Lady Amherst's Pheasant (c?)

Shot this very late in the day. At first I thought it was a Golden Pheasant. It was very near a reserve which had captive birds but this isn't on their species list (online). I have yet to speak to the local RSPB. Could this be an escaped ornamental? I took a number of frames before it vanished into the nearby woods.

500mm, f4.5, 1/125s, iso800.

There used to be a small feral population of LAps in South Oxfordshire/Warburg reserve that cropped up occasionally but they are very elusive in habit and I think there is also a population in Bucks that started from Woburn park so they are in the South East region. Ornamental/captive birds should be ringed, feral birds are unlikely to be ringed, but it is hard to tell from this shot if it has any leg rings or not. Where was this taken?

Lovely atmospheric shot BTW

Thanks for the info Mike. The bird isn't ringed. Although I was lying low, I was trekking it through the lens. You can just about see the legs on this shot all the way down to the feet. Are there any other way of telling?

Personally I would crop off most of the foreground, leaving just enough for the virtual feet, as the foreground, for me at least, doesn’t add anything to the image, and by cropping most off, it increases the emphasis on the pheasant.

Hope you got a few in profile, as there aren’t many shots of this species around.

Well seen and worked, excellent portrait.

Nice liking bird. Never seens such one.
Also a nice shot.

Stunning bird Des

I think the foreground is fine myself, but I would be tempted to turn the green saturation down a bit as it's looking a bit 'lurid' on my HP.

Beautiful bird, great shot. I really like the background, the hint of blossom is lovely. Perhaps a slice off the right to even up the composition, making the bird less central, and toning down the greens just a tiny bit.

I have heard/read that there are some of these birds living 'wild' in east anglia. Or I guess it could be an escaped 'pet' as people keeping a bird like this aren't necessarily going to have it ringed.

Beautiful shot!

Lovely portrait of this stunning bird, like it alot

Very nice Des!

David

Amazing bird, lovely image overall. I agree with some of the cropping suggstions - perhaps a little off top, right and bottom!

Cracking image,like it just as it is.

Keith.

Very nice picture of this beautiful bird. I also like it as it is.