As our house backs onto a field and is situatated at the end of a village we enjoy a variety of wildlife including pheasants. We keep chickens and ducks and one pheasant has taken to sitting on our fence at feeding time and demanding his share very loudly. We feed him on the field side of the fence and naturally being soppy sods he has a name 'Donald Pheasants' , film buffs will understand
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He has become quite a fixture now and has raised several families. Last week we watched a pretty blody fight between him and a young cock pheasant, who we think was an offspring challenging for territorial rights in the field. Junior came off a poor second and submitted by laying down before moving off to try his luck elsewhere.
Down on the river the swans have also been fighting, watching the cob and pen steaming along like inflated meringues, hissing and then flying at the intruders is quite a sight. Last years cygnets are losing their down now and will soon be adults. Once again they will be driven off to mate and take over another part of the river, untill such time as one outs the old male and retakes his ancestral home.