The mystery of the disappearing pheasant

[RabbitAndCo]

We discovered a pheasant's nest in the garden at the weekend, with 13 eggs. The pheasant flew off when we disturbed her (before we had spotted the nest); she's been back since, and then off again, and now I've not seen her since yesterday morning (I've only been checking irregularly).

D'you think she'll come back?

Once the eggs cool they'll be dead and she'll know.

This is very sad.

Sorry but no, I don't think she is coming back - and I would suspect a car. Pheasants appear to be missing the gene which makes the connection between "very large thing (car) coming towards me" and "get out of the bloody way now". Despite my best efforts I probably kill about one a month .

"Once the eggs cool they'll be dead and she'll know."

Not always- the bluetit's nest in our webcam nestbox at school was raided by a woodpecker, which stole 10 out of the 13 eggs. The bluetit came back and sat on the remaining 3 eggs for six weeks before finally giving up.

Agree about the pheasant's lack of survival instincts, though round here it seems to be the males that get it most - especially in the breeding season, when they are prancing around the road in front of their chosen mate and get 2 tons of metal up the tail feathers...