T&E 2 Pheasants 1

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 22 April 2007 19:13:07

I forgot to tell you all about my journey home on Wednesday afternoon.

I was driving along the B4077 from Stow to Tewkesbury, my favourite part of the week as the road is twisty and turny with opportunities to put your foot down and cruise. I was approaching the village of Ford, which requires you to slow down to 30 mph to pass through and to take a tight left hand turn.

As usual I was beginning to throttle back as I headed into the village and had a few cars close behind. Suddenly I saw a pheasant break cover and begin running over the road. I knew that whatever happened this bird was toast. The cars behind would have rear-ended me if I'd braked suddenly and there was oncoming traffic that meant I couldn't swerve to avoid it. I therefore had no option other than to put my foot down and hit this bird with my offside wheel as hard as I could.

I do not believe in killing animals for no reason but if you have to sacrifice one then you do it as humanely as possible. As regular readers will know this is not the first occasion that Magda and I have encountered a suicidal pheasant. We now have a hit on each side of the car.

Later I was coming to the end of this section of road and getting ready to join the A46 near Ashchurch. Ahead of me is a Megane that suddenly swerves across the road. I see a small pheasant this time trying to cross over. This time I thought, "Not again, please!" As I thought this the pheasant ran out, sensed danger, and retreated very quickly, much to my great relief.

I think that its time that this government began to take an interest in rural and motoring affairs. Why are pheasants not educated about the dangers on country roads? Is there not a Green Cross Pheasant to teach them how to cross safely?

They should know that cars move faster than they do. Its not always possible to stop or swerve.