Two red-legged partridge near Stancombe farmshop

After stocking up with vegetables, eggs and some lovely little bulbs in pots (including miniature irises, various coloured tulips and hyacinths) at the farmshop, I wandered down the nearby lane towards Steanbridge farm. I got out to look across to the west over the various valleys and nearly froze in the biting east wind. The sky was bright but as there was little wildlife to see I thought I’d turn around and go home.

As I neared the farmshop on Stancombe Beech farmshop on Stancombe Lane I spotted some birds in the stubble of the field next to the lane. I couldn’t stop in the narrow track so reversed about a hundred and fifty yards to a field entrance where I knew it was safe to leave the car. I walked back slowly and saw some small birds’ heads in the stubble which sometimes hopped into the air to fly a few yards on to new feeding ground. They were far away and hard to differentiate, but were possibly ramblings of linnets.

The birds I’d first seen attracted me as I thought they were probably partridge. Knowing they are quite shy and likely to be scared I took some distant shots, but as soon as I then walked gingerly closer, they took off, not in flight but in frantic running. There were about eight of them and they all scattered. I managed to get this view when a couple of them turned sideways as they got close to the mani road. I think they were red-legged partridge rather than grey partridge having looked at a bird identification book. Previously I’ve only ever come across them by accident and they’ve always run away so this was a sight worth recording.