Saturday 27 April 2013

Nature Diary

April 27th

A male pheasant has become the avian equivalent of a Property Tycoon here on the farm.   He has taken over the garden, the lawn
under the Scots pines and the back patio and would like to take over the house as well if he could.

He is not friendly.   If we go outside into the garden he demands an explanation for our conduct.   I hear his raucous voice almost immediately; in fact I hear it dozens of times a day.   

He is fat, sleek and in full breeding colours and has a harem of six ladies who are gradually disappearing, presumably to make nests in the bedgeback.

It doesn't seem to occur to him that he has us to thank for his appearance.   He has scavenged under our bird feeder all Winter long and spends most of the day there, eating the corn the farmer puts down for him and then waiting for the birds at the feeders to drop various seeds for his delectation.

Should another cock pheasant dare to land on the grass he is totally unforgiving.   One fight resulted in the other pheasant being lamed badly.   He is slowly recovering and tries to sneak in for a feed if the boss is out of sight - but he never succeeds.   There is a furious shriek and he takes flight and is gone.

The dogs and cats give him a wide berth.  In fact, the only thing that could bring about his downfall is a vehicle of some kind.   He spends a lot of his day strutting his stuff up and down the lane and I fear that one day he might pay too much attention to vanity and not enough to listen out for a car coming. 

19 comments:

Gwil W said...

Maybe your cock pheasant thinks he is his relative the peacock?

I got the wrong date for the lunar eclipse. It was as you know on the day before. I had a really confusing day. I had been playing chess with a neighbours cat which had got in a window and I had lost! Know I've got my ribs bandaged up. It serves me right.

Heather said...

What a bully and a braggart! He has ideas above his station and will surely get his come-uppance one day.

The Solitary Walker said...

One for the pot, methinks. Good with shallots and caramelised apples ;-)

Crafty Green Poet said...

pheasants can be quite entertaining, that one definitely seems to be too big headed for his own good, pride comes before a fall after all

Elizabeth said...

Methinks you are thinking him too 'cocky'.
(A bit of a lame joke but oh well!)
We are off to the Brooklyn Botanical garden today
which should be exciting.

mrsnesbitt said...

They are characters aren't they Pat?

Pondside said...

I can just picture him!

Tom Stephenson said...

Was he one that the Farmer missed last October?

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ArtPropelled said...

You've painted a striking picture in my mind, Weaver.I hope he stays off the road!

Em Parkinson said...

They seem to me to have the smallest of brains. I once followed one down the road in the car for about 200 yards before it thought to move over to the side. Very funny though.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Do you fear this, or secretly hope for it!?

Can pheasants have testosterone poisoning?

BTW, I am enjoying the Raining Quinces book you mentioned.

Jim Froggatt said...

Wish I had a harem of six ladies.

On second thoughts, I don't think I could stand all the shopping.

angryparsnip said...

He is a brash fellow but as you said very handsome to the ladies. He will meet a bad end I think. Cars are unforgiving and as "Going Gently" posted this week one of his chicken decided to cross the road and a mum carting her kids to school couldn't be bothered to slow down.

I so enjoyed reading this post today.

cheers, parsnip

Bovey Belle said...

I am surprised you haven't sent your Young Man out with a rifle - out of season I know, but who's to tell?!!!

MorningAJ said...

I'm with Solitary on this one. Casserole with cider!

Gwil W said...

You have to hang them first.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the comments - but after seeing it every day for the last six months it would be like eating a member of my family.

rachel said...

There are lots of stories like yours where I live now - and two camps: the one that gives up in despair and reaches for the gun, and the one that gives up in despair and finds another route into their house.....