Visitors to the house today were surprised and delighted to see a number of wild pheasants in the garden. To see one would have been a treat, one said, but to see a group was exceptional. It was an everyday occurrence for me.


When I draw the bedroom curtains they are outside, watching and waiting. When I walk in the garden they come running towards me – the braver ones anyway; others, being more cautious, keep a little distance. They are ever near at hand while we work in the garden and, despite what many have said to me, they do only very little damage in the garden – where the soil is dry they scratch and enjoy dust baths.


The secret of all this attention is, of course, food! We have kept hens and ducks for a number of years and always give some, rolled barley, to the pheasants. This is obviously to their taste as they wait for breakfast every morning and come begging several times during the day.
It is a reciprocal arrangement: they are fed and I enjoy having them in the garden.



Loved it. I had one who took peanuts out of my hand but he had an altercation with the cat and never returned. The brunnera are very healthy by the way!
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They adore peanuts! Good re the Brunnera!
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They are very entertaining. We have quite a lot come down to us. Attracted by seeds from the bird feeders
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Easy food for them and they appreciate it!
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Paddy, where do they spend their time when not in your garden? Are there woods or meadows nearby?
Neil S.
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We are surrounded by farmland so there is plenty of space for them. Between us and the nearby river there is a “mash” – a meadow which floods seasonally and is not used agriculturally at present – again, plenty of room for them. I think they stay in the garden quite a bit. This morning, one followed me into the garage where I keep the feed and another flew to the windowsill to keep an eye on me!
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Great photos, great post Paddy! I could only see them during two winters. Shortly afterwards horrible hunters shot them 😦
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Shooting is not permitted on the farmland around us so they are reasonably safe. An occasional nutcase does come along with a gun but not often, thankfully.
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Here we have also -so called- laws concerning the hunting times. But some crazy villager shoots whenever he likes…I wish I were in Ireland 😦
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There are crazy people everywhere!
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You’re absolutely right Paddy 😊
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