We used to have two red legged partridges in this bit of the village an obvious pair running and scuttling about calling early in the morning as they roamed the roofs and lawns, then four or more months ago the female didn't turn up any more I assume caught and killed by a fox or a cat perhaps.
Since then the male still turns up in the garden every few days for grain from the bird food I put out but always wary. The house is about 200 metres from the nearest farmland and sure enough there are red legs on view there now and then, quite a good covey this autumn and winter in fact. Driving past I have often wondered if one of the birds will hear the lone male calling and come for a look.
Then today I have been tinkering about in the back garden starting on a wood shelter to keep wood dry for the new stove. Its been dull and breezy with a fair bit of a breeze blowing and from the sounds of things some shooting on a couple of sides of the village.
I saw the lone male red leg in the back garden this morning and heard him call early in the afternoon quite close by and thought nothing of it.
It was getting dark when I packed up my tools and sorted out the bits of left over wood from my efforts on the start of the shelter. I put the tools away, the light was falling away so fast I had put a head torch on to help me.
I turned to walk back in to the house and the light from the head torch lit up part of the roof, there was a running and a scuttling and shapes moving and flying away, at least nine red legged partridge as I could see flying further into the village, whether or not the lone male was there I don't know but the possibilities are endless and this isn't a partridge tale, lets see what tomorrow and tomorrows to come bring.
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