Something New and an Odd Reprise.

I’ve said a few times that this has been a year of firsts, haven’t I? There was another one today: I saw a hen pheasant walking along the top of one of my boundary hedges. I’ve spent twenty five years of my life living in the countryside and I’ve never seen a pheasant walking along the top of a hedge before. I’ve seen them fly over a hedge to get from one field to another if they can’t find a gap to walk through, and at certain times of the year it’s common to see a cock bird perching in a tree at twilight, declaring his territory in a loud and strident voice. But the hens are strictly ground-dwelling birds.

Yet there she was, walking placidly along the top of the hedge and taking in the view in all directions. Maybe this was a fascinating new experience for her, and maybe she will invite her sisters to join her eventually, and maybe the practice of hedge walking will become a regular habit among hen pheasants. And then maybe I will be able to say that I was the one who saw it first.

*  *  *

On a less optimistic note, I might mention that several times in my life I’ve been close to a bird or animal when it’s died – usually either a wild bird or animal I’ve tried to rescue, or a pet which has had to be euthanized. And I’ve noticed that shortly after death there has always been a slightly sweet and musty smell hanging in the air. I smelt it when I woke up this morning, and I’ve been smelling it in the house all day. I wonder what it means.