Out on a late evening foray with Judy and Molly around the conifer plantations of Corley Moor for cock pheasant primaries last night. Short on an order I had to find at least twenty (and more to keep the listing running sweetly) to make up the deficit but in country full of cocks all I could get were hen. Last time I was here a month ago I bagged up but last night I found a measly three cock primaries to probably a hundred hen - the cock moult is obviously well and truly over. I hope the client will accept hen - the listing didn't specify either hen or cock just 'pheasant' but they are different enough for a problem to arise...
Birmingham in the distance taken from the high ground at Corley Moor
It was a roaring success in other ways though. First item of real interest was a wet and bedraggled small 'buzzard' that I bagged for later. Later, when it had dried out sufficiently and I'd teased it back to shape it turned out to be a tawny owl secondary - the fourth specimen I've found this year of the species and the first secondary, so that was pleasing. Last time out in this neck of the woods I turned up a glorious fresh primary. Owl feathers are such gorgeous things...
Tawny owl primary and secondary wing feathers
Tawny owl close up showing the unmistakable velvet texture of an owl feather
The next surprise was the sight of three guinea fowl escapees running hard for cover as Molly disturbs them, birds who've taken up residence in the six inch stubble of a newly harvested field of oilseed rape - the evidence of which soon came in the form of three of their polka dot flank feathers found underneath a great old oak by the side of the field. None were found anywhere else in the locality that evening so they are a small population indeed.
Guinea fowl body feathers
Then we got hopelessly misrouted and found ourselves in the wrong place only getting back on track an hour later when we'd negotiated some difficult field margins looking for a way out and got ourselves yards from the desired place but separated from it by dense hedges and no gateways, stiles or convenient gaps to pass through. On the way we found loads of the ubiquitous wood pigeon, the more strongly barred tails of which are popular with buyers so I always need them and a single jay primary - they are not exactly common round the Coventry area are these secretive birds. I eventually located a disused gate hidden by high weeds and we pushed through, crossed a field of curious bullocks, crossed a stream and got back on track.
We were now at the find spot of that wonderful owl primary I told you about. There weren't any more on this occasion but a known find spot of any raptor or owl is always worth a second or third careful look around as they all have their regular perches. We turned through into the next field and stumbled onto a pair of fresh buzzard feathers sitting next to each other at the edge of the field (where else?) and what a pair they were. Both pristine and barb perfect. One was a tail, and from a different bird than the tail I found last time here just thirty yards away. The other was that hard to find buzzard and a first for me, the 'finger' primary, one of those distinctive eagle type feathers that stick out like outspread digits on the end of the wing and that the bird uses to control its high soaring flight in the rising thermal air currents.
The evening's total haul of buzzard
Now the light was fading fast and our progress had to be back to the car or end up in the woods in the dark without a headlamp - not a problem for me but Judy would not have liked it overmuch. The walk was uphill and tight along the fringe of a large area of woodland on top of a ridge and passing through four large fields en route. Molly was beside herself with boundless excitement because the whole walk had been punctuated by flushed birds and now in the dusk any movement in the woods had to be investigated by her inbred spaniel curiosity. What surprised me was the quantity of fresh buzzard feathers we found...
A poult had been newly killed and eaten, or died and eaten if you'd prefer. Obviously the work of a buzzard as the entire breast meat and guts had been carefully removed leaving an empty rib cage with intact tail and wings but no head. Nearby I located another buzzard primary. A hundred yards further along was another smaller primary, and a quarter of a mile farther still, a third. Then a primary covert and another tail but one that did not match either of the previously found tails so a third bird in the territory is likely.
The four different tails from four separate individuals. I think the two at left are female, the two at right, male as they are slightly smaller.
And all the wing feathers found in two forays. Just one secondary and none of the minor secondaries or any tertiaries as yet.
Then we finally made our way into the lane where I came across another surprise. Two groups of massive boletus mushrooms sprouting out the side of the bank. I thought they were lurid boletes at the time but couldn't be sure so took one home for investigation. They were bitter boletes, a blue staining fungi that re-whitens some time after cutting. As with virtually all boletes it is perfectly edible but tastes ghastly. Then, I looked up from the last group of mushrooms and sitting there was another buzzard tail, and from yet another bird, so four at least living cheek by jowl in this carrion rich environment.
PS, the client was fine about 'the problem' so no tears, or refunds!
Birmingham in the distance taken from the high ground at Corley Moor
It was a roaring success in other ways though. First item of real interest was a wet and bedraggled small 'buzzard' that I bagged for later. Later, when it had dried out sufficiently and I'd teased it back to shape it turned out to be a tawny owl secondary - the fourth specimen I've found this year of the species and the first secondary, so that was pleasing. Last time out in this neck of the woods I turned up a glorious fresh primary. Owl feathers are such gorgeous things...
Tawny owl primary and secondary wing feathers
Tawny owl close up showing the unmistakable velvet texture of an owl feather
The next surprise was the sight of three guinea fowl escapees running hard for cover as Molly disturbs them, birds who've taken up residence in the six inch stubble of a newly harvested field of oilseed rape - the evidence of which soon came in the form of three of their polka dot flank feathers found underneath a great old oak by the side of the field. None were found anywhere else in the locality that evening so they are a small population indeed.
Guinea fowl body feathers
Then we got hopelessly misrouted and found ourselves in the wrong place only getting back on track an hour later when we'd negotiated some difficult field margins looking for a way out and got ourselves yards from the desired place but separated from it by dense hedges and no gateways, stiles or convenient gaps to pass through. On the way we found loads of the ubiquitous wood pigeon, the more strongly barred tails of which are popular with buyers so I always need them and a single jay primary - they are not exactly common round the Coventry area are these secretive birds. I eventually located a disused gate hidden by high weeds and we pushed through, crossed a field of curious bullocks, crossed a stream and got back on track.
We were now at the find spot of that wonderful owl primary I told you about. There weren't any more on this occasion but a known find spot of any raptor or owl is always worth a second or third careful look around as they all have their regular perches. We turned through into the next field and stumbled onto a pair of fresh buzzard feathers sitting next to each other at the edge of the field (where else?) and what a pair they were. Both pristine and barb perfect. One was a tail, and from a different bird than the tail I found last time here just thirty yards away. The other was that hard to find buzzard and a first for me, the 'finger' primary, one of those distinctive eagle type feathers that stick out like outspread digits on the end of the wing and that the bird uses to control its high soaring flight in the rising thermal air currents.
The evening's total haul of buzzard
Now the light was fading fast and our progress had to be back to the car or end up in the woods in the dark without a headlamp - not a problem for me but Judy would not have liked it overmuch. The walk was uphill and tight along the fringe of a large area of woodland on top of a ridge and passing through four large fields en route. Molly was beside herself with boundless excitement because the whole walk had been punctuated by flushed birds and now in the dusk any movement in the woods had to be investigated by her inbred spaniel curiosity. What surprised me was the quantity of fresh buzzard feathers we found...
A poult had been newly killed and eaten, or died and eaten if you'd prefer. Obviously the work of a buzzard as the entire breast meat and guts had been carefully removed leaving an empty rib cage with intact tail and wings but no head. Nearby I located another buzzard primary. A hundred yards further along was another smaller primary, and a quarter of a mile farther still, a third. Then a primary covert and another tail but one that did not match either of the previously found tails so a third bird in the territory is likely.
The four different tails from four separate individuals. I think the two at left are female, the two at right, male as they are slightly smaller.
And all the wing feathers found in two forays. Just one secondary and none of the minor secondaries or any tertiaries as yet.
Then we finally made our way into the lane where I came across another surprise. Two groups of massive boletus mushrooms sprouting out the side of the bank. I thought they were lurid boletes at the time but couldn't be sure so took one home for investigation. They were bitter boletes, a blue staining fungi that re-whitens some time after cutting. As with virtually all boletes it is perfectly edible but tastes ghastly. Then, I looked up from the last group of mushrooms and sitting there was another buzzard tail, and from yet another bird, so four at least living cheek by jowl in this carrion rich environment.
PS, the client was fine about 'the problem' so no tears, or refunds!
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