I spotted the first chicks of the season today!
Late afternoon, mum and dad pheasant brought 7 chicks into the garden to feed..
These gorgeously fluffy little beings are stripey, (reminding me of wild boar piglets - probably camouflage for similar reasons).
What you can't see in the headline picture is the size of their feet! They have clown-like feet at such a young age, see below.
These are quite early - mum must have started laying mid-march. We don't usually see pheasant chicks for a few weeks yet.
All our wild birds are busily nesting at the moment, so it's like the lull before the storm. Some are coming to the feeders but not as many as usual - this will change soon.
In a couple of weeks the garden will be full of fledglings, all shouting their heads off, while the parents zoom around trying to keep up with the food!