Grey Partridges

The flock of partridges in the field this morning had orange heads.  Andy spotted it at first glance.  We usually have eight Red Legged Partridges but these were Grey.  They were a fair distance away and only really noticeable when they moved but we counted a group of eight and another group of six.  A new species for the field list.

The resident Pheasants didn't seem pleased with the new arrivals, nor did the Magpies.  They flew closer and eventually the flock took refuge in the hedge but they stayed around.  Hope they stay all winter.  They are on the RED conservation list so it would be nice to think we can help them through the cold weather.

These are not the only new species I have seen over the last few weeks .... we have been visiting Cornwall and the Scillies.

We stayed on St Agnes at Lower Farm.  This was my fourth holiday there .... friends lived there so we were luck enough to spend a couple of Christmas/New Year breaks on Agnes when the kids were younger.  Fancy dress is the norm in the Turk's Head pub at New Year so I have lovely memories of my lads dressed as the Blues Brothers one year and decked out in blankets as Peruvian Pipe Players the next.  The bar was packed out with men tied together with red ribbon on one of the nights: a couple were dressed as Black Friars; another as James Bond etc as they had come as a group representing the London Underground!

Birding was the first priority but I got the chance to visit Carreg Dhu Gardens on St Marys and the Abbey Gardens on Tresco.

The Shell House is gorgeous!  How long did it take them to collect all those shells and glue them in place? However long it was worth it!

I saw the Golden Pheasant and the Red Squirrels ... not sure about them introducing the latter as there is no natural food source for them.  They have to be fed by humans all year round so they may have a safe environment but they can never live naturally. 

There were plants EVERYWHERE!  Even the walls were beautiful!  Obviously I came home with a few Agapanthus bulbs and a couple of succulents ... well it seemed rude not to!