The secret identity of the Falmouth Christmas cockerel, featured in the Packet last week, can now be revealed.

Spotted on Pendennis Point by Packet reader Neil Dishington, who took the picture (above) just before Christmas, the lone cockerel has baffled passersby after he seemingly took up residence at the popular beauty spot.

Despite his fine feathers earning him the affectionate “nom de plume” Rocky the Rooster, his real name is actually Dennis (after Pendennis) said owner Jim Sargison.

“He’s our cockerel,” Jim said, “and it all started off at the end of November.”

Dennis made good his escape from Jim’s brother’s van while being transported to their field near Redruth.

He disappeared into the undergrowth on Pendennis Point and has been living there ever since - although the brothers have made several attempts to catch the “flighty” bird.

“The makeshift pen people have seen is actually a trap, and it worked well, we did catch him but he got out again,” Jim said.

The brothers left out food and water for Dennis and tried a variety of methods to recapture him, but to no avail.

Even Dorris the hen, who was tethered nearby to try and entice the confounding cockerel back into captivity, could not keep Dennis entertained for long and ended up being handed in to Rosemullion Vets by a well meaning dog walker.

“She was there to try and coax Dennis out of the bushes,” Jim said. “But someone untethered her and took her away.”

After more than a month of evading capture, it has come to the point where Jim is considering granting Dennis his freedom.

“He’s loving it,” he said, “every time I pull up near there there’s been a few cars and hundreds of people must know about him by now.”

A “large bird of prey” has been spotted harassing Dennis, but “he has been evading it well,” Jim said on Monday.

“I have not seen him for a couple of days though. I’m hoping he hasn’t been eaten.”

You can follow Dennis a.k.a Rocky the Rooster on Twitter - @PacketRocky