Pheasants in the Verge

On the way home, I saw a pheasant on the farm road. It was a lady pheasant. She moved slowly into the tall grass, so we slowed to watch her. She had several chicks in the tall grass with her. I could hear them talking to each other and I even managed to catch sight of one. The tall grass looked like a mountain to his tiny self, but he was scrabbling over it, at momma's insistence, to answer the roll call. It was a great sight. I had not seen much of the pheasants since the males were strutting around making raucous calls. They sounded an awful lot like Saturday night drunks or football fans after cheering too long for the home crowd. I am glad all that strutting and squawking had some good result.

The farm cats often patrol these tall grasses on the edges of the farm road, so I hope Mme. Pheasant can keep her chicks safe.

For several days now, I have sat in the sunspot in the front garden under the careful observation of several Angus heifers. They were cheerfully using the hedge between the garden and the paddock as their salad bar. There did not seem to be any harm in it for the hedges, which needed trimming anyway, or for the heifers and their company was welcome.

Having seen them with their heads protruding through the hedges, it was not a big surprise to look out the living room window and see one of them grazing on the lawn, which needs cutting, too.

I went out the back door; my husband went out the front. She noticed us without much concern--like a student slacking off because the regular teacher has left the classroom. As soon as we showed up, she was easily persuaded back through the hedge. We found something to fill the gap til it can be properly repaired and checked that she was the only runaway.

One of her sisters is in the little paddock waiting for her blind date. Well, that is a metaphoric way of thinking about it. She is going to be artificially inseminated.

Sadly I will have to miss the event because I have an appointment in town. So as I was thinking about what to fix for a quick dinner, I thought to myself: pheasants in the verge; heifers in the front yard--an ordinary day on the farm.

The above photo is of ducks from New Zealand. I do not have my own photos of pheasants. The pheasant chick is about this same size and colouring. I liked the photo. Hope you do, too. Maybe I'll get some pheasants photos.