Hungarian Surprise

Each morning my cat friend, Ellie Mae, sits on her window-view bed and surveys the backyard. She is usually bored with and mostly ignores the birds coming to the nearby feeder but this morning her body language expressed an interest in something unusual. And not for the first time, I set down my coffee cup and removed myself from the comfort of the couch to see what she found so fascinating. Foraging beside my picket fence were six Gray Partridge (a.k.a. Hungarian Partridge). Well spotted, Ellie!

Gray Partridge foraging in the early hours of my backyard.

Checking the snow for seeds, this one ventures forth.

Six ribbons of Gray Partridge tracks on the snow.