Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix - 15 at a not-very-secret secret location in County Durham on the way home from a family visit to the Lake District in December 2019.
Black Grouse, County Durham, 31st December 2019
Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa - Regularly seen at the meadows and sometimes in next door's garden.
Grey Partridge Perdix perdix - A pair at the meadows in April and August 2019 and on 3 occasions in March 2020; also one calling there in June.
Grey Partridges, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2019
Grey Partridge, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th June 2020
Quail Coturnix coturnix - Probably the best bird I found at the meadows in 2019 was a Quail heard calling overnight while I was looking for moths on 27th July. I heard it once and then again 3-4 times in quick succession. At the time I was unaware that Quails sung in flight on migration so I assumed it was calling from the meadows, but they had been cut recently so they weren't really suitable. In hindsight I wonder if it was actually flying over - I don't think there was too much time between the first call and the second series of calls for this to be possible.
Kalij Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos - Dave Norgate found this extraordinary bird in farmland near Colkirk - easily the bird of the decade...
Kalij Pheasant, near Colkirk, 19th April 2019
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus - Regularly seen at the meadows, at home and elsewhere.
Pheasant, near Buttermere (Cumbria), 6th April 2019
Pheasant, Great Ryburgh, 4th October 2019
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