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What happened to the tail feathers?

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Okay. This is, uh … well, uh … naïve? Is some kind of time-lapse sequence happening here, where the peafowl eventually (and quite fortuitously, I might add) found its way to the correct spot and discovered the granola bar? It’s possible, though that’s a stretch because these birds don’t have an outstanding sense of smell.

But I’m dying to know how this trap actually worked. I’m thinking there is supposed to be some kind of motion-sensitive mechanism linked to the snack bar or its leafy support that springs the trap. That could explain why the trap is shown off to one side. I’m no hunter or trapper, so I’m hoping that the Saturday strip will get me up to speed. But based on panel 4, I just don’t see how this works.

I’m also hoping this is just a case of my own ignorance of such things and not that Rivera is just making up a bunch of crap.

Art Dept. Okay, Even Rivera refers to this bird as a male, so where the heck are the long tail feathers? They don’t retract into the body. Now, the female is noted for her lack of long tail features. They are a characteristic of the male peafowl, used both for attracting females and as a kind of self-defense. If you go back to July 12 and August 7, the bird clearly shows the full tail plumage.

Is it possible that Mark, Cherry, and Honest Ernest are chasing the wrong peafowl and wound up catching a female by mistake? After all, there are peafowl in the wild, having escaped from, or been set free by, private owners.

Now, that would really be a really interesting thing to see:  Returning with the wrong bird, only to have Violet’s mother realize their mistake at the big Summer Banquet!

Mark outlines his cunning plan to catch the peacock

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Hoo-boy, here we are again, as Mark “McGyver’s” a trap for the runaway peacock, who is obviously going to hang around the golf course long enough to be enticed. Seems like Honest Ernest isn’t the only one playing Coyote to the peacock’s Roadrunner. I suppose it is supercilious of me to ask questions, such as where you get tree branches on a golf course. But of course, they are on the edge of Lost Forest.

Can Mark can build a big enough trap out of just branches? How will he lash them? Will he build a trap door, as well? These questions, and more, are apt to be ignored in favor of just showing the finished trap, as this is not an episode of Wild Kingdom. A blanket could also be used, so wouldn’t a mother also carry a blanket for ad-hoc picnics and resting?

But why specifically nuts, when peacocks will also eat grains, seeds, fruit, berries, and even leaves? Mark could probably find most of that stuff more easily than having to rely on motherhood to save the day.  Quibble, quibble, quibble. I know. You’re saying “Enough with the obvious questions, George! We get it, already! ” Sure, a trap is likely better than trying to run down a peacock or catch it with a small net. But the peacock has to be near enough to the trap in the first place to be suckered. Well, today is Thursday, so a lot has to happen for that peacock to be caught by Saturday. And thank goodness for that!

Art Dept. I was going to say something about the characters in the middle ground in panel 1, but you probably know what I would be saying. Consider it said. Otherwise, I’ll conclude with criticism for the longer-than-necessary run of boring panel layouts. An inventive, interesting layout can make even a dull or dumb story more interesting.