The Return of Cocky?

Before we were off to Foreign Parts we had reason to believe that poor Cocky, the famous Pheasant, mistaken by the Mail on Sunday for Huttonian's Peacock, had left us for ever. Evidence was compelling-his cold (it was actually freezing, as usual) body was found in the flower beds-an ex Pheasant, if ever there was one. Poor Ollie was bereft, mourning her miserable way through the long grass which used to be their pad and eating double rations of nuts from the dispenser as some feeble attempt at consoling herself for the loss of a faithful and attentive Bide ee in.

But now we wonder. Ollie it is and her handsome escort bears a striking resemblance to Cocky (Click on image for superscale rendition). Yes, yes-all pheasants look alike even to a Chinese ornithologist But they seem a happy couple and I would be surprised if Ollie would transfer her affections to swiftly to a new partner. Perhaps the three day old corpse amongst the weeds was not Cocky but some other dead parrot imitator fallen of its perch. Cocky could well have been away checking out the offers at Sir Morrison's pet supplies section, or at the animal dispensary recuperating from a mild case of Avian Flu.

We may never know. Neither C or O are clear communicators. So let us take a chance and say, warmly and sincerely:

Welcome Back Cocky.  ¶ 11:19 AM