject of the number seven on h2g2 that cover it far better than I could, especially this one, which came up near the top when I googled for 'Seven Deadly Sins'!
When I first started watching wildlife seriously I did not expect to encounter so many human traits in animals and birds, especially the Seven Deadly Sins. I soon realised that many of these essentially human sins are evident among wildlife everywhere if you look.
Pride is very evident when watching many birds and animals with their young. Feeding the birds tends to bring them back again and again to parade their fledglings for their human 'friends' to see. This is particularly noticeable with collared doves, who regularly bring their fluffy collarless youngsters to us for approval! Pride is also evident in male great tits, chaffinches, bullfinches, blackbirds and many other birds when they acquire their breeding plumage. They strut and parade with a distinct 'look at me' expression. Not that I am suggesting that pride is a male trait, you understand! It is just that the males of most species, other than humans, seem to be the ones that 'dress to impress'. The roles seem to have been reversed in humans over the centuries.
Anger can often be seen between birds and animals when another member of the same species shows unwarranted interest in a mate. Magpies also show a vicious angry reaction to offspring of another pair, or to a weakling member of the party. This sometimes seems cruel to extremes as they bully the feeble bird continuously until death ensues, either from injury or hunger. Such emotions are also seen between starlings fighting over food, but it never seems to get really nasty. Robins, too, can be quite vicious to an interloper of their own kind trespassing on already-claimed territory.
Lust was not something I expected to witness. I thought wildlife was more discreet! Seeing both male woodpigeons and collared doves 'woo' females, it is obvious that any roses, rings, champagne etc on offer would be to gain one end only: the act of copulation. They are not averse to impregnating several ladies, either and both species breed all year round. Having mastered one lady, they keep a close tail on her to make sure no other party gets a look in. 'Dog in the manger', I
call it! Having said that, they seem to make a joint effort to nest-build and both are very attentive parents. To my surprise, those pretty, shy little brown dunnocks can be more than a touch promiscuous, too!
Covetousness or the desire for mainly material goods (especially someone else's) brings me back to magpies and, going further afield, bower birds. They have a liking for bright, sparkly or colourful items to impress their prospective mate and they have no qualms as to where they acquire such bribes. Foxes will take anything that happens to be lying around in the garden if they take a fancy to it, just for the hell of it. Then, of course, there is the commandment 'thou shalt not
covet thy neighbours' wife', but they obviously haven't read about about that one!
Gluttony is often thought to be seen when foxes raid chicken pens, but think about it. If you were unsure where your next meal was coming from and this 'supermarket' offered free food for the taking, you would fill your freezer and cupboards, wouldn't you? Well, wouldn't you? I have seen a degree of gluttony in 'my' badgers too, recently. Since I first started feeding them they seemed happy to appropriate one dish each, eat what was there and leave. However, over the past
month or so the dominant male has taken to eating not just 'his' dish of food (which was in the best position and offered the juiciest morsels) but everyone else's too! He has done this a number of times until the night before last, when his 'Mrs' put in appearance just before he did. She ate her food slowly and when he appeared, he looked most surprised and guilty to have been caught out. I believe he had let his latest offspring take the blame for the raids! He dutifully went to his own dish and ate only his food, waddling away in a sulk afterwards. He is very well-fed, so hunger was not the issue.
Envy is also evident, this time in squirrels who are not content with their own food, but have to steal everyone else's, too. They can't seem to stand others having something better. Starlings do battle with the woodpeckers, however specifically the food is put out for woodpeckers, and magpies follow squirrels to steal their cached peanuts, watching enviously as they collect them from special squirrel feeders in the garden.
Sloth. Well, apart from the mammal of that name who appears to personify the definition, I find foxes guilty of that too. Rather than bother to make their own kills, they will follow badgers to their food source, steal from under the noses of any other animal or human and eat literally anything, however putrid, such as roadkill. They would rather play, lie in the sun and sleep than actively hunt for food, but perhaps that relates more to urban foxes who have perhaps learned from
their human neighbours!
At this point I must make a confession. I have committed all seven many times — yes, even that one — but I've forgotten when! All of these sins at worst are dreadful, but at best spur both humans and wildlife on to survival and to better things.
Happy seventh anniversary to 
, and more power to your elbow!
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