Hardly a rare bird on the Colorado plains but one that has eluded me. I certainly have seen many but getting a quality capture has proven difficult as they are notoriously shy and seem to be able to disappear in brush in an instant.

On Saturday I see this beautiful specimen standing tall and proud on top of a round hay bale and instantly I think, “Finally!” Well, those thoughts didn’t last long as this guy saw me coming and took cover immediately. He stuck his head up for the briefest moment giving me this one shot.

While not what I was hoping for, it does make for a fun capture.

This handsome guy was sitting in the snow but quickly started to dart into the bushes once he saw me. I only managed a couple of images before it disappeared.

These pheasants are found across much of the northern half of the United States. However, they are actually a non-native species having been brought from Asia to the U.S. in the 1880s. Now common, they are a very popular game bird.