Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Partridges (but no pear tree)

KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
in Wildlife gardening
We are in North London, and spotted some unusual birds in our garden last week, which looked like some kind of fowl.  We've seen them several times now, including this morning, and after some searching, we realise they are Partridges.  Have never heard of them being found in urban environments.  Is this unusual?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited March 2018
    Partridges!!! In North London!!!! Really???

    Are they Grey partridges or French partridges?

    Or could they possibly be someone's escaped quail?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    French Partridge, I think, but don't look like Quail.  Managed to get some decent video, but the only photo I got isn't that great.  What do you think?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Yep ... a French partridge ... probably looking for (or has even found) a secluded nesting site in your garden!  How lovely ....... do you have farmland close by?  When the chicks are hatched they'll be looking to take them somewhere with lots of insects and grubs to feed .......... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Lots of info here http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-red-legged-partridge.html 

     :) 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    Hi KoG, I had one visit last May.  I'm in a small town 3m from leicester and just 50m from the A6!  I asked on here and Pansyface's reply was "Any pear trees?" :D




    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I am in London N8 and we have seen on the streets pheasant, quail, sparrowhawk, muntjac deer...  And wallabies in Highgate cemetery. And a fair helping of badgers.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    We’re in EN2, so about one mile from green belt countryside.  Would be lovely to see babies, but we have a very healthy local cat population 🙁
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    We've had a pheasant patrolling the ground under our bird feeders since the snow came.  He's a gorgeous bird - but pretty gormless, so I hope he's too big for the local cats to chase.  We're on the edge of a town next to woodland.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Jules41Jules41 Posts: 178
    Ah, how lovely!  I have several that visit my garden. They love pecking at bird seed put onto the ground. They are so cute waddling around, you're really lucky.
Sign In or Register to comment.