This morning just passing Pleasent Mills Cemetery, I saw a big brown looking bird running straight down the tar road. At first I thought it was a duck, but once I approached it to my surprise, discovered it was a ring-neck pheasent! I have never seen one in the wild before, and to see it this way running straight down the road? I feared a car would come and run it over, so I pulled over and got out of my car hoping to chase it off the road. By this time though the bird had ran into the brush. I went over to the side of the road and it had already ran off. Thought some of you might find this interesting.
pheasent sighting
- Thread starter suresue592003
- Start date
Very cool! that must've been a treat. I've only seen but a couple in the wild.
On a note in the way of seeing some local creatures, there is a privately owned garden center right near me in Waterford about where the old Pike Meets Chew road/536. Pope's Gardens. I am not soliciting for them, they have a website that can be checked out.
O.k., aside from a nice plant place and nice people there is a bit of an antique offering and what is very cool....... a small farm/zoo of sorts. Nothing fancy mind you but they got Yaks, Bulls, Emus, exotic rabbits, different types of Pheasants, Turkeys, exotic Chickens, all stuff you can get right up on. They got the coolest little Goat and a couple very friendly Labs. Check it out if you're in the area. Fun for kids. Real plain though, not fancy.
Thanks for mentioning the sighting SureSue.
G.
On a note in the way of seeing some local creatures, there is a privately owned garden center right near me in Waterford about where the old Pike Meets Chew road/536. Pope's Gardens. I am not soliciting for them, they have a website that can be checked out.
O.k., aside from a nice plant place and nice people there is a bit of an antique offering and what is very cool....... a small farm/zoo of sorts. Nothing fancy mind you but they got Yaks, Bulls, Emus, exotic rabbits, different types of Pheasants, Turkeys, exotic Chickens, all stuff you can get right up on. They got the coolest little Goat and a couple very friendly Labs. Check it out if you're in the area. Fun for kids. Real plain though, not fancy.
Thanks for mentioning the sighting SureSue.
G.
I see pheasants all the time up here in Mercer and Hunterdon counties. They are apparently making a comeback, or there are a lot of ferals or something. Whenever I see them, they're always running down the road like joggers.
Everyone is welcome. I think it is strange, I wonder why they want to jog down a tar road? You would think a bird like that would want to stay hidden.
Someone told me the state puts them out. Maybe so since it was seen near Batsto.
Thanks Largo, is Popes on the road running form 206,or is it on the road the old boarded bar is on? I think the bar was called "Castaways". This garden center sounds like a neat place to check out.
There is a place on Rt.9 going towards Cape May, I think it is called Lemmings Run. They have a nature trail with beautiful flowers and bushes growing naturally. They too have exotic chickens.
Someone told me the state puts them out. Maybe so since it was seen near Batsto.
Thanks Largo, is Popes on the road running form 206,or is it on the road the old boarded bar is on? I think the bar was called "Castaways". This garden center sounds like a neat place to check out.
There is a place on Rt.9 going towards Cape May, I think it is called Lemmings Run. They have a nature trail with beautiful flowers and bushes growing naturally. They too have exotic chickens.
With all the farm raised birds that are released I'm surprised that more haven't made a comeback, but I guess maybe the farm raised birds either aren't as fit for the wild or they just get totally picked off during hunting season. It would be nice to see them become as common as wild turkey have.
SureSue,
On the birds... I am not a birder so this is just a hokey guess. The tar/roadtop is warm. Maybe that is why?
On Popes, If you are coming Chew road/536 from 206, follow all the way to the Old WHP. Turn right at the church as though you are heading towards Atco, or towards the Bar. If from route 30, WHP you make a left. 4 houses on the right and a big sign on a hay trailor you can't miss. If you come to Waterford school you passed it.
Today they're probably nuts covering for this cold snap. Give it about two weeks and you'll see a great place. Very nice folk and I've never gotten bad product. If you are a person into the Flora, there is just about nothing they don't have. Be sure to get on their mailing list. It will be a nice visit. www.popesgardens.com
you can check out the animal pics, including the Labs & Goat on the site.
g.
Here's a little info.
"The Ringneck Pheasant is usually found in open areas such as grass and cornfields. They usually feed on insects and grains and the ground, and these are usually plentiful in fields. They are also seen along old railroad tracks and creek beds. This species adapts well to a domestic environment, in part because it does spend much of its life on the ground."
http://www.centralpets.com/animals/birds/wild_birds/wbd4362.html
Steve
"The Ringneck Pheasant is usually found in open areas such as grass and cornfields. They usually feed on insects and grains and the ground, and these are usually plentiful in fields. They are also seen along old railroad tracks and creek beds. This species adapts well to a domestic environment, in part because it does spend much of its life on the ground."
http://www.centralpets.com/animals/birds/wild_birds/wbd4362.html
Steve
its not that uncommon to see ringnecks on the road. roadways make a good place to find gravel that they keep in their crop to help grind up seeds, corn soy etc. what is uncommon is to see ringnecks in the wild at all. 40 years ago you could push a field and several dozen would flush in all directions. They say DDT in the 60's did something to thin the eggshells so they wouldn't incubate properly or something like that. Plus the farming techniques changed leaving little in the way of cover. Most of the birds in the state today are the result of state stocking on the WMA's. The majority of these birds can hardly even fly and most starve within a few weeks of release. That plus foxes, owls, hawks, all took their toll.
I saw those once jump out ahead of me on a trail in Rocky Point. But by the time I had the camera out they were gone.
