Dick Smith Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 This ran across our garden, through next door's and then across the field, never attempted to fly, was making a sort of 'caw' call. Could it be a quail?[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f338/dick_at_aulton/Bird.jpg[/IMG]So wossis, Chris? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 No idea, give me a few clues like size, is it as small as it seems against what appears to be a tuft of grass? Do you have a better idea of the colour than the photo shows? Was this in Normandy?It looks like a goose!!Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted April 18, 2006 Author Share Posted April 18, 2006 Size of a Wood Pigeon or slightly larger, dun-coloured, moving dead fast, last seen in Normandy, could be in Switzerland by now the speed it was going! Stretched its neck out as it ran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkhunter Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Possibly a game bird, pheasant or partridge? Do they have corncrake in France?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Yes Hugh, there are Corncrake in France and there are a small number in Normandy but I think the necks to long. Anyway, Dick, Corncrake make the same sound as their Latin name, Crex crex, crex crex.Could that have been it?Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted April 18, 2006 Author Share Posted April 18, 2006 Crex, yes I thought of that, but I've heard Corncrakes and the sound they make is rougher. This may have been saying 'caille'. I'll try to get a better photo next time (now, where's that Nikon catalogue - Julie! - Chris says I have to buy a new lens!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 One problem, and it may not be the case in this instance, is that there have been so many game birds introduced in France, many of which interbreed and throw up strange combinations, that it can make identification troublesome. A few weeks ago I was with the LPO on a weekend trip and I saw a group of four game birds, dark brown almost black, smaller than pheasants with short tails. When I asked a couple of "experts" that were with us what they were, all I got was an amused look and "faisan inconnu". This apparently is this "breeds" official name in French.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Dick. Its the nearest thing to a female Little Bustard i have seen all day,the sound it makes is a dry snort and prrt ,when disturbed makes a staccato chuckle noise and stalks off like a pheasant.The male has a heavy black band around its neck Quails.partridges etc have short necks and they would not hang about for you to photograph them..Mind you i could be wrong.Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Interesting that Michael, it was my first thought, but I just thought No, can't be and discounted it. I don't even know if there are any in Normandy, if there are it's not many!! As I am sure you know we have about half the French population of LB's here in P-C and are just about managing to keep the population stable.I was hoping you were going to come to the rescue on this one!!Cheers, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayB Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Could it have been this?www.oiseau-libre.net/Oiseaux/Especes/PouleDeau.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 LOL Ray, you're not using Deimos' computer are you?[:D]Hope you're well.Edit: It's a cut and paste link! sorry Ray. I don't think I've ever seen such a long address[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 That could well be the chap. It certainly had an dumb-even-for-a-bird look about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggimeggi Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I think I've seen those before, near La Roche Chalais, in the Dordogne close to where we used to live and where we used to walk the dogs. They were a bit bigger than a pigeon, more slender and with really long legs and a long neck, rather elegant looking. They ran like minature ostriches, fast and very purposeful. No idea what they were but we saw them several times last year around this time and a bit later. I have seen several kinds of water hen but they were all more heavily built than the birds I saw and anyway, the place I saw them was 2 or 3 km from any water. Afraid I have not heard them call.Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted April 20, 2006 Author Share Posted April 20, 2006 A Partridge! That's the chap. Definitely. The picture in our book is a different colour, but I guess that might be seasonal plumage changes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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