Moving the boat further downstream, we moored up at Langley Dyke, a small tranquil offshoot from the vast river Yare, I walked towards the village, a walk I had taken the previous year around September, I wanted to look around a small lake I had discovered at Langley Abbey in the hope of photographing some Mallard chicks.. I was surprised to see a temporary car park opposite the entrance to the Abbey apparently the doors were open to the public for the first time, I reassoned as I was already there I may as well have a snoop around. Although I was interested in the history of the Abbey, I was more interested in the surroundings and found myself walking around the grounds, I spotted a partridge in the distance and walked towards it, it was a Red-Leg, an introduced species from Europe.
Red-Legged Partridge.
They mainly breed in France and Spain but are very widespread here now. It became quite disturbed at my presence and I wondered why, I only wanted to take its picture. I sat down and kept a low profile when suddenly the partridge made a run for it to my left, with a speed that Usain Bolt would have struggled to achieve, it covered around 50 metres in next to no time, when suddenly around twenty chicks appeared out of nowhere.
I stood to get a better view, and in doing so they all disappeared instantly as the Mother dashed off again. They were there I just could not see them. I waited for what seemed an age when one by one they reappeared, the Mother joined them and they all trotted off together.
Looking around I noticed I had wondered into a private area, I reckoned I should beat a retreat. My fear is they may all not make it to adult hood, I guess one or two at least will become a meal for a Crow or Heron, but I hope not.
