4 in fields off Nook Lane, Astley tonight,probably survivors of earlier releases.As Ian said,they don't seem to do very well,I remember talking to a mate of mine who helps out on the shoot down on the moss.He said a few years ago they put down 500 birds,and only shot 2 of them,the rest just "disappeared" off the face of the earth !! Their propensity for running away from danger instead of flying probably accounts for a lot of their predation,as it must be a lot easier for a fox or buzzard to catch one.
I had four on farmland from the canal past Altrincham (towards Dunham Massey) a few months ago so they're still around - wondering if Buzzard/Sparrowhawk would make use of them?
Not seen any Partridge species at all there this year Jason (as you know Grey used to be present there as well).
I certainly used to see Red-legged Partridges there fairly often and occasionally the Greys too.
There must be a genuine and valid reason but to what that is exactly, who knows? there has however of course been a lot of ongoing work at the site for the Airport expansion which could possibly have moved these birds onto pastures new perhaps?
Mortality of Red-legged Partridge is high it seems Jason, certainly talking to those gamekeepers who put most of them down for shooting. On the mosses they've released many hundreds over the years and few are ever seen again, let alone shot; they just don't seem to do well. It seems that they therefore might not be being released in the numbers they used to be and any previous self-sustaining populations (which may well have been barely so?) have not faired well (due to the cold winters?).
Either way, the situation at Sunbank is the same on the mosses too.
Where are they? The fields around Sunbank Lane used to be a usual haunt for these birds but none seen for quite some time. Not seen any reports on the forum unless I have missed them. Anybody else noticed this?
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