[obol] Me vs. the Ring Necked Pheasant

[Trask Colby]

Last weekend at Malheur I drove south towards Fields in hopes of checking
the cliffs for White-Throated Swifts and whatever other migrants may show
up.

I was admiring a brilliantly colored Yellow-Rumped in the tree, when i heard
a loud "bweumph" on the road behind me. I looked over and saw a Ring Necked
Pheasant. ABOUT TIME, I thought, having not seen one all trip, so I took a
good look in the binocs, and went back to admiring the warbler. I looked
over again at the Pheasant and saw it moving slowly toward me, I continued
to watch as it got within feet. I held perfectly still, so that it wouldn't
get scared. It walked behind me, and I followed it... it came closer to
me... and PECKED at me! I quickly jumped out of the way before he could hit
me, until the pheasant tried again, and got me!

I picked up a nearby stick and started swatting at it, it dodged and moved
closer, trying to peck at me. I hit the pheasant so hard, that the stick
broke, I picked up a new MUCH bigger stick and continue to fight back, but
to no avail! I started kicking rocks at it from the side of the road, all
while slowly moving back towards my car. It was unfazed, i started throwing
rocks at it from 2 ft away, and it still pursued.

I ran back to my car, got inside, and thought I was safe. I was wrong. The
pheasant jumped on top of my car! I rolled up my window quickly, fearful
that it would hop inside the car and fight me in very close quarters. I
could hear its talons scratching the roof of the car. I started the car,
still heard it scratching, i put it in drive and started to move... still
there. I got on the road, picked up speed, 15...20... with it still on the
car, though losing grip. It falls off the car at 25 miles an hour into the
road behind me. I look at in the rear view mirror... Its chasing me, running
down the road, i get to 35 miles an hour, it starts flying behind me, it
wasn't until I got to 55 Miles an hour that it stopped following me, and
landed on the side of the road.

Quite an experience, and a fearful one at that. Though I got uproarious
laughter at all of my re-tellings in the Page Springs campground afterward.
However, nobody could fathom why the bird had such an attraction toward me,
any thoughts?
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