Pheasants (6 Viewers)

[helenol]

Hi songbird, yes I know, I just couldn't believe it when I looked out. Then they started flying onto the conservatory roof, which is quite amusing as it is a perspex type material, and you can see them walking around on top of it.

The only thing I can think of regarding the huges numbers, is that it is the shooting season, plus where they tend to go is full of moss, and they peck at it constantly. There is also always seed around that I throw out for the birds on the embankment. They don't bother me, as there is plenty of room for them, and they are quite amusing to watch.

 

[saluki]

Hi songbird, yes I know, I just couldn't believe it when I looked out. Then they started flying onto the conservatory roof, which is quite amusing as it is a perspex type material, and you can see them walking around on top of it.

The only thing I can think of regarding the huges numbers, is that it is the shooting season, plus where they tend to go is full of moss, and they peck at it constantly. There is also always seed around that I throw out for the birds on the embankment. They don't bother me, as there is plenty of room for them, and they are quite amusing to watch.

"It's rare for a pheasant to fly across a road. Sick as it may sound, she was probably just runover by some heartless butt-wipe. Happens all the time here"

Here in the UK pheasant often fly across roads - and often very low! If a pheasant wants to get from A to B, they usually take the straightest route unfortunately!

Helen,

It sounds as if your house is in the middle or on the edge of a shoot. Keepers will have been releasing pheasant poults since late August/early September - hence the build up. They probably won't start shooting 'till next month, although the Pheasant shooting season starts in October.

saluki

 

[Chigrl]

"It's rare for a pheasant to fly across a road. Sick as it may sound, she was probably just runover by some heartless butt-wipe. Happens all the time here"

Here in the UK pheasant often fly across roads - and often very low! If a pheasant wants to get from A to B, they usually take the straightest route unfortunately!

Helen,

It sounds as if your house is in the middle or on the edge of a shoot. Keepers will have been releasing pheasant poults since late August/early September - hence the build up. They probably won't start shooting 'till next month, although the Pheasant shooting season starts in October.

saluki

Strange. Here in the US, the same species just walk across the roads, and I've seen a lot of pheasants.

 

[Anthony Morton]

Here in the UK pheasant often fly across roads - and often very low! If a pheasant wants to get from A to B, they usually take the straightest route unfortunately!

saluki

Hi saluki,

I couldn't agree more - often they behave like feathered Exocet missiles, flying fast, low and straight into any vehicle that crosses their path. It makes me wonder if they fly with their eyes shut!

 

[nickwarn37]

Young Bird!!

Thanks people

My last count yesterday, there were 41 of them in the garden!

Here's another question... what's wrong with this guy?

Thanks.

Hi Helen, Yes this is indeed a yound Poult releast quite late in the year and not yet got all it adult feathers. They are many diffrent mixes and plumages in the pheasent population of the UK dew to large numbers of birds breed for shooting. The White Ring on the neck comes from birds brought over from Rome. You can see many birds in East Anglia with no ring and this is said to be the true Eastern race, also much smaller in size and fly bette, good for shooting at.
As for ,Why so many?, When a shoot first starts driving birds early in the shooting season they tend to wander off looking for food and quiet areas.
Pheasent are like clock work they can be seen day after day same time same place when food can be had.
Nikk :bounce:

 

[helenol]

Thanks for that Nick, it makes things a little clearer now in the world of pheasants.

 

[chris3871]

Are you calling "my" pheasant mawky? I like my "mawky" pheasant

There is another one identical.

Thanks Chris.

Regards

Sorry! I didn't mean to offend.
I think that its more likely like some others suggest just a young 'un, it'll grow out of its mawkiness.