Inquisitive QUAILS

COMMON QUAILS have been present in the village of Orwell, SW Cambridgeshire, since the end of May, with at least 3 calling birds present in the cereal crops there. For me, no summer is complete without the far-carrying sound of the Quail, so being so close, I have spent some quality time with them of late. On several occasions, I have been very lucky, with calling birds coming out of the crops inquisitively. One visit was particularly productive when a calling male Grey Partridge entered the territory and sparked off competition. In an average year, Quails arrive in Iberia and breed but as the temperatures in June get much hotter, many disperse northwards and arrive in Britain perhaps to try for second broods. With numbers in the UK being so scarce in recent years, this July has been my first opportunity to get some decent images of this generally skulking species........