Saturday 15 July – Marshfield

About a dozen people met on a rather overcast and windy evening, not ideal for finding Quail and in fact we didn’t hear any of them although several were reported singing around Marshfield on that date. However, there was compensation in the form of two Little Owls sitting out on a rooftop, and good views of Red-legged Partridge, Yellowhammer and quite a lot of Corn Buntings which were sitting on the wires or hovering over the barley before dropping out of sight into it. Other observations included two Buzzards and a Kestrel, a scattering of the large gulls drifting about over the fields, a few Swifts and plenty of Swallows, a Skylark or two (not singing any longer), lots of young Starlings flocking in their teenage gangs and some Linnets. Keep trying, those Quail are out there somewhere though more likely to call on a calm and sunny evening. Jane Cumming