Boy (on the right) was enjoying a little treasure trove of grain he had come upon, when Precious (left) sailed up to the retainig wall - just dying to get at both Boy and the food!

"The face" appeared over the top of the wall, but he couldn't get his bill any closer to Boy than the outer edge.

Boy was clearly aware of Precious' predicament and not only kept on nibbling, but stretched his neck so his own bill was almost right above Precious. Precious was trying so hard to reach Boy... he was actually making little noises as he strained against the ledge - and Boy was taking every advantage of the situation!

Swans are so funny in some ways.... if they come up on the edge, farther along the shore, to eat, some will occasionally peck others and of course if Precious comes up, he pecks everyone BUT.... if someone puts some object (even a hand bag) between them, they will eat contentedly, and never touch each other! Swans are, on the whole, really intelligent and perceptive birds, but they've got this sort of spatial "block" -- If there's food on one side of a rock and the swan is on the other side - he will try with all his strength to reach his neck over the rock, to get at the food on the other side - even though it's only less than a metre to swim AROUND the rock, he just sees it as an obstacle that he can't get through.