A flock—or if you wish, an ostentation, a muster or a pride—of peacocks is keeping residents of a Stafforshire village up at night and in fear in the daytime.
The estimated 40 peafowl have been roaming through the village, destroying gardens, pooping on driveways and vehicles, squawking until the early hours of the morning, and occasionally pecking at pedestrians.
The local council in Tutbury has issued a warning urging people not to feed the birds. While many residents are quoted in press complaining about the noise and the mess, at least one is taking action on her own: a 71-year-old retired school cafeteria worker told the Telegraph (UK) that “They’re up half the night squawking and keep you awake. I squirt them with a water pistol if they come near me.”
