Cock Pheasant ( Phasianus colchicus )

I have been promising myself a bird blip for a few days now.  Yesterday despite the hard weather hardly any birds were at the feeders.  Today was better.  Of the shots I took this male in beautiful plumage appealed most.

Pheasants are not native, they were introduced to the UK possibly as early as Roman times but possibly 11th/12th Century.  They are native to the East of the Black Sea & Caucasus.  there are actually two subspecies known as the Colchicus group and the Torqatus group.  This one shows one clear sign of being in the Torquatus subspecies, that is the white neck ring.

The white circle behind him is ice lifted out of the birdbath, in freezing weather a daily supply of clean water is almost as vital to the birds as a supply of food.  I just tend to lift the ice out and dump it knowing it will eventually melt.