Two unusual visitors to the garden this morning. It happens from time to time. A couple of years ago we had a moorhen pecking at the patio doors. The two today were less cooperative, rooting around in the far borders. Game bird shaped, brown, smaller than a pheasant or a grouse. I thought maybe a quail, but the eye stripe seemed to have some red in it.
I took photo, blew it up blurry, then fired up the Merlin bird ID app. From the image it was right back at me – red-legged partridge. What red lags? Must have been up to their knees in the yet to be cut grass. So, two red-legged partridges, or is it a brace?
Or do you have to shoot them first to use that moniker.
[Authentic selfie - 12 March 2026]
