We had a change of scenery recently and took a trip out of county to Bedfordshire where we had some great views of Grey Partridges (Perdix perdix.) We haven’t seen any Grey Partridges around the Brickhills and would love to know if anyone else has. They are a ground-nesting farmland bird that have seriously declined by over 90% in the last 50 years in the UK and since 2015, they have become a Red Listed species (Birds of Conservation Concern 5*) due to farming intensification, disturbance and habitat loss.

 We do have Eurasian Skylarks (Alauda arvensis), another ground-nesting farmland bird which is Red Listed for the same reasons. They are beginning to sing above the fields up from Cuff Lane and I managed to photograph one on the ground recently. It’s not a great photo because I didn’t want to disturb the bird in any way and kept my distance. They are definitely preparing to nest in these fields again. I so hope they are successful.

Skylarks are one of my favourite birds because of their high-pitched melodic warbling song. This beautiful sound always transports me back to my childhood when they were common and going on long summer walks around Chartridge and the Lee with my dog. I would amble for hours exploring the countryside around this area and would regularly return home with fossils in my pocket and a feather in my hand, something I still love to do to this day.

Julie Cuthbert
March 2025

*See https://www.bto.org/our-science/publications/birds-conservation-concern