Thread: What is this?

i went out sunday,in the main to hunt an area i've enjoyed over 3 decades.i knew it was about to be redeveloped and by next year it would be in italian ryegrass and cows.nothing really prepared me for the scene.anyway i hunted from 9.30 until 3.15pm.all my covey spots,no bird contact.it was like a war zone all the locals had packed up and left.i got the trusty caller out and put out a tune and finally i was answered back.first quail i had heard all day.one has to be patient. soon i had that bird from 250 metres away,fluttering and hopping over the scrub until he was about 15 metres from me.a few of his crew were along to but they stayed back a mite further.anyway i kept myself amused by rarking up the cock bird with calls for another 5 min.but he would not reveal himself,so i sent the dog in through some eyewatering blackberry and he flushed,but on the other side of the tree and low.later that day i did the same to another bird,this time he was clearly visible,but he would not budge,so i walked on leaving the little bugger there.i swung back to the car thinking this was the most unproductive day i had ever had in the area,in terms of bird contact,i had 2 rabbits,a hare and a paradise duck to show.i couldn't end the season without a quail.i headed away to another spot,unsheathed the gun and noted the time was 4.15pm.within 10 min. we were onto the resident covey,the dog was pointing and i could see the birds running around on the scrubby face of a terrace,but not flushing,this was very unusual i was thinking,(but more on that later)i sent the dog up and caught up with a couple of birds and missed on two others.one had dropped into some shitty cover at the top.so i had to backtrack to find my way up.a bird broke just before i reached the spot and i clapped him for an easy retrieve.i spent about ten minutes looking for the bird,but neither i or the dog could find a trace.on the way back down i had another flush and i caught him high in the air and watched him hit the grass then lurch up in a small launch.suddenly there was a shadow and a strike.bloody hell thats a falcon on my bird.my dog had hurtled down,and arrived a few seconds later,enough to persuade the falcon to let go,and he flapped up to a nearby tree,and glared at us and apart from head swivel,never moved another muscle.it then dawned on me why the quail had been reluctant fliers.i could have carried on and got a few more birds,but it was getting late and i do not like to scatter birds so that they are unable to covey up for the night,it leaves them vunerable to predatation. also i always feel a bit guilty shooting quail at this time of the year, as essentially they have made it through winter and its now breeding stock.this was a good size covey of about 30-35 birds.last photo is my dog with the falcon bird.