Oh happy joy! The birdies are posing for me!

After a month of trying to get a good photo of them together, Pirate Phil and Liz the Hen has decided to do a courtship dance under the birdfeeder! Methinks a new camera with audio is in the wishlist now ...

The happy pair

And for once, Liz doesn't flutter away from the Pirate's one legged dance. You can see from their postures that they are eyeing each other. Tried to get a video of them dancing, but my 2nd generation 4.0 megapixels Nikon really sucks at capturing it. Nonetheless I give you the feeble offering:

Also got some really good high resolution photos of the pair this time.

Phil is in a terrible fix
His yard's invaded by Perdix perdix

The locals, for fun, call them Atilla (the Hun)

But to me they look more like Obelix!

Yaaarrrrr! One legged mongolian ringneck pheasant rules!

There was once a Pirate Pheasant called Phil
whom as a gamebird is impossible to kill
          "Though a dog chewed one leg,
           I won't whine nor I beg
As long as you keep the birdfeeders filled!"

Now Phil has a hen called Lizzie
He makes her all happy and dizzy
            "I would happily pick
             A popsicle stick
To replace my broken leg gone gimpy"

Then Phil had some strong exchanges
With some philandering Hungarian Partridges
            "They steal all my seeds!
            Lizzie and I need to feed
How I wish I could stuff them all in cages!"

This is a story of courage that can't be killed
The brave one-legged pirate pheasant called Phil
             "Just wait till Liz and I have chicks
              It'll be disgustingly cute and sick"
As he nomnoms on seeds that are spilled

Sometimes when things are not going your way and you get tetchy and annoyed with the world and your painful muscles and joints, problems breathing and sleeping, endless stomach and GI pain, it's always useful to look for lessons to be learnt from Nature.

Phil still hobbles around on his good leg, feeding himself, harassing Lizzie and the partridges in his territory, squawking at Polydactylus and Kato the neighbourhood cats, and generally being a cocky bird (pun intended).

Yes, I'm being followed by a moon shadow
Moon shadow moon shadow
Leaping and hopping on a moonshadow
Moon shadow moon shadow

And if I ever lose my legs
I won't moan and I won't beg
Oh if I ever lose my legs- Oh if...
I won't have to walk no more

And if I ever lose my mouth
All my teeth, north and south
Yes, if I ever lose my mouth- Oh if...
I won't have to talk...

Did it take long to find me
I ask the faithful light
Did it take long to find me
And are you going to stay the night

-- Cat Stevens

Phasianus colchicus mongolicus; Phil and Lizzie the Mongolian Ringnecked Pheasants

After evading my camera for months, finally I managed to get a shot at the Mongolian Ringnecked Pheasant that's been making its home in the neighbourhood for months.

This flashy chap was a released pheasant from the nearby pheasant reserve south of town. No, I won't eat him either. He's too amusing to be eaten. In fact, he's called Phil.

Maybe I'll get a hen pheasant for him in the spring, seeing that he's built several nests around here, and been squawking and preening for a mate for a while ...  :)

Update 6th March 2012

Phil has managed to call in a hen to share the territory with him... but at a price - an off-leash dog managed to snap at him injuring one of his leg

 

For obvious reasons, I've decided to name the pheasant hen "Lizzie"

A couple of videos shot today ... of Lizzie feeding off the bird feeder scatters, and of Phil patrolling his territory on one leg. Maybe I should rename him Long John Silver.