Thread: Pheasants/Quail breeding season

Got a few pheasants round my place - just created a birdlife haven by killing predators for several years – no rats, possums and cats really works – but I do know there is a weasel round that I can’t catch
I haven’t seen any chicks yet but must be close
I nearly stood on a nest on Sunday – about half meter from her – she frightened the daylights out of me when she took off – had a quick look – seven eggs – hope she comes back – usually they do
I was working round the patch one day last week – about 750m up a drive – in and out – worked on about 1ha of ground – saw 24 roosters and seven hens for the day – without even trying – that tells you what all the hens are doing – nesting
Roosters are flat out crowing all day – doing their singing and dancing routine – lovely to watch
Saw one big rooster yesterday that owns a patch of the bush line near where I was working – chased off another rooster several times – he had a couple of hens with him – they are quite territorial – he was in and out of the bush all day – spots me and he runs back in – then ten minutes later he is back out performing again
Haven’t seen any quail chicks – but quite a few families around – groups of maybe ten – this guy came and sat on a ponga in the garden yesterday – about 5m away - he is the watcher - has his family all round feeding
I am hoping for a population boom this year – so many quail and pheasants around