PARLIAMENT OF FOWLS

Here we are at the equinox, and the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. The hedgerows are full of hips, haws, rowans, blackberries and crabs, and fruit is beginning to drop. Yesterday I watched a couple of blackbirds feasting on windfalls, and even saw an old cock pheasant take a peck.

Time and again, I hear from folk who ask about which autumn fruits pheasants prefer — with a view to plant accordingly, and cut the feed bill by offering ‘natural’ food. To be honest, the truth is that while pheasants will take fruit, they really regard this as a side dish.

We should also remember that most fruit gets consumed direct from the tree by songbirds, so game only gets the leavings. But that does not mean we should not bother with fruiting shrubs. If we plant natives such as bramble, hawthorn and rowan, we can provide extra game cover, and support lots of native wildlife too.

Pheasants are known to snack on berries such as hawthorn