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It's not another peacock, it's your reflection!!!

(28 Posts)
Indinana Fri 08-Jul-16 15:47:54

We popped into Trago Mills on the way back from Exeter late yesterday afternoon. On returning to the car we were horrified to see it covered in swirling scratches all along each side of the car shock. A fellow in the car park came over and said it was a peacock that caused the damage. He offered to be a witness and he and DH walked back to the store to report it, while I stayed with our GD. While we waited the peacock came back and I had it all to do to chase him off - he wasn't in the least concerned with my shouting, clapping, flapping arms, totally disdainful. He did eventually saunter off a little way.
Then DH came back with a member of security who was equally horrified at the extent of the damage, took photos, made notes etc and asked that we write in with a formal complaint for their records. The repair work will go through their insurance. Phew! I had fears of them saying that cars were left at owners' risk, and then having to fight them! The security fellow explained it's the mating season and the silly peacock was trying to fight off the rival peacock he could see in my very shiny metallic black paintwork!
Next time we go there in the mating season I'm going to make sure we take DH's car - it's nowhere near as shiny!

Faye Sun 10-Jul-16 00:47:24

Jalima I am not sure what my DD will do yet, the joey is like her baby and likes to be picked up, DD has the room for the joey and others and wants to do a wild life course to take in sick and injured native animals. The joey is a female Eastern Grey so won't be too big and was found 100 miles away. There are wildlife sanctuaries for kangaroos that would take her.

Also the first time DD took the joey for a hop the peacock, peahens and turkeys chased her. sad She was so scared of them but is now bigger and faster. The peacock and peahens intimidate the hens too, they rule the roost around here. smile

Jalima Sat 09-Jul-16 18:47:26

It looks Australian because it is Australian!
Sorry - should have looked at your profile before posting Faye

The trouble with kangaroos is that they will jump out in front of cars at night - they see the headlights and think it's a signal to cross the road safely.
Your joey looks very sweet, will she become a pet or hop away one day?

Faye Sat 09-Jul-16 12:16:03

I guess it is, Dd also has a joey (baby kangaroo). She was found by the side of the road late at night. Her mother had been killed by a car, the joey was about five months old then. She is fed every four hours but sleeps through the night, she likes to spend most of her time in her material pouch, she gets taken for a hop around every day but soon is looking for her pouch. I often babysit, just have to feed her and she goes straight back in her pouch, very easy. smile

Jalima Sat 09-Jul-16 11:22:58

I am impressed! It just looks very Australian.

Faye Sat 09-Jul-16 11:17:09

It's a playhouse, hmm my SIL is a builder. There is a sandpit underneath and the red slippery dip.

Jalima Sat 09-Jul-16 09:43:27

Is that a Queenslander Faye? Or a very posh playhouse?

Faye Fri 08-Jul-16 23:46:07

I have this problem, I live next door to DD and she has a peacock and peahens. They occasionally get on my car but I get them off immediately. They like shiny things probably because they like admiring themselves. My SIL put a large mirror next to the hen houses and from my window I can see in the distance the peacock and peahens often gazing at their reflection. Sometimes it's the three male turkeys, occasionally a rooster or hen. I have also seen the two ducks looking in the mirror. It's a popular spot. smile

breeze Fri 08-Jul-16 22:55:02

Thanks Indi. I don't live that way so didn't have a clue. Sounds great, if you don't have a shiny car!

Indinana Fri 08-Jul-16 22:29:43

Oh and a huge garden centre, that claims to be the largest in (I think) the South West.

Indinana Fri 08-Jul-16 22:28:43

breeze yes, Trago Mills own the peacocks - there are several of them roaming around the site, as well as ducks and geese. It's rather more than yer average store! They market it as a family day out and actually it is, I guess. There is a miniature railway, go-karts, lakes filled with ducks and other water birds - yesterday we were watching some coots with their babies, so cute! There are several fast food outlets, restaurants, playgrounds for children. and several independent shops that rent lockups on site.

Indinana Fri 08-Jul-16 22:22:26

It was probably lonely, missing all its turkey-dinner friends sad

GandTea Fri 08-Jul-16 21:50:55

A farmer friend of ours had a turkey left over at Christmas, it took over the farmyard and eventually became dangerous to anyone who came in. It was huge and vicious, he took his shotgun to it eventually.

Linsco56 Fri 08-Jul-16 21:36:15

This is the beast that chased DD and I...but it was in a safari park, not a car park.

grannylyn65 Fri 08-Jul-16 21:21:01

And this one grin

Jalima Fri 08-Jul-16 21:00:47

grin

There is more to that site than most people realise!

Indinana Fri 08-Jul-16 20:54:57

I bet you're going to drive round the back next time you're there, just to investigate grin

Jalima Fri 08-Jul-16 20:50:56

Oh!
No, we have never been that far, nor on the go-karts! (never had little people with us when we go there).
We just park at the side, which was better last time we went, they had tarmacked it.

Indinana Fri 08-Jul-16 20:49:13

No, not the pick-up point. You drive past all the pick-up points, just keep going and the road bears round to the left all around the back of the store, back of the garden centre - literally right at the very top end of the whole site. There's a huge car park there! And you walk down past the go-karts and restaurants to the rear entrance of the store.

Jalima Fri 08-Jul-16 20:34:43

Ah! We have been round there (the pick-up point?, loads of room) to pick up some plants

Indinana Fri 08-Jul-16 20:29:36

This was the top car park Jalima, right round the back behind the garden centre. We usually park there these days and use the rear entrance, by the lake where the ducks are.

Jalima Fri 08-Jul-16 20:12:47

Ooh, I haven't seen any peacocks in the car park there.

Must be aware next time.
(I love Trago Mills even if I end up not buying anything)

Seagulls need Asbos

POGS Fri 08-Jul-16 19:58:04

Granddaughter and I were at our local canal moorings and a Swan 'attacked'a parked car. Vicious little bugger it was and that car was damaged too.

breeze Fri 08-Jul-16 16:26:04

Give these birds Asbos!

thatbags Fri 08-Jul-16 16:21:34

We have to cover the wing mirrors of our car every spring because bluetits 'fight' the rivals they can see in them and in so doing, they shit all over the car.

We had a gander who used to fight a stainless steel bowl because of his reflection in the bottom of it! We still have the bowl. I call it the Bertie Bowl after the gander.

breeze Fri 08-Jul-16 15:57:51

That'll teach you to have a clean, shiny car! Oh grief. How awful though. Insurance company may not have seen that one before! Attacked by Peacock! I would hazard a guess it could t cut out though (is that the term, t cut? tea cut? I don't know but you know what I mean) if you have, as most do, excess on your insurance and it's just scratch marks. And it's the first I've heard of a store owning a peacock, so are they actually responsible? Seems they are if the security guard took details. Well I never. Always something to surprise you on GN!