What the heck is a lek?
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
Menu
‘In comes I!’ St George, the Turkish Knight, Bold Slasher, and Old Father Christmas and all go out to fight, die, and come back to life on a winter’s night. Labourers would put on their raggedy coats and their raggedy helmets as disguises to go knocking on the doors to do their play and get money and food and drink. To the pubs, the big houses, the small ones they would go. St George fights the Turkish Knight, Bold Slasher, and the rest till they all fall dead. But where’s the Christmas spirit in that? Father Christmas calls for the Doctor, who can cure the itch, the stitch, the palsy, and the gout. All pains in and all pains out, and back to life they all come, one by one, till all are friends again to sing a mumming song and collect what’s due to them – and then go on to the next parish and do it all again!
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!