More Pleasent: Pheasant

My dream of an unseasonally and unforecast period of warm weather, leading up to a dry warm Christmas, now having been firmly smashed, I was in contemplative mood. Two recent posts needed to be brought together, various other strands of thought on Poland and Polish people, bringing together years of speculative wisdom, flowed directly from them. All something I want to write about, but not too much too much of the time. It doesn't reflect the reality of life here.

I was saved by an unexpected visitor.



Pheasants are all around me. A couple of days ago, a group of six were feeding in a field where the wind had swept away most of the snow. Walking in the fields when there isn't snow, I would often disturb a group hidden in the grass, which flew off too quick to photograph. They walk along the back lane, but they're too far away to get a good picture with my camera.



I can still therefore only be envious of W-wa Jeziorki's pictures of the colourful male pheasant, but I am nonetheless pleased at having the female visit the garden, walking just a metre or so past the window..



Partridges, on the other hand, are regular visitors.



As it's difficult to remember hot, dry weather at the moment, this picture of young partridges in September 2009 offers secondary delights.



I do have an enemy in taking these pictures, though. Mika heads for the patio door when she hears me turn on the camera. If she sees anything interesting, large birds especially, she will bark and jump at the door, standing there scratching the glass and demanding to be let out. She's even learnt the word 'ptaki' (birds), which gets her looking through the window, although 'kotek' (cat) has her immediately ready to start the chase.