At lunchtime today, a cock Pheasant (Phasianius colchicus) wandered onto my back lawn in rainy Rotherham. He's one of my less frequent visitors but always very welcome. For once, I managed to grab my spotting scope and digital camera to snap him before he left. He hung around until late afternoon, but photo opportunities were few as he searched under bushes for all the tasty morsels hidden there, rather than hogging centre stage with the families of Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Goldfinches, Dunnocks, Robins and the other regulars who are enjoying the delights of the Spring around my garden.
I'm vegetarian most of the time, but this slice of Pheasant for lunch was wonderful! He finally whirred away over the hedges towards the woods and the open fields beyond. Now the sun's just come out again, the evening's soft and mild and full of the thrilling warble of the Song Thrush, the rival lullaby coos of Woodpigeon and Collared Dove and the zitherdi-zitherdi-zitherdi-zitherdi-dee of the Goldcrest somewhere close.I'm blessed as always to see, hear, smell and savour such marvels of the natural world as these.
