For those of you who enjoyed reading an earlier post about the wild pheasants that come to our garden to be fed, here’s an update. Henrietta has acquired a younger female companion.
This shy bird (she’s the one in the background) turned up with the two resident pheasants a month ago, tagging along forlornly looking distinctly the visitor. To begin with Philip drove her off whenever she tried to join in their feeding. But a couple of weeks later she was still persisting and I could see that the male was behaving toward her as he would a mate, puffing up his plumage and strutting about.
Henrietta, who throughout the Summer more often appeared here minus Philip, now invariably has Agnes in tow with Philip bringing up the rear. (I waited a month before naming her, just in case she was only passing through.) It seems to me that our Philip has himself a harem of two. As such the birds have developed much more into a family than a pair of individuals that sometimes hung out together. It’s interesting observing the group dynamics and the way each bird’s character has developed. I’ve watched Philip mature from last Winter when he was a tail-less ragamuffin, to the resplendent creature that visits us today. And Henrietta from a gawky teenager into a plump, dignified beauty. These days she clucks… I don’t know how else to describe the sound… when I feed her each morning. It’s a delightfully contented response to her breakfast feast of nuts and seeds.
Agnes was like a mad roadrunner when she first arrived, but now some of Henrietta’s dignity has rubbed off on her. And the upshot of the new arrival inserting herself into the picture is that Henrietta seems less inclined to follow me around the garden these days, which is more the way things should be for a wild creature. (I feel slightly less responsible for her now she has a another female to take care of.)
Of course the lovely thing about having this ringside seat is that I can observe them closely in preparation for the new Saint Francis painting I plan to do. The Congregation of Pheasants.
Clive Hicks-Jenkins' Artlog: 
ragamuffin…resplendent…dignified beauty – I love your words. 🙂 I’ve seen a pheasant once, only fleetingly. Even so, I was surprised that it was *really* that gorgeous. I presume that pheasants are native where you live…and visiting you in your very own garden – how very cool!
Hello Amber. Thanks for dropping by. Pheasants, yes, they’re staggeringly lovely creatures, the males almost unimaginably vivid when seen against a Winter snow. (As many a Christmas card has capitalised on!) All too often these days they’re more usually glimpsed as bedraggled clumps of feathers in ditches, victims of drivers who won’t slow down for birds that are ungainly and slow when taking flight.
Pheasants were originally imported from Asia, I think in the 19th century, though they now clearly breed and survive in the wild here. They were most probably escapees from large estates where they were (and still are) reared as game birds. Philip, Henrietta and Agnes are probably safer here than most other places, as the narrow lane to Ty Isaf goes no further than our gate and so there’s no heavy traffic passing by to make roadkill of them. I think that Philip was hatched and reared by a pair of pheasants that were living in the woods behind the house last year. He was certainly a juvenile when he first appeared under our bird-feeders in the garden. I don’t know what happened to his parents or siblings. Whenever we saw him he was alone and remained so for over six months. Then Henrietta turned up to keep him company. It’s good to see him confident where once he traipsed about the place calling forlornly for others of his kind. When Henrietta arrived, herself a young bird, Philip grew his tail in record time and transformed into the gorgeous creature you see in the photographs. I’m glad you enjoyed reading about him.
Thanks for the info, Clive. Do you really think people strike the pheasants in their cars because they don’t want to slow down? Or maybe just don’t have time to react? Either way, I’m glad you’ve got a bit of a safe haven there around your home. If you ever happen to see your threesome in the snow, I’d love to see a picture of them. 🙂
I think I meant that many drivers won’t slow down on country lanes, period. They’re on their ways from A to B and don’t have the wit to think about the fact that there can be unforeseen circumstances around the next bend. Young and inexperienced drivers from rural communities can get over-confident behind the steering-wheels of vehicles. But I see many offenders. Parents late on school runs, students carrying car-loads of friends about, commercial vehicles behind schedule… you get the picture. We can all drive too fast on occasion and I don’t exclude myself, though I try to be vigilant about it and constantly check my speedometer. Drivers and passengers get hurt, but animals are the less visible victims. I see foxes, rabbits, badgers, hedgehogs and an array of birds in the hedgerows, all killed by vehicles. I’m glad our three pheasants don’t range that far up.
Yes, I’ll take a photograph if I see all three together and can get close enough. (Henrietta is trusting but Agnes remains shy and wary, skittering off into the undergrowth when I approach.) Usually these day the females keep company and Philip comes separately. But I’ll keep my trusty digital camera to hand and bear your request in mind.
Thanks, Clive!
You are brave. I have a great superstitious dread of saying anything about planned projects.
Mmmmmm, I think lots of creative people have the similar dread that if a project is revealed or discussed at length before it’s brought it to fruition, then the Gods of Creativity will damn it and snatch it back. Speaking as one who was reared to observe every superstition in the book, I decided at some long-past revelatory moment that I was no longer going to be in thrall to popular or personal superstition, nor to any religious dogma. As a consequence I would blame neither fate nor God when things went belly up, as they no doubt sometimes would. I’d seize the reins and take responsibility for my own stuff. It was an immensely liberating decision and I’d greatly recommend it to anyone. Go try it my friend.
I should point out that if I had any superstitions hobbling me then I wouldn’t be running this blog, sharing a painting in the day-by day making of it. Mind you, I haven’t finished the Saint Francis yet! Whoops!
This is too much fun, Clive! A new friend. I thoroughly enjoy your description of the personality changes in both Philip and Henrietta since Agnes arrived. And it does sound like Agnes has settled in nicely. A harem of two indeed! Ticklish…
What a grand opportunity for you in preparation for the new painting. Such close observation, especially with enough time to discern and understand their individual characters, really does seem like good fodder for the cannons of your art. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Ha! You see, I’m making a rod for my own back here. I’ve revealed the title of an as yet notional painting, and now you’ll be building images of it in your head. How can I do anything other than not measure up? Oh well, I’ll do my best not to disappoint!
the congregation of the pheasants!! perfect. thank you for sharing this joy…
It’s an engaging idea isn’t it? Glad you approve Zoe.