Hi Nic,
Well the couple who had their courting interupted by the arrival of the other hog were definitely male and female.
The reason why I think the intruding hog was male was because the couple both adopted that posture where they expect a bashing although this never came of course.
That said on one of my previous posts I saw a male bash a female before it realised its mistake.
Just a theory now but maybe hogs, knowing their eyesight isn’t great but have acute hearing and smell, sense/smell another hog coming straight in their direction and work on the basis its a (dominant?) male coming to give them a bashing so adopt a defensive position. After all the male hog that bashed the female hog took a little while to realise his mistake before he started courting her which suggests they aren’t always sure what gender their opposing hog is until they have a good close up sniff?
As such the drinking hog may have been a female as you say but its actions might have been perceived as that of a male and the other two hogs weren’t taking any chances? When it just had a drink and moved on the male walked off but the female stayed untroubled and that was the only hog I could see.
Of course only the hogs really know why and what they were thinking but i do try and work out what I see as best I can even if the result might raise a smile with those that know about hogs (birds are more my strong point really).
Interestingly the skittish hog, which I started this post about, is still turning up and just gets ignored by whatever hog turns up be it male or female which I still can’t figure out.
I had four hogs in the garden last Saturday night, the first time I have seen more than three at once, with the dominant male bashing two in to a ball whilst the skittish hog just kept milling around whilst hog gladiator wars were ongoing unpeturbed.
I have therefore decided it has employed some sort of cloaking device, as used by Klingons to hide their bird of prey vessels (if you are in to Star Trek you will know what I mean otherwise try a quick google), where it can move amongst other hogs unoticed and unhindered – clever intergalatic hog!!!
