Pheasants and a Hail Shower

Sunday, 9th April 2006

stormIn the afternoon we have heavy hail showers, rattling on the studio window and rolling down to collect as a slushy deposit of icy pellets. It' not encouraging me to think that I'll have a comfortable day to sketch in the Peak District tomorrow.

pheasantThe bad weather seems to be bringing more birds to the feeders . The cock pheasant now has six females with him, pecking around below the feeders, while he watches over them like some monocled aristocrat.

female pheasantpheasantHe has a quiet clucking contact call which he makes much of the time. We keep thinking that it's some sound like a child playing in the distance, or someone trying to start up a small one-stroke motor mower. It's not a birdlike sound. Next Page

Richard Bell, richard@willowisland.co.uk