SHERBORNE FARM
An alert came out last night on my local WhatsApp group of a sighting of over 30 Grey Partridges in a field just outside Sherborne.
So it would have been rude not to go and investigate this report, after all, Grey Partridges are not easy to come across in these parts. I arrived at the desingated field at 8:30am, it was sunny but a very cold breeze greeted me. From a public footpath I had good views of a crop-field which had a nice 3 meter set-aside margin all around it.
I scanned the field and saw nothing!! Then a dog walker set off along the footpath that runs parallel to one hedge of the field and out came 20-30 Pheasants. I then noticed a dozen or so of Red-legged Partridges and it soon dawned on me that I was looking at a Game release, these birds were here to be be shot!
female Pheasant
As the sun came up the number of birds on view increased. At first I spotted two Grey Partridges, they were sunning themselves in the grassy bank along the hedge. Then more appeared, eventually over 30 birds came into view, they even flew towards me, a sure sign of tame, reared birds! Nevertheless, they were Grey Partridges and were in good health (at the moment) and a pleasure to watch.
Grey Partridges
My count for the Game birds was: Gery Partridge 35, Red-legged Partridges 23, Common Pheasant 30+. I wondered how long they will last! It would be great if some of the Grey Partrdiges survived the 'shoot' and stuck around to breed.
more Grey P's
a 'whirl of Partridges' as they flew towards me
A pair of Ravens flew over, cronking, a Buzzard mewed over the hillside and a small mixed flock of thrushes flew into some distant trees, I heard the chattering call of the Fieldfare but never actually saw one, it would have been my first for the winter.
An hour later after having my fill of the Partridges I set off back for the 3 mile drive back home.