Over exposed Bird?

No, not a reference to any number of Big Brother contestants, but this male Pheasant photographed from the garden. Rather a handsome looking creature, however from his point of view maybe not so good, as in the Pheasant world apparently it is the redder you are the more dominant you are when it comes to breeding. This may explain why more than once Pheasant's have taken a particular dis-liking to postmen arriving in big pheasant provoking Royal Mail vans!!



Pheasant with plumage variation

As we live on the edge of a shooting syndicate we also get partridges in and around the garden. So far we have only had a single sighting of a pair of Grey's a couple of years ago but Red legs often visit to feed on the lawns. These are part of a covey of 17 that are currently hiding 'up our end' that have so far survived the season unscathed, as the beaters do not work this end on shoot days. Just have to hope that none of them read this blog!



Red legged Partridges

Found this caterpillar at the weekend hanging in a spiders web in the summer house. Think I got to it before it was delt with by its captor, its thought to be one of the Yellow Underwing moth species. Thanks to Dean (www.mostlymacro.blogspot.com) for help with ID.