Pheasantly surprised

I saw a peacock at Willowbank once, it was just walking around looking elgantly gorgeous, its tail draped down the length of its back, flowing along behind him. As I was walking away, I heard a shushing sound, like a light, localised downpour. The peacock was fanning its tail, and it was incredible to see in real life, to hear the sound of it as the peacock moved around, trying to keeping looking elegant while keeping aloft all those cumbersome feathers. Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) were first brought to New Zealand in the 1840s as, of course, ornamental birds. They’ve escaped and established feral populations in parts of the country that a Landcare Research report refers to as having “a Mediterranean climate”. This male was photographed in the Baton River Valley, near Motueka.