Three female pheasants were seen sitting on eggs in May in
three locations on my place on the outskirts of Aberaeron. One in a hedgerow,
one in a hayfield and one under brambles near the riverbank.They gradually all
disappeared - as did the proud male - either taken by foxes/badgers, possibly
cats, or they simply abandoned their nests. But on 16 June I disturbed a female
and seven large, although not fully grown, young pheasants which took fright and
ran - and then flew to another part of the field.
Clearly I must have missed that particular sitting female -
which is, I assume, one of the escapes from Mynachty Mansion near
Pennant.
This is the second time that a pheasant brood has been
successful here - I mention this for the record.
Ian Harrison
A familiar bird to us all, yet one which rarely gets a mention on the blog; or on any blog, I suspect.
Birds of Ceredigion states "Wild-breeders generally seem to have poor success"