The Secret Life of the Compost Heap XX
A video of our Red-legged Partridges. When we first saw the partridges there were 7 chicks. Every day we checked and counted the chicks, she managed to hang on to seven for several days. We were concerned the Crows, Magpies and Kestrels would feed on the chicks. The partridges were in our garden every day, though for only part of the day. They would be missing for long periods and then suddenly show up.
After a few days, the number of chicks started to decrease, first to 4 chicks. Then a few days later there were only 2 and finally, a couple of days later, all the chicks were missing. We thought maybe they had been predated by the Crows or Magpies. Interestingly our neighbour across the road also had a Red-legged partridge which also lost its chicks over the same days. It does seem this dim bird was taking the chicks across the A41 where the traffic is high with large numbers of trucks feeding the building spree going on in Aylesbury Vale. I am sure Darwin would have some comments about the survival of Ref-legged Partridges
A video of the partridges in better times as they walked about our garden.