Small Man spotted him first, wandering along our street.
This Common Pheasant was very tame and showed no fear whatsoever as he strolled casually up our driveway to the backyard. It was a couple of months ago, when the late autumn sun was still shining, and before the hailstorm battered the garden. His plumage was stunning – you’d think a bird that tasted so good would have evolved less conspicuous colours by now…
We threw him a little chook feed which he obligingly gobbled up, but we couldn’t get much closer without startling him…
He was more than happy to pose for photos…
Such a magnificent, beautiful bird…
I managed to get a close-up of his iridescent head…
After half an hour of observing, we thought we should probably try and capture him, as he was clearly someone’s lost pet. But the minute we got within a metre of him, he opened his wings and flew straight up in the air and onto the neighbour’s roof. And then he was off…
Our pheasant friend hung around for weeks – he discovered a ferny patch of our neighbour Mark’s backyard and made himself a bivouac there. We loved having him around! All the children on the street came out to admire him, many convinced he was a peacock, and the adults would give way to him in their cars as he casually strolled across the road as if he owned it. He wasn’t particularly street smart.
We later discovered that he had escaped from a house around the corner. I suspect he never made it home. A neighbour who works in the local pet store said that a customer had been in asking for “pheasant food”, so we’re all hopeful that he’s been adopted by a loving family. Safe travels lovely bird – thank you for visiting!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Pheasants are amazingly beautiful (well, I think it’s the males that are more handsome than their lady friends) but oh so dumb – which probably accounts for why we see so many of them squished in contry lanes :(
What a handsome bird.
Very pleasant indeed.
Handsome chap. I love it when they strut about the garden or pose on top of the wall. I’m also quite partial to them on a plate. How strange that someone would keep them as a pet. I wonder if he had a mate.
There are interesting to watch. Once spotted them in wild while hiking in the mountains in Taiwan. Thanks for sharing! :)
What a gorgeous bird. I hope he made it home safe.
Gorgeous things aren’t they? We were walking our dogs over in Beaconsfield a few years ago when one just casually walked out in front of us, ignoring the dogs (hard to do when Earl thinks that EVERYTHING that comes within about 100 feet is either friend (humans and other dogs) or foe (everything else) and acts accordingly and we were so intrigued by it and how beautiful it was and how it looked SO very out of place for it’s surroundings that we followed it (not hard, Earl was eager to pursue ;) ) and it trotted off with purpose down a series of laneways (with us in hot pursuit) still completely ignoring us (and the baying hounds…must have been old and stony deaf or had a VERY strong constitution ;) ) until it hopped up on a fence in one of the laneways and jumped into someone’s back yard. I get the feeling he did this regularly although we haven’t seen him since. It was both a pleasure and a privilege to see and follow him that gorgeous early spring morning. Your boy was gorgeous and I hope he found a really good home with someone who wants to spoil him :)
We have a clock pheasant who visits our garden regularly who we have named Colin. He is outstandingly beautiful but unbelievably stupid. Thankfully none of the neighbourhood cats have caught him yet.
Whilst out horse riding some years ago I saw a golden pheasant. Now THAT was a sight to behold.
I was so scared I was going to see Roasted Pheasant at the end of this post. How silly of me x
He is gorgeous. I hope he has found a happy home. We saw a pair of pheasant walking beside the road in Tuscany a while back. Unfortunately we also saw a hunter with his dog following behind.
I’ve never gotten that close to a live pheasant. They do have beautiful feathers though.
Such a beautiful story. I was thinking how well this could translate to a children’s book, with colourful illustrations.
Ah, well, if you can’t be bright, be beautiful – and that he most certainly is. Which reminds me too, that if you can’t be bright, or beautiful, be fascinating. My husband often says that the things I do and why I do them, fascinate him:)
Funny……I too thought I would see Roasted Pheasant…phew! beautiful pics, thank you.
What a glorious visitor :) My Pavlovian response also was to expect to see this pheasant beautifully presented on a plate rather than in his colourful natural feathered state.
I’m so glad you reported someone buying food for the pheasant, rather than pheasant AS food. These were fairly common where I grew up in the Mid-West of the US and all the cave men of the family would go pheasant shooting in the autumn. I never recall eating it, though. Lovely little story Celia.
What a handsome fellow! I am so glad that there are reports someone was purchasing food FOR him. I hope it was to keep him happy instead of to fatten him up…
Pretty but not too bright. Just like a cast member of Magic Mike XXL.
how gorgeous is he! and a bit quieter than a peacock.:) how lovely to have him around for a while.
Gorgeous :) shame you can’t catch him, because roasted pheasant is really good :) sorry! Liz xx
Cheeky! But funny :)
It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the artwork and structure of feathers are. The little head on Pheasy looks like a ceramic object. So lucky to have had it visit.
Oh dear, I am giggling away here, until I read Susan’s comment I wasn’t sure if I would tell — but I thought you were going to tell us that about roasted pheasant.
He’s beautiful!
Such a handsome fellow. Glad he didn’t end up in the pot!
Perhaps he was on the prowl looking for his pheasant ‘chick?’ Hehe… I bet his fur was so silky… Hope the owner finds him.
What a lovely story. I’m so glad you were able to take such good photos of him despite his shyness. They are very pretty birds and tasty too! But rare as well – I’ve never seen one wandering my neck of the woods. I do hope he has gone to a good home and isn’t being fattened up for a Sunday roast xx
You have your visiting pheasant so close to a huge city and we have the duck family and live quite close to the city. Each year the family strut their stuff showing off their babies as they risk life and limb crossing roads and defying predatory cats. Just yesterday I had to stop to let the adult birds cross the road, no chicks yet, and thought ‘how wonderful that this is happening in my backyard’.
A beautiful bird!
Such a handsome and winning fellow to have cruising around. I just watched the jackdaws sitting on the apex of the house bashing a piece of something against the rooftiles, I think it was a bit of stale bread they had found somewhere, trying to soften it up. They are a noisy bunch, but no one else lives up there and so on this crowded island why not use the eaves and the chimney hoods for your home? Hope the weather starts to warm up for you soon over there !
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one before…I laughed when you said that you would have thought a bird that tastes so good would have developed less distinguishing plumage :). It is very extravagant :)
You should’ve made that bird a hat ;) Stunning little creature!
Love your pheasant tale. Spotted a beautiful wild one strolling at the bottom of my Mum’s garden the first day I arrived in UK.
He is a handsome dude & I’m so glad you didn’t eat him. Now go ahead & tell me how many times you can say “pleasant Pheasant” really fast….
If you don’t mind me saying so, that is freakin’ amazing! The first picture looks like a painted wooden object. Wow.