White peacock displaying his gorgeous feathers

I recently stayed with friends for one night at Pendley Manor Hotel, near Tring, as we were having dinner there while watching a Murder Mystery being enacted and having to guess "who did it".  It was a very enjoyable evening, but the best thing for me was the next day.  We went for a walk in the grounds and, in the area which is used as a stage for Pendley's Shakespeare Festival every August, there was a very beautiful white peacock who seemed to be thinking of putting on a display of his own.

White peacock who seems to be contemplating putting on a show

He thought about it for a while and then decided not to bother and looked as though he was heading up the stone steps.

When the actors put on the Shakespeare play, they use the grassy area as the stage and often enter and leave the stage via the stone steps.  It is always an amazing evening and often a peacock or two take part as well.  This year, in August, they are putting on The Tempest, which I am really looking forward to very much.

White peacock ready to exit via the steps in the centre of the stage

The peacock is still deciding what to do and still looking very beautiful.

Back view of white peacock

As the bird was just sitting on the grass, my friends and I decided to continue our walk.  When we have visited Pendley in the past, this area has been set up as a stage and out-of-bounds for the hotel guests, so we decided to venture up the steps.  I wanted to take another photograph of the peacock from the top area and, when I looked back at him, he had opened up his feathers!  By the way, there were 4 peahens, including a white one, in the shrouded cage at the other side of the unused tennis courts - but I doubt if they could have seen his display from where they were sitting.

Back of white peacock, who has started to display his feathers

Of course, I dashed back down the stairs and took lots of photographs of him whirling round and round.  It was a fantastic display and he looked so beautiful.

Displaying white peacock

He danced round and round and round and round.  I took so many pictures, so have chosen just a few to add to this post.

He looked good in a partial side view.

Whirling white peacock

He even looked good from the back.

Back view of displaying white peacock

He looked very strange in full side view.

Side view of displaying white peacock

But, of course, he looked really beautiful from the front.

Beautiful white peacock display

 What a gorgeous boy!  Just look at his fantastic ethereal white feathers!

Close up of white peacock in display mode

Unfortunately for him, all the ladies were locked up and so he had just been wasting his time by entertaining me - but I loved it!  So, eventually, he folded up his gorgeous feathers.

White peacock putting his feathers back to bed

I just so loved the peacocks at Pendley Manor, except for the fact that one of them woke me up at 5.30 a.m. and kept mewing on-and-off on a regular basis until I gave up trying to continue sleeping and got up.  I hope that will not happen again when I next stay there.

Peacock display in front of cage

I was wandering around the grounds of Pendley Manor on Friday afternoon and was thrilled to see a brightly coloured peacock in full display mode.  I was on the other side of an old set of tennis courts at the time and could see that he was in front of a small shed and something covered with netting.

Displaying peacock

He pranced round for a while, showing off his amazing set of beautiful feathers.

Peacock displaying in front of cage covered with netting

He danced round and round and below is a side view of him.  He had fantastic soft cloud-like feathers at the top of his back.

Side-view of displaying peacock

 It was an amazing display, but I was a bit disappointed with the location as the cage covered in netting did not look very attractive and even had a "Danger Keep Out" sign attached to it.

Full peacock display

I tried to get nearer and slowly approached him across the old tennis courts.  He did not like it and put his feathers away!

Peacock folding up his beautiful feathers

Then he walked off and I had a look inside the cage.  Just behind his display area there was a peahen sitting at the top of a tree branch and looking out at me.

Peahen inside a cage covered with netting

In fact, there were 4 peahens inside the cage, including 1 white one.

White peahen inside a netting-covered cage

No doubt they were being kept in there for their own good!