Field life

Red-legged partridges have all sorts of striking features - stripes, red eyes and a creamy face - but someone chose to name them for their legs! The common partridge - not very common in Britain at all now - is also known as the grey partridge. That's a bit sad as they are very handsome with subtle colours. A pair of lapwings dive bombs a female pheasant, literally whacking them. The pheasants are no threat, but the lapwings are very defensive of their chicks nearby. Farmland like this can and does support wildlife.