Baldock Quail Chances? (1 Viewer)

[davercox]

Now that is a really good twitch Andrew: twenty hours, all on public transport, got the bird at the very last minute. (I've got to say, I've never seen one in fifty years, heard plenty but that's all. Jealous, moi ?).

 

[Jos Stratford]

The Baldrick omen, good stuff Andrew

 

[Geoff Pain]

Well done Andrew.

 

[gooner george]

Karl

I met you on Saturday morning to see the quail. did you go back Sunday night and if so any success?

Regards
George

 

[Bucko1983]

Karl

I met you on Saturday morning to see the quail. did you go back Sunday night and if so any success?

Regards
George

hello, no i didn't go back in the end i couldn't be arsed but i am contemplating going this week in the evening. if i see or even hear one i will put it up on here

cheers
karl

 

[gooner george]

hello, no i didn't go back in the end i couldn't be arsed but i am contemplating going this week in the evening. if i see or even hear one i will put it up on here

cheers
karl

Thanks, if I don't make it tonight it will have to be Thursday night for me. Not sure I can take another Saturday morning disappointment. However given Andrew's all day effort may be I should be trying harder!

George

 

[Carlos Davies]

Hi.

I was there on Sunday (28th June) between 4pm and 7pm. There was one bird singing in the field just North of the road. It was very close to the road and about 50m East of the gate ("viewing area"). I didn't hear any other Quails, and none showed on the farm track beyond the gate.

A word of warning: amongst the fairly large numbers of Corn Buntings is one without tail feathers. This flew up from near to where the Quail was singing, crossed the road, and flew low across the top of the crop. I've never seen Quail before and it looked remarkably like the field guide illustrations of Quails in flight. I only realised it's true identity because, instead of dropping into the crop, it shot upwards and perched on a wire.

 

[Clive Watson]

I was there at about 7pm on Monday and heard one Quail twice, but no sightings. I also saw the tailless Corn Bunting, what a great site for that species!

 

[Mike Richardson]

I've had a couple of goes at seeing the Quail without success. On Sunday I heard at least 3 birds singing, although none seemed to be singing near to the track.

As mentioned above, Corn Buntings are common at the site. I have also seen 3 Fallow Deer (including a white doe), a Fox and a Weasel.

I'm back in the South at the weekend, although I don't think I'll spend much time looking for Quails unless they start to appear on the track again.

 

[Andrew]

The Quail in flight was a stretched rugby ball shaped bird with long pointed wings in rapid flight with no white markings.

Agreed, plenty of Corn Buntings on site but this wasn't one.

But you have planted cruel seeds of doubt in my head now! :-C

 

[Andrew]

Would a tail free Corn Bunting fly fast, straight and true a metre or so above the crop?

Or would it be a bouncy flight?

 

[StuartReeves]

Andrew, your description sounds good to me. Try this one for size.

Cheers,

Stuart

 

[Andrew]

Hi Stuart,

Mine was a lot more distant thus I can not use that image to confirm nor deny. In fact, seeing such good detail on that image however rare it is to do so make it more troubling for me. I am still convinced I saw a Quail though but it is not sitting comfortably after the suggestive posts by Carlos and Clive.

Cheers,
Andrew.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Whilst this does not 100% discount other birds, your description "in flight straight across the top of the barley for at least 200 yards before banking sharp and dropping into the crop" is spot on for a Quail.

To be honest, I would be surprised if you were observing a bird for such distance that you would have made a mistake - a Corn Bunting, with or without a tail, is not a Quail

The bird you saw was a Quail Andrew

 

[Andrew]

Cheers Jos.

Overnight, I have thought on it more and have dispelled all the evil doubts. What I saw was in no way a tail less Corn Bunting and a definite Quail. It stays on my list.

Thanks for bringing up the presence of the tail less Corn Bunting though. It is best for people to know about it.

 

[Carlos Davies]

The Quail in flight was a stretched rugby ball shaped bird with long pointed wings in rapid flight with no white markings.

Agreed, plenty of Corn Buntings on site but this wasn't one.

But you have planted cruel seeds of doubt in my head now! :-C

Hi Andrew

Sorry to plant seeds of doubt in your mind. That wasn't my intention. More a note of caution to anyone else going to look. The tail-less bunting got me excited for a split second but was obviously a bunting once I got the bins on it in flight. I don't doubt that what you saw was a Quail.

(And, of course, I'm not jealous at all ).

 

[MarkHows]

Whilst this does not 100% discount other birds, your description "in flight straight across the top of the barley for at least 200 yards before banking sharp and dropping into the crop" is spot on for a Quail.

To be honest, I would be surprised if you were observing a bird for such distance that you would have made a mistake - a Corn Bunting, with or without a tail, is not a Quail

The bird you saw was a Quail Andrew

The grey partridges there do exactly the same and a few people have ticked a distant one as quail so beware. I was there on Tuesday evening, had one on the track briefly and 3 in flight, quail that is plus a couple of grey partridges, and the tailess corn bunting is still present.

Mark

 

[Clive Watson]

Corn Bunting has a rather weak flight with legs dangling. I wouldn't have thought it'd look much like a Quail in flight. Your description sounds more like a Quail to me, though either of the partridges would have to be ruled out. When I saw the tailless Corn Bunting it was singing from a wire so I can't really say how 'quail-like' it would look.

 

[Carlos Davies]

Corn Bunting has a rather weak flight with legs dangling. I wouldn't have thought it'd look much like a Quail in flight. Your description sounds more like a Quail to me, though either of the partridges would have to be ruled out. When I saw the tailless Corn Bunting it was singing from a wire so I can't really say how 'quail-like' it would look.

Hi Clive

The Corn Bunting first caught my attention because it flew from the area where the Quail had been singing (then crossed the road and flew low over the crop to the area in front of the gate, where it ascended to the wire). That, and it's shortend rear end immediately made me think 'Quail' until I got my bins on it in flight and realised it was a Bunting (confirmed by seeing it perched on the wire).

As I said before, I've never seen a Quail so I also can't really say how Quail-like the Bunting looked. Having seen the photo linked by Stuart I can say that the Bunting's wings didn't appear anywhere near as long and narrow as that. I'm sure it was just my inexperience with Quails (and a large dose of wishful thinking) that made me initially think the Bunting looked like one.

 

[Bucko1983]

Thanks, if I don't make it tonight it will have to be Thursday night for me. Not sure I can take another Saturday morning disappointment. However given Andrew's all day effort may be I should be trying harder!

George

hello,

i went back last night, got there about 6ish and there were at least two singing intermittantly them at about 7.30 one just wandered out about 25 yards down the track and nonchelantly walked across from left to right and into the field on the right myself and four other lucky watchers got about 20 seconds of fantastic views before it disappeared as quicly as it arrived,

also saw the famed tailess corn \Bunting and 3 grey partridge

cheers karl