This female ring-necked pheasant looks wary as she steps out across the snow in the last hour before sunset.

The snow was five to six inches deep when Cris Hamilton, Bobby Greene and Don Weiss found this and another female pheasant at the Volant Strips on January 5.

The pheasants weren’t bothered by the birders but they were certainly watching for predators.

And this bird was watching her step.  Despite her light weight she occasionally punched through the snow.

Whoops!

(photo by Cris Hamilton)