Late this morning my colleague Tom was startled to spot a female Ring-necked Pheasant eating birdseed in front of our store. Going for the extreme close-up, I digiscoped it with a Swarovski ATS 80HD and Nikon Coolpix 8400. We suspect this bird may have been coming to our feeders all along, but this was the first time we've seen it - a new bird species for Eagle Optics! Since the Great Backyard Bird Count runs through today, she'll also be counted there as well. As I type, the pheasant is hunkered down in the snow behind the birdbath and keeping a watchful eye on all that goes on.
Addendum - February 19th:
The pheasant returns...
Ring-necked Pheasant © 2008 Mike McDowell