My Friends the Pheasants
I was going to make my first blog about the development of the hide, and I will write about that soon. Instead, I have decided to start with a subject, or rather a species that has become close to my heart over the past couple of years – the pheasant.
I appreciate they are non-native and consume huge numbers of invertebrates and plants that our native species need, and I know that many people hate them. But there is no doubting that the male pheasant is a stunning looking bird.
When I started this project, I never would have ever expected that every time I walked to the hide I would always be looking to see where my pheasants were. I was always hoping for woodpeckers, jays and all of the other birds that we often hear but seldom see. Not once did I think about pheasants! Why would I? They are everywhere and very rarely a target species for photographers. But now when I get to the hide the first bird I look for is a pheasant. And there’s one pheasant in particular that I look for, and that’s Bob.
Bob has made the hide area his own for the past two years. He obviously knew that he was on to a good thing when he discovered the feeders! He hoovers up all of the spilt seed, which is good as it keeps the ground clean. He can be minding his own business until the birds arrive at the feeders, then he’ll run across the grass to quickly pick up the spilt seed. It’s quite entertaining! During the breeding season this year he tirelessly defended the area from intruding males and constantly kept tabs on his ladies, which totalled twelve at one point. He has been a busy boy!
With all the time we have spent developing the area, Bob and a couple of female pheasants have grown quite accustomed to us and are generally not bothered about us being in their presence, so much so that I have been able to hand feed them. One of the females – Mrs Bob – would actually run up to me looking for food! This year, before she went off to nest, she would follow me up and down as I was cutting the grass with the petrol lawn mower, pecking at the ground behind me. Normally you can’t get anywhere near a pheasant in the wild, and she wasn’t even afraid of a lawn mower!
One of my most memorable times was back in April when I was taking a break from laying turf. I had sat down with a cup of tea just relaxing and listening to the birds when Bob and a couple of his girls walked up to me. Bob looked at me as if to say, ‘come on then, where’s my food?’ Feeling guilty I grabbed some seed and put it on the ground next to me. Within seconds I had half a dozen pheasants around me. I know they’re only pheasants, but it’s still cool having them trust you and be that close. Watch a short video here.
We have seen quite a few chicks this year. Female pheasants can lay around a dozen eggs, but typically, juvenile survival rates are low and this has been very obvious after observing one of the families that was coming to the hide. The first time they appeared there were 12 chicks, but as the days rolled by there were less, with only one surviving in the end.
So for me, the pheasants have become part of the hide, part of its character. There will always be pheasants at the hide, but it will be a sad day when we no longer have Bob with us. The average life span of a pheasant is 2 years. But who knows, if Bob stays in the area where he’ll avoid getting shot or run over, he’ll always be able to find a quick snack, then all he has to do is avoid foxes and he could live for a good few years.
