A Quail was found early Wednesday morning, this week, from the public footpath near to Pink Bay pond, by DCB. The bird was calling from a hay field fairly regularly until about 08:45 when the farmer started to cut the field for hay! Although the bird was searched for in-between, it was not heard again until 11:30 by AMe at which time the cutting activities were putting the Quail to flight. AMe saw the bird flying on 2 occasions, the second time saw the bird fly into an adjacent "rested" grazing field with significant areas of low bracken. The bird remained in this field, and was heard infrequently until 18:00 when it was reported last, by RJ.
This Quail was a fairly popular bird judging by the number of birders who travelled to see/hear it; pleasing county (life), life and patch listers alike. At just over halfway through the year it would appear that our recording area is on for a good year for scarce or rarer birds. The sort year that the county year list might be broken, if anyone was going for it? I'm not of course and this Quail became my rather unflattering 300th bird for the UK and 248 on my Glamorgan list. These figures will never trouble the really serious county listers who will be absolutely miles ahead, or indeed interest those who see listing as pointless. I find it does offer a good means of self motivation to get out and record, and any ensuing friendly rivalry can't do any harm either.
Recently, I was reliably informed (not naming any names - NPR), at only halfway through the year that 1st July marks the start of autumn (in migration terms) and judging by the increasing numbers of passage seabirds and waders being reported recently I'm happy to go along with that. Certainly I'll be hoping, as I'm sure we all are, that the second half will be as good, if not better, than the first...
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