Grey Partridge at my local patch.

[senatore]

Popped down this morning to my local patch (Marsh Lane in Warwickshire) and was greeted by 3 experienced birders in one of the hides who were very pleased to have spotted a lone female Grey Partridge in the grass/reeds in front of the hide.

I got quite good views but was surprised the other birders were so pleased.Are these birds scarce?

Max.

[senatore]

I can add a pic of the Grey Partridge seen today.

Max

[Touty]

Popped down this morning to my local patch (Marsh Lane in Warwickshire) and was greeted by 3 experienced birders in one of the hides who were very pleased to have spotted a lone female Grey Partridge in the grass/reeds in front of the hide.

I got quite good views but was surprised the other birders were so pleased.Are these birds scarce?

Max.

Afraid so! Unless you live in parts of East Anglia, Lincolnshire, Herts or Hampshire. or the edges of some of the Penine Moors it's getting tricky to find and has declined by c.95% since 1945, perhaps more. Most birders rarely go out onto the sort of land that still holds Grey Partridge, Corn Bunting and Skylark. It's strange that this bird was on her own as she should either be with her mate (with him less than a yard away at all times) or still with what is left of the covey. Perhaps he got predated (the normal fate of post covey pairs in environments without gamekeepers). A solitary partridge is a dead partridge within a few weeks - I always find them a rather pathetic site, looking around forlornly for company. (I've seen wild partridges in exactly the habitat shown in the photo in the Biebrza Marshes in Poland).

[senatore]

Thanks Touty for the info. I can see now why the other birders in the hide were excited.

Max.