The Diamond Pheasant

 Native bird species in the UK range from the tiny wren to the mighty white-tailed eagle. To me, the prettiest native species for the UK right now is the spectacular bee-eater, a colony of which recently became established at Trimingham. 

But, despite their searing beauty, there are other, non-native species of wildlife which were introduced. Arguably the most beautiful of these, and also by far the rarest, is the spectacular Lady Amherst's pheasant, also known as the diamond pheasant in some countries. They were introduced in the 19th Century, but the entire population was thought to die out in 2016. To the dismay, surprise and happiness of many a birdwatcher, a stunning male pheasant was discovered at Manor Park, Flitwick, in 2022, where it remained well into 2023. It became paramount to me to see this species. The most beautiful bird in the UK has now become the rarest bird in the UK, a double Holy Grail in my eyes. 

So, one beautiful Sunday, I set out from university to find the bird, to see the Holy Grail bird before it is once again extinct in the UK, this time permanently. However, as I soon realised, this would be easier said than done. 

First, there was the question of getting to the place. The train ride to London took 2 hours and 46 minutes rather than the usual 1hr30 mins due to some circumstances, and the train became so full people could barely fit on on the last couple of stops. 

Finally at Flitwick, the place greeted me with a multitude of soaring red kites. 

I love seeing these stunning birds in the UK- large, incredibly beautiful and distinctive. I really hope to have a trip to Gigrin Farm sometime to see them in even more stunning detail there. I quickly got to the location, and began searching. Only to very quickly realise that this would be easier said than done. The forest's undergrowth was extremely dense, and spotting a bird which already is described in a lot of bird guides as 'hard to observe' would not be easy in this location, even considering the relative ease of access to the area. But I was patient, and prepared to wait. 

Time passed, and I saw nothing. Another person arrived to look for it as well. He ended up seeing it first- the pheasant was crammed into the bushes pictured above, very difficult to see in that place. As he went to get me, it had moved to another area, and as we looked for it it came running past us at full steam, spooked by a dog which had appeared on the path. the pheasant became extremely elusive afterwards, and we were unable to find it for a solid 1hr 20 minutes in total today. The other person then left, and I, who had zero luck with it today, continued stubbornly searching, trying to stay as quiet as possible and hoping it was still in the area of these bushes and wasn't scared by the dog all the way to a much larger and more overgrown part of the forest, where I would have no chance of seeing it. As I explored, I eventually saw it in the same bush, and followed it. It then emerged on the other side, and I got the first good look at a stunning bird, with incredibly colourful feathers, and a massive scimitar-shaped tail, at least 90cm long. And it was close. As close as ten meters to me. I tried remaining completely still whilst getting ready to take photos. The pheasant initially hid behind a tree, but then gradually emerged from behind it just as the sun came out, and stepped into a relatively open area, where I could see it and photograph it clearly. As I remained quiet, it slowly went out of the bushes, until it was standing right out in the open

I observed it for a long time, staying completely soundless. Maybe that is why the pheasant gradually got closer out of where it was hiding, ignoring me, and let me take these images. I then carefully left the area, and returned. Another birdwatching trip succesfull. I saw a very hard to see bird this time, and the last one in the UK. When it goes, it goes permanently.