Greylag Goslings & Fighting Pheasants

A week of fairly dry weather has been nice for a change, and I was able to go get my Cricket square mowed after work on Tuesday this week. Also a good chance to have a nosey about certain places that do not involve you getting wet through.

First stop, the field by the fishery, just a stones throw from the River. A frequent haunt for Greylags and Canadas. I was a little shocked by just how many though. I counted 17 adult Greylags and a whopping 28 Goslings. All mixed together in one giant crèche. Something I hadn't seen before and quite hard to fit them all in with the Telephoto lens.

 As I carried on down the road towards home, I pulled over pretty quickly whilst crossing 'Blacksmiths' bridge, as a female Muntjac stood facing me no more than 20 yards away. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough for a picture, but 2 Cock Pheasants emerged from the river bank and proceeded to have a scrap in front of me.

I've lived with and around Pheasants in pretty large numbers all my life, and seen this kind of behaviour on numerous occasions, although honestly I must admit I've never photographed it until now. Its brilliant watching them sizing one another up and mirroring each others movements before bundling towards each other in a blur of feather and tail.

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