Pheasants Fight and Mystery Nests
Posted: 9 March 2014
Diana and I took a walk round the grounds today. This time we circled the lake clockwise, ending up coming round by the cottages. I left Diana at that point, to return to the house to get my camera as I had meant to take photographs of some depressions in the ground that I'd discovered yesterday.
We had stopped by "Holly Blue", cottage #11, as Diana that spotted a pair of pheasants that appeared to be having a fight in the rough ground just to the north of the cottage grounds.
When I returned with my camera, I took what photos I could. It was difficult getting a decent shot as when I zoomed in the camera it tended to want to focus on the vegetation between us and the birds rather than the birds themselves.
However, in the end I managed to get something that was acceptable for my purpose.
There was a lot of manoeuvring and squawking that accompanied this "dance" between the two male birds which went on for more than five minutes.
Then it was back round to the lake to take the photos of the depressions that I had spotted yesterday.
My best guess about these was that they were pheasant "nests", but whether they were just designed to make a comfortable place to spend the night or were planned for egg laying, and then rejected I have no idea. Each was around 25cm in diameter and looked very exposed as a either a nest site or overnight resting place as they were in entirely open ground and not disguised at all.
I guess I have no alternative but to read up on such things.
