Partridges Without A Pear Tree

On By Annika PerryIn Nature, poetry, Writing 

PARTRIDGES WITHOUT A PEAR TREE

Come hither, seek refuge
Upon our verdant lawn.
Safe from hunters who
seek to drive your kind forth.

Your two bulbous bodies
step with confidence across the grass,
heads bobbing up and down in counterpoint
peck, pause, peck, pause.

Blood-red eyes assess the danger.
None.
The perfect bulls-eye
for a shot.

Crimson beaks puckered
ready for action,
mediterranean blue flecks
dappled upon your necks.

As for your brown colouring
tawny, tan, mottled, striking,
golden, shimmering, majestic,
Anything but dull.

Starring glumly from the fence
the two resident pigeons.
Bemused, irked, egos dented 
as they give ground and wait.

Patience a necessity
this grey afternoon 
as the red-legged partridges
explore, feed, recuperate.

The blue tits fret anxiously
eager to return to the feeders.
I, however, gaze in awe
at our unusual visitors.

You’re welcome, again.
Anytime!
I better get out
to plant a pear tree!

©Annika Perry, March 2024

All photographs ©Annika Perry. 

The camera used to take these photographs is a Canon Power Shot SX 620 HS

137 thoughts on “Partridges Without A Pear Tree”

  1. I love your words Annika, they paint quite a picture of these birds. And wonderful photos too, they seem quite content and unperturbed by you photographing them.

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    1. Miriam, I was also surprised at how calm and settled they were in the garden although the photos were taken from indoors and I barely dared move! Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Happy Easter! xx

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  3. Annika,

    I love these partridges. How lucky to find them in your yard.

    Yet, another animal I have not seen in real life.

    Your poem is fabulous, a partridge parfait. Thank you for this lovely post!

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    1. Resa, that’s just what I thought! Wonderful to see an animal never spotted before and so unknown to me I had to look it up! I couldn’t believe they’d found their way here, although we have had pheasants in the garden previously. Haha! I love that, a ‘partridge parfait’! Thank you so much for your lovely comment and great start to my day! Xx 😀🙏

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      1. It’s a lucky thing. May that fortune spread!
        Another bird I’ve never seen in real life… a pheasant.

        Now, if anyone needs to see a pigeon, well I’m your go to gal! xxoo
        Happy to help start a day with a smile!

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    1. Layla, thank you so much! 🙏 It’s wonderful your enjoyed my poem and I like your comment of lively. At first one can think of the birds as plodding but their innate sense of liveliness triggered my muse! Xx 😀❤️

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  7. Beautifully written poem Annika. Lovely photos too. I haven’t used my digital 35mm Canon to take photos in several years now. I believe the pixels in my cell phone camera might yield a sharper image. Well done!

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    1. Thank you so much, Ernie and so glad you enjoyed both! 🙏 I’ve tried zooming in on objects from a distance with my mobile camera and the quality is very poor – admittedly it’s over five years old! Hence the use of the digital camera. This was taken through glass doors so more fuzzy than one would have liked.

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  11. Wow, your unusual visitors are gorgeous, Annika! Each of their features is so distinct, that their beaks, eyes, feathers, and legs stand out with contrast. Your descriptions are beautiful. Some photos show they were looking at you. Did you take the photos at a distance with Zoom? Great idea to plant a pear tree and don’t let the hunters know you have them. I had some unusual visitors also, a steller’s jay. I saw some this time last year and they returned. They moved so fast that I didn’t have a chance to take photos. I’ll hang a bird feeder out so they can stay longer.

    WordPress is getting strange. The last comment you made assigned you as anonymous. I noticed you put your name at the end of the comment so I knew it was from you. It happened to me several times when I made comments.

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    1. Miriam, thank you so much for your wonderful comment and lovely to chat about birds here! ❤️

      I know, I love the way these partridges seemed to be looking right at me, posing almost! Yes, I did use the zoom on my camera, through the glass doors of the dining room – I was so worried about scaring them away I barely moved! Their appearance and unique colourings had my muse creating the poem as I sat there in admiration.

      Oh, your stellar jay looks stunning and what a magical blue. These kind of flighty birds are always so much harder to catch with the camera – good luck once they settle on your feeder!

      I’m glad my comment came through one way in the end. I’m having no end of trouble with WP and have now started to leave my name just in case the gravatar fails to appear. A couple of other bloggers are having issues with just a blank page when logging on! 😞

      Wishing you a great weekend, my friend! Xx

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      1. I did the same to take photos of the birds in my backyard in California. The camera phone doesn’t zoom too well. I don’t have an iPhone, though. I once saw a lovely billboard along the freeway. At the bottom corner, it says it was taken by an iPhone 5 at that time. It’s amazing.

        I charged my Canon camera ready to use. I’ll hang a bird feeder away from the fruit bushes and tree. Diana Peach told m! e the birds love the blueberries. I know they like apples also.

        Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! ❤ 🙂

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  13. I love it when we receive unusual feathered visitors to our yard too, Annika. Your poem captures your delight perfectly. What fun to watch them. Your last line made me laugh. Of course, now you need a pear tree. ❤

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    1. Haha! There was just no other ending for the poem! 😀😀 The idea has now caught the imagination of so many here and of us at home so as soon as we are back from our break in Sweden my guy is going to get out the poor lilac tree that died during the heatwaves. In goes a pear tree and just imagine if a partridge find its way there one day! 😀 So glad you enjoyed the poem as well which was inspired by these unusual visitors! Wishing you a lovely weekend, Diana! Xx ❤️

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    1. I must admit I knew nothing about the birds until they decided to grace us with their presence! It’s been lovely to learn about them, observe them so closely and share here. So glad you enjoyed my post – thank you! 😀❤️

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    1. Bless! Thank you so much, Lauren and wonderful you enjoyed my post and poem so much – it means a lot especially from such a gifted poet as yourself. I’m only dabbling in the craft! 😀. What a good idea about a follow-up post about the pear tree … I could start from scratch as first my husband will need to take out the dead lilac tree. This is the third tree one we lost during the heatwaves and he’s becoming quite used to it by now! 😀 It is lovely to be able to be out and garden once again – enjoying the colour of Spring! Xx

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    1. Natalie, the unexpected visitors were such a lovely surprise and gave me such joy I just had to share here – the poem started to tumble away in my brain as I sat watching them! 😀

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  19. What gorgeous birds, Annika! ❤️ Great photos and lovely poem. I always thought partridges were similar to American quail, and I do believe they are related, but they are quite different in appearance! Thank you so much for this wonderful post. Put on your gardening gloves! 🍀🍐

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    1. Cheryl, I too imagined them as much smaller birds until seeing them in person for the first time here! Another blogger mentioned the partridges looked similar to Chukar birds in American. The quail in England is tiny in comparison. It’s wonderful you enjoyed my post so much and yes, gardening gloves are at the ready in my cute Kath Kidston gardening bag with all its little compartments! 😀❤️

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    1. Darlene, I just wished they would stay longer and keep safe here! Hopefully they’re doing okay elsewhere. I was happy the photos came out so well in spite of being taken from indoors through the glass doors. The close ups really makes one appreciate their markings and colourings.

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  21. Annika, what a delightful treat for you! They are beautiful, and I love how you described them as bulbous – I want to give their little bellies a rub! 🤗 Did you know that pigeons used to be domesticated, and then some knobhead decided to set them free to fend for themselves?! I always feel bad for them because they are pretty birds but get a bad rap. They’re just doing what they need to do to survive. I wonder if these gorgeous birds suffered a similar fate. I’m just making stuff up now 😂 But they’re just so unusual and rare it makes you wonder where they came from. I’ve never seen one, and I’m just so blown away that they stopped by your yard, and you got to see them! How wonderful if they came back to stay in your pear tree? You must get planting! Thanks for sharing; your words and photos brought me joy. ❤️

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    1. Tanya, you have me smiling at the thought of carefully popping out to these grand birds and asking if they minded a belly rub! 😀😀 They are so unusual looking and the bodies so unlike the normal birds flitting around! I had no idea that pigeons were originally domesticated- that would explain whey they are so happy pottering around the garden all the time and not too adept at flying! Doing a bit of research it seems the partridges usually reside in the Mediterranean but are bred in the U.K. and then released for hunting purposes!! 😞 Obviously some survive and I imagine they are now breeding in the wild. I wished they had stayed longer and just want them to be safe! Haha! I’m already out gardening this Spring and my husband first has to take down the old dead tree and prepare the ground for the new one! Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Tanya and I enjoy chatting away here! Hope your travels are going well and full of adventure! Hugs xx ❤️

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    1. Barbara, I’ve never seen one before and didn’t even know what this unusual bird was to start with! They are glorious and I could see even more detail in the photos! A joy to share both photos and poem here! xx

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    1. I just hope they find other safe havens in the days and months ahead! Sadly no return of them nor do I expect it really! Debby, I hope you’ve had / are having a wonderful break! Xx ❤️

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    1. Balroop, I felt the same and it was eerie how they seemed to look my way, pause and let me focus in on them! They were so self-assured and confident birds, not skittish at all! So glad you liked the poem and the partridges. Xx

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    1. Liz, it was fun just to watch them as they quickly made themselves at home in the garden, so self-assured! Who needs TV, eh?! 😀 As I’d never seen anything like them before I had to read up about them and saw they are usually from the Mediterranean but bred and released here for hunting. Yes, they are that plump as they appear here but still surprisingly agile!

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    1. Anneli, this is the first time I’ve ever seen a partridge and had to look up what they were! Very lucky indeed and so unusual! We’ve had pheasants before as well. It’s great you enjoyed my poem inspired by the unusual visitors- thank you! 🙏

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  35. That’s a great partridge poem and the photos are very nice too. We don’t have partridges in Texas but I remember them from Sweden. However, we have pheasants here in Texas, and the chukar (common in Texas) kind of looks like a partridge.

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    1. Awww … thank you so much, Thomas! 🙏 I’ve never seen any partridges in Sweden but will have to keep an eye out – we’re heading out there soon again. I wonder if they are more near farm land instead of by the coast and forest? Oh, looking at the chukar online, there is indeed a great similarity! Their bold red ring around the eyes are striking.

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  36. Hi Annika, a lovely poem about visiting partridges. I can’t bear hunting of any kind. Your poem reminds me of my hadedas. We had Eleanor, hatched last year, and this year she met Edward and they had a baby, Elsebee. This year, Elsebee has remained in the garden and will winter with us. Next year, she will probably mate and the cycle will repeat. We’ve had this hadeda family for about 15 years.

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    1. Wow! Robbie, this brief visit pales into insignificance compared to your fifteen plus years with your beautiful ibis family! I love the names you’ve given them and obviously you know the behaviour very well! What a touching additional to your household, with your for so long but free to fly whenever they wish! Bless! 😀 I am glad you liked my poem here inspired by the briefest of visits of these unusual birds! Xx

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      1. I love this poem. I am lucky to have so many bird visitors. There are three weavers who visit every year. I hope their offspring will replace them eventually. We all have long tailed hoopoes and, of course, my famous fat loeries that eat all my fruit 🍎

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    1. Lori, absolutely! I’ve never seen them before and I wasn’t even sure what they were until I looked up about them! It was fun to be write about them – felt the special occasion warranted a poem! 😀❤️

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    1. Curt, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for their return but not too hopeful – this was the first time I’ve seen them here and that’s in twenty years of living here! I love being inspired by the unusual and the poem was whirling around in my head as I was watching them that afternoon!

      Happy Spring to you too, enjoy your travels across the Rockies – a place on the top of my dream list to visit! Spring sunshine so far proving elusive in the U.K., I think I’ve forgotten what it is after this past half year of grey! 😀😀

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      1. You might be surprised, Annika. Changing weather patterns are impacting bird behavior. Here’s hoping.
        Ouch. A half year of grey days would be depressing. I remember when I lived in the Sacramento Valley of California and tule fog would settle in for weeks at a time and I could barely tolerate that. I can’t imagine six months. I’d be on the road for sure!

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    1. Thank you so much for your wonderful comment, Linda! 🙏 The photographs were through the closed doors as I didn’t dare move the whole time as I might have frightened the birds but pleased they came out this well. Haha! I’m glad you like the ending, a later addition once I thought of the title! 😀

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    1. Brad, it was such an entertaining afternoon and a joy to have these unexpected visitors – I didn’t want them to leave as I know they were safe here! It’s lovely you enjoyed my poem and photos – thank you!

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    1. Ashen, thank you so much! It was amazing to see them – I honestly had no idea what one looked like before and they really made themselves at home for a few hours (to the disconcertion of the ‘gang’ of birds!)

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    1. Laura, that’s exactly what I was wondering as I read they are usually from Southern Europe. However, turns out they are bred and then released – for the hunters! Hence the refuge in my poem so at least for a while they were safe. There is quite a lot of organised shooting hunts for grouse, pheasants and obviously partridges in the rural fields.

      The pear tree was a fun thought … but as one of our trees died during the heatwave two years we’ve been wondering what to replace it with and seriously considering a pear tree now! 😀

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    1. Bernadette, I’d never seen any pictures of them either and definitely not for real! This was such a treat and the unusual birds had us scuttling to our bird book to find out about them! So glad you enjoyed the post and poem – thank you! 😀🙏

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    1. Thank you so much, Lynette and it was amazing to see these birds so close up! It was lovely how they settled in for the afternoon and gave us a real chance to appreciate them. Thankfully the photos came out well in spite of being taken through the glass doors.

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  49. Ahh…Annika, I so love your poem and the photos accompanying it. It appeals to our senses. Your garden becomes a wonderful stage for a peaceful morning for the various birds that eat in pecking order of size.
    I have noticed the same in my garden.

    you are quite the poet, aren’t you. Even without the great pictures I can see them through your words. Stunning colours make them glow. And the amusing interaction between them all. Hope to see more poems from you.

    hugs ❣️

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    1. Miriam, bless you for your wonderful comment and encouragement! That is praise indeed from a poet as yourself. Since blogging I’ve started to write poetry on and off and surprised how sometimes it will creep upon me, unbidden, seeking its voice!

      I love how you see the garden as a stage, just so and often the show is much more entertaining than anything the TV has to offer. I’m glad your garden offers the same delights – birds are terrific characters in this unscripted play! Xx

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