Grey Partridge

[davelumb]

Purely by chance I happened upon a small covey of courting grey partridge chasing up and down the tramlines. Proper British partridges, not them red legged Frenchies!

(Technical note for Mick - had to crop quite a bit. )

[Happy Hayes]

Lovely photos Dave
Beautiful looking birds
Regards
Tom

[The Fatchap]

And so tasty!

[Mike J]

Dave you probably know they are very rare birds these days.

Superb images of true Englishmen, much appreciated

Copied two images for posterity, hope you dont mind?

[davelumb]

Dave you probably know they are very rare birds these days.

Superb images of true Englishmen, much appreciated

Copied two images for posterity, hope you dont mind?

That's OK Mike.

I wish I'd had more suitable equipment and got into a better position. I kept myself as hidden as I could but as I didn't expect them to come towards me wasn't as low as I could have been.

The side on view was when they spotted me, before...

_7500836.jpg

Strangely enough, on my way home I saw another pair elsewhere.

They are far from numerous round here (far more immigrants raised by shoots), but apparently fairly widespread. I saw a covey this winter less than a quarter mile from home too.

[kenny sloan]

Great photo's , never seen one before rare enough .

[The Fatchap]

As you say Dave, very rare these days. I remember back in my youth they were more plentiful, but still difficult to spot.
Many times when walking through fields looking for fishing spots they would suddenly fly up from your feet and acare the crap out of you. lol

[Freako]

A proper Partridge, nice pics Dave.
On the RSPB Red list now, sadly like a good few more of our British birds.

[Mike J]

Cheers Dave.
By sucking and flicking your tongue pressed against the top of your mouth you can immitate their call, they sometimes be drawn quite close, I learnt to do it when trying to shoot them with an air rifle before my first shotgun. If you try it in the pairs territory they may give you even better pics.

In the '70's the Spanish Rock Partridges were first introduced and the males started to break up the English pairs and mate with the hens, the resultant eggs being infertile, so everyone went all out and eliminated the Spaniards.
Its really sad that the true English Partridge has slowly declined despite the best efforts of the Game Conservancy and IMI and inumberable landowners and keepers.

Very good eating they certainly were, I shot my first and only right&left when I was 19, and have never fired a shot at an Englishman from that day to this.