I'm not a Pheasant Plucker...

Over the past couple of years, we've had the odd pheasant or two that strolls through the garden occasionally.  We tended to hear them more than see them (sometimes unfortunately around four o’clock in the morning when you just want to throttle them).

In the past six weeks, two hens and one cock appear to have taken up a semi permanent residence in the garden.  The size difference between the two hens makes us believe that they are mother and daughter.  The mother is more at home with us being close by, often passing within a few feet of us if we are sat outside.  Their destination is always the bird feeders we have located in different parts of the garden, pecking at what the other birds have dropped from the feeders.

Last night, we had the rare sighting of all three of them at the same time.  They are beautiful birds, even the hens that manage to make variations of brown pretty and they are comical to watch, especially when they get spooked and run away in a cartoon manner.

The cock usually keeps its distance, often displaying usually to the downright disinterest of the female.

I don’t know how long they’ll be around for, but it’s nice to see them on a regular basis and I hope they survive once the shooting season starts.