Today I went out driving around part of my usual winter birding route. Nothing, Nothing, Nothing. I don't blame the birds for not being here this year. We had a disgusting deep cold spell - as has most of North America - since early December. There just aren't many birds of any kind.
There was, however, this quite magnificent male Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in a Sea buck-thorn shrub (well, I think it is Sea buck-thorn). I had exactly enough time to stop my vehicle, grab my camera, turn it on, back the vehicle up and snap a single photo before Mr. Handsome flew off.
If this is, in fact, a Sea Buck-thorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), its berries are very high in protein, vitamins C and E, and organic acids.
Awesome pic with berries K.
ReplyDeleteThank You, Brian. It was a very striking scene, that's for sure.
DeleteWonderful gem!
ReplyDeletesorry, every time I tried to get out without closing firefox it just reposted my comment. Maybe I should just go to bed!
DeleteThanks, Di. No problem with the duplicates. I've removed.
DeleteThey are surely handsome fellows indeed. I'll be visiting Sax-Zim in Northern Minnesota in Feb. and hope to see some Canadian visitors here. Or maybe they'll just pass us by heading further south to warmer climes....:)
ReplyDelete