INWT #6: Splendid Target!? Traditional Cache

Ilkley North West Trail #6: Pheasant - Splendid Target!?

This is the 6th of a 13-cache series which takes you on a 4.3km trail around some of the lovely countryside between Middleton and Austby immediately to the northwest of Ilkley above the north bank of the Wharfe. Allowing for an easy pace, stopping for caches | to admire the view | spot birds the trail should take you about 3 hours or so.

See GC8Q381 Ilkley NorthWest Trail #1: Intro & Start for background info on the trail and parking waypoints. See Gallery for a map of the trail showing parking spots and approximate cache locations.

The cache, a small camo-taped sample tube, is hidden at the end of the footpath leading up the grassy fields from #5 at the location of a well-built stone stile. This leads to the lane accessing the fine High Austby Farm and Cottage with its lovely gardens and great views to the south across the Wharfe Valley to Rombald's Moor beyond.

On the way to the cache location - and to #7, two males of this extravagantly handsome (and tasty!) bird were seen foraging in the grass and the typical calls had been heard from the nearby woods.

The (common or ring-necked) pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a handsome large, long-tailed gamebird. Males have rich chestnut, golden-brown and black markings with a dark green head and red face wattling. Females are mottled with paler brown and black. They eat seeds, grain, shoots and insects.

Some QI facts on pheasants . . .

1. They are not native to Britain - the Romans probably first brought them here.
2. The nearest genuine wild pheasants are in Romania, in the Danube Delta.
3. There are over 30 different races - cocks may have ring necks or black necks and some have white wings.
4. Many different races have been brought into Britain, so pheasants here are mongrels with most showing features of several races.
5. An 'old English' pheasant is one without the distinctive white neck ring.
6. 35-50 million birds are released in UK annually (20M in England) for shooting which takes place from 1 October - 1 February. This biomass is greater than that of all UK wild bird species combined.
7. Around 60% of released birds die before being shot from one or more of predation, disease, starvation and dispersal,
8. On a commercial shoot it costs £25-40/bird; typical daily bags are >200. See here for detailed info on this 'sport' and here for a small 'rough' 'walked-up' shoot.
9. They have also been released for shooting in many other countries where they are not native, including North America. Most populations are not self-sustaining, and die out if no further releases take place.
10. The shooting industry has left a lasting mark on the English landscape, with many woods planted in the last 200 years especially as covers for these birds.
11. Shooting is controversial with factory farming / poor living conditions, long-distance transport of chicks, abandoned wounded birds and trapping/shooting of predators (eg. foxes, stoats, crows) being some of the issues.
12. Only mature cocks hold territories in prime habitat, usually along the edge of a wood; younger males are forced to live away from the edge.
13. The cock proclaims its territory with a distinctive two-syllable crow (listen here)
14. Cocks may crow in response to distant rumbles of thunder or gunfire. During WW1, pheasants in Kent apparently crowed in response to the sound of guns in the Battle of the Somme.
15. Like many animals, cocks are also sensitive to pre-earthquake vibrations - there are many records of cocks crowing vigorously before an earthquake.
16. A successful cock may have a harem of up to 6 hens. However, most are less successful and many fail to breed.
17. Rival cocks frequently fight  - for an average of 18 minutes.
18. After mating a cock ignores the female - incubation and chick rearing is exclusively by the the hen.
19. A typical clutch varies 2-22 eggs, but the largest are usually the result of two hens sharing the same nest.
20. Chicks feed themselves soon after hatching, but stay with their mother for up to 80 days before becoming independent.
21. Wing feathers develop first so a chick can first fly when only 12 days old.
22. The adult’s explosive flight uses a great deal of energy, so birds rarely fly more than 2km. Speeds reaches are normally only 43-61 kph but can reach 90 kph when chased. Although good fliers, they prefer to run.
23. In the USA, domesticated 'jumbo' pheasants are produced as table birds.

See here for more info on this splendid target and here, here and here for a short videos.