The Earl and the English Partridge

COUNTRY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE ROD & GUN

The Earl and the English partridge

The Earl of Leicester,pioneering conservationist of the wild grey partridge, looks in dismay at the looming threat of their predation to extinction by raptors

BY PAULA MINCHIN

AS the pale early morning sunlight streams across a stubble field on The Earl of Leicester the north Norfolk coast,a Land Rover makes its way down the tram- with Simon Lester, lines beside a tall hedge. Its slow progress is halted when a brood of his headkeeper wild grey partridges darts out from a rearing strip, parents calling to (right), champions their young.The gamekeeper at the wheel raises his binoculars and of a once common counts the number of birds, noting their age and gender. His com- farmland bird. The panion plots their location on a map of his beat. greatest threat to These September mornings are a magical time for the gamekeep- their future is now ers on the Earl of Leicester’s 25,000-acre Holkham estate as they attack from the air. complete the autumn brood counts. When the harvest is in, Simon PICTURES BY FRED SPENCER

From Country Illustrated magazine Issue 79 October 2006.To view full contents and for subscription details click here. COUNTRY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE ROD & GUN

Lester, the headkeeper, and his bird keepered shoots. Looking shoot.’ This emphasis on the major swings in the population seven beatkeepers are out by through Holkham estate’s game wild bird is essential, because of wild birds,the success of which 6am each day, doing the counts books since 1793, Lord Leices- although it is possible to rear largely depended on the weath- which reveal whether each ter notes that 1962 was an ex- and to release grey partridges er. He believes three main fac- keeper has enough wild grey cellent partridge year.‘We had in larger numbers, experience tors govern the wild partridge partridges on his beat for a great numbers of partridges shows that these birds do not population: good habitat, good shootable surplus, and whether here in the 1960s.Gamekeepers fare well in the wild. They dis- predator control, and dry weath- their entire year’s work has been controlled raptors then and, as perse off land quickly, winter er in summer. ‘If the weather is successful in increasing the num- farming was not as tidy as it is losses are high, and many fail to bad, no matter what one does, bers of this special game bird. now, there were more weeds breed. Adds Simon Lester, ‘I there will not be a shootable sur- Although Holkham, near and areas of scruffy ground, also admire the wild grey par- plus of partridges. We simply Wells-next-the-Sea, has been a which was exceptionally good tridge’s character: it is robust have to accept that,’ he says. wild pheasant and partridge habitat for partridges. in guarding its chicks and hides As the years went by, fewer shoot for nearly 300 years, it has ‘Holkham has always been a its nests so cleverly.The sound and fewer partridges were shot not escaped the dramatic decline partridge Mecca. We held the of partridges chattering to each at Holkham,although there was of the English grey partridge, a revival in 1976 and in the early once a common sight on farm- 1990s.‘It went downhill rapidly, land across Britain. Game Con- largely due to the way we were servancy Trust figures estimate farming at the time, the mono- that there were one million pairs culture we were creating, and of wild grey partridges in the UK the sprays,’ says Lord Leicester. in 1911. After World War Two, ‘Farming certainly wasn’t friend- numbers fell by 80% in 40 years, ly in those days. There were no and today there are 145,000 headlands and every inch of spring pairs. Most are found on land was cultivated. So, despite the arable lowlands of eastern stringent predator control by the Britain.They are now largely ex- keepers, the partridge popula- tinct in South-West England, tion continued to decrease;they Wales and Northern Ireland. just did not have the habitat.’ Researchers believe there are In the mid-1980s the estate three main causes of decline. began releasing reared French First, the introduction of herbi- partridges, but Lord Leicester cides in the 1950s, which elimi- soon returned to a largely wild nated many crop weeds that Simon Lester walks the six-metre field margins, partridge-friendly habitat. bird shoot (apart from 4,000 were insect-producing food pheasants released in the Park plants, vital to partridge chick to help with let days). ‘I took survival. Secondly, many game- courage and decided to end the keepers either lost their jobs or England now has145,000 rearing programme and heed switched to pheasant rearing, the Game Conservancy advice, concentrating less on predator which warned that if we contin- control. And thirdly, in some spring pairs of greys.The aim: ued to release reared game farm areas there was loss of grassy stock, it would interfere with nesting cover as fields were en- to reach 150,000 in four years our wild partridges,’ he says. larged by removal of bound- The 1990s saw resurgence in aries. All these factors con- partridge numbers at Holkham. tributed to the bird’s arrival on record in 1885 for the most par- other in the early morning and ‘The first big year was 1992. On the UK Red Data List, and on tridges shot in four days, then evening is one of the special October 30, we shot 187 wild the shortlist of the UK’s Biodi- again in 1905 for the most par- sounds of the countryside.’ grey partridges on the Wighton versity Action Plan (BAP), of tridges shot in one day. For that When Lord Leicester moved beat,then 381 the following day which the Game Conservancy one reason alone, we should do to Norfolk from South Africa, on Warham. I wrote at the time, is a lead partner. It has the task everything we can to continue to aged 30, to learn how to run the “Shot with double guns for the of increasing the population to shoot them. They are such an estate from the fifth Earl, he first time since 1976,saw masses 150,000 pairs by 2010—a rise of iconic bird,a Biodiversity Action was not invited to shoot on par- of birds that did not even come 55,000 on current numbers. Plan species,and,as I understand tridge days.‘I used to go out to to the Guns.” That November, Shooting estates are at the it, one of the main indicators of watch, as the fifth Earl invited we shot 202 partridges on Wells forefront of the campaign to in- the health of the countryside.’ only his closest friends to shoot. Fields and 135 on Warham.’ crease the numbers of wild grey Simon Lester is equally clear In those days, everything on the In 1994, Lord Leicester won partridges, particularly those in about why wild grey partridges estate was subordinate to the the Laurent Perrier Award (now north Norfolk, where the natu- are so important to Holkham. shooting interests. The farm the Purdey Award) for the es- ral elements of light soil and ‘They are our indigenous game manager was not allowed to start tate’s work with the grey par- relatively low annual rainfall, bird.They are endearing to game ploughing until February 1.’ tridge.‘And so it went on,and we combined with careful manage- managers, because they per- When Lord Leicester took all got terribly cocky for four or ment and the density of game- form so well on a shoot day and over the management of the five years as we knew for certain keepers on wild or semi-wild they are exciting to drive and to shooting in 1973, he noticed that we would have partridges,

From Country Illustrated magazine Issue 79 October 2006.To view full contents and for subscription details click here. COUNTRY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE

More wild English grey partridges for Holkham’s September count. This year, after a hot summer and hard work on habitat and predator control, hopes are high.

and then of course we jolly well keepers have spent more time such as chicory and sunflowers young birds is having a serious didn’t. After those good years, looking for nests,picking up eggs to protect birds and their chicks effect on brood sizes.‘Not long the population crashed.’ Thus,in and hatching them under broody from predators. Initially, this ago we had 12 pairs of harriers recent years the Game Depart- hens, then fostering an average work had a positive effect.In Si- and a reasonable number of ment at Holkham has devoted of 500 six-week-old poults back mon Lester’s first two years,the sparrowhawks and kestrels,’ he much of its energy to recovery to barren pairs, every year. number of partridges on the es- says.‘We could cope with them of wild partridge numbers. The ‘When I came here, my inten- tate’s two best beats rose from at that level, and the game birds beatkeepers’ main job is to carry tions were to improve legal pred- 50 to 130 pairs, enabling a mod- benefited from improved con- out a stringent,legal,year-round ator control and create more est number of partridges to be trol of the predators that could programme of predator con- habitat, because it has long been shot, while increasing the stock. be killed within the law, such as trol,with many running 100-plus identified that lack of chick food The estate had a great year in foxes and stoats. But in the past traps on their 2,000-acre beats. and winter retention of birds 2003 when, on November 1, 188 three to four years, numbers of Legal predator control is tak- were the biggest problems. If wild grey and French partridges birds of prey at Holkham have en very seriously, especially as, there isn’t a supply of insects at were accounted for on Wells increased dramatically. seven years ago, a Holkham the right time,chicks will die,and Field and Wighton.Lord Leices- ‘Last year, the RSPB record- keeper was prosecuted for kill- if food is not easily accessible it ter wrote in his game book,‘First ed 30 pairs of nesting marsh ing three kestrels. Last year, the subjects the brood to more dan- real partridge day since 1997. harriers and two pairs of rare keepers accounted for 82 foxes, gers for longer, as they spend Masses of game,lovely to see the Montagu’s harriers, plus per- 420 stoats, 188 weasels, 7,653 more time searching for food.’ English again.’ This year should haps two non-breeding birds rats, 1,209 grey squirrels, 171 His arrival coincided with also be a good one for wild game for every breeding pair. Along carrion crows, 249 magpies, 221 the advent of the Countryside production, having had one of with the growing numbers of jackdaws and 16,296 rabbits. Stewardship schemes, which, the hottest summers on record. sparrowhawks, kestrels and Throughout the year, keepers along with increased set-aside, Holkham has increased not buzzards, it is becoming over- also distribute 200 tonnes of meant that six-metre margins only its population of wild par- whelming and makes me feel wheat through a network of were established on most of the tridges, but also that of its rap- desperate,’ he says. ‘When you feed hoppers on the estate. farms, and wild bird mixes were tors, which Simon Lester fears add what they kill to everything Since Simon Lester became planted over many acres to cre- are now present in such great else that preys on the partridge headkeeper in May 2001, the ate more cover,including plants numbers that their killing of chicks, the number being eaten

From Country Illustrated magazine Issue 79 October 2006.To view full contents and for subscription details click here. COUNTRY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE ROD & GUN has now become unsustainable. UK, all species must be man- grouse moor, they had 22 pairs ‘I do not advocate the whole- ‘Predation is a growing prob- aged, including raptors. Instead, of hen harriers; now there are sale slaughter of birds of prey— lem, especially avian predation. they advocate total conservation no grouse and only one pair of there is room for everything. I We need young grey partridges of raptors,without any regard for harriers. It is in the interests of enjoy watching harriers and oth- on the ground to produce a vi- the rest of the bird population.’ raptor conservation not to allow er birds of prey.We also have a able stock,let alone a shootable Lord Leicester also worries their prey to decline. And of healthy population of barn owls surplus. When brood sizes are what will happen if the Game course,it won’t only be the birds here that we are very proud of; limited due to a lack of insects Conservancy is unable to meet of prey that will suffer, it will be but action must be taken when for chick feed, and then those its BAP target of bolstering the ground-nesting birds such as one species comes to have such chicks are relentlessly pursued UK’s grey partridge population lapwings and curlews,as the fox- a negative impact on another.’ by birds of prey, we seem to be to 150,000 pairs by 2010.‘If the es kill them too.If this blind pro- Running a wild bird shoot is fighting a losing battle.’ population of grey partridges tection of raptors continues, in expensive, and although some This explosion in predators continues to decline, because it the end nothing will have been walked-up days are let at does not threaten game birds is a BAP species Government achieved apart from the extinc- Holkham, the Game Depart- only. ‘I know some conserva- ment runs at a loss, which is an- tionists would argue that we are other on-going pressure.‘It up- just trying to conserve par- sets me to think that we are get- tridges in order to shoot them, ting to a point where, to run a but we are not interested in shoot with nine gamekeepers shooting the record bags they and all the associated costs, will once did here. We would be become unviable,’ says Simon happy if we could shoot a mod- Lester.‘You could argue that it est amount and not have to is already uneconomic now.’ worry about the status of the Happily for the interests of grey partridge.And it’s not only the grey partridge,Lord Leices- the grey partridge we are con- ter is not about to cut the purse cerned about, it’s all the other strings. ‘Like Mr Micawber, I hedgerow birds under threat; hope something will turn up,’ even sparrows are not here in he laughs. ‘The wild bird shoot the numbers they once were.’ at Holkham, together with the Lord Leicester shares his farming, is part of the history of headkeeper’s concerns. ‘When the estate. I would not wish to it comes to predators,especially be the owner known to have let winged predators, it’s a tragedy it all go. Holkham is still one of that the RSPB—which is the The Earl of Leicester: ‘Like Mr Micawber, I hope something will turn up.’ the best low-ground shoots in organisation that the Govern- the country. In addition, I very ment listens to, they don’t listen much enjoy my shooting,we are to shooters because they think lucky enough to be in beautiful that we have an axe to grind— ‘Blind protection of raptors country, and I cannot think of a has nailed its colours to the day spent better than to be out mast of raptor conservation, with friends among the wild almost to the exclusion of any- will achieve the extinction of birds here.’ This sentiment is thing else. I am certain that, much appreciated by Simon although the RSPB deny it, the one of our most iconic birds’ Lester.‘I am very lucky to work impact of 35,000 pairs of spar- here with a team of dedicated rowhawks nationwide, and the keepers and a boss like Lord broods that they produce, has a will turn to its advisers within tion of one of the most iconic Leicester and his son,Viscount devastating effect on songbirds the RSPB and the British Trust birds of lowland Britain.’ Coke, who both enjoy a modest and game birds. I worked out for Ornithology,and ask,“What Tackling raptor predation is day’s sport because they are that something like 100 million shall we do?”, and they will re- a thorny issue, and emotions passionate about wild birds.’ little birds are killed each year ply, “You must ban shooting”,’ run high on either side of the Yet birds of prey may have by sparrowhawks,in addition to he says. ‘If that happens there debate. However, Simon Lester the last word on the future of the those that are killed by other will be no incentive for any of is so concerned by what he sees wild grey partridge. Says Lord birds of prey,plus the 77 million us to continue to try to conserve happening daily on the estate Leicester,‘If the raptor problem that are killed by cats. the grey partridge. Gamekeep- that he is calling for immediate becomes so bad that we have to ‘I cannot believe that the ers will be made redundant,and action: ‘We need an objective release more and more reared RSPB can be so sure that 200 within three years, instead of management system in the UK birds, to an extent that defeats million or more little birds being having 30 pairs of marsh harri- —as is already practised in oth- the object of the shoot here. taken out by these predators ers,we probably won’t have any er countries—where if a species Nevertheless, as long as I can go does not have an effect on the at all, because they are ground- is rare, it is given every protec- on subsidising the wild grey par- songbird population. It is a nesting birds and the foxes will tion, but if another species tridges, I shall do so. The time tragedy that RSPB refuse to ac- have killed them all. starts to impact on it, control may come when we will have to cept that, in such a small and ‘At Langholm, before the ex- measures are brought in until tighten our belts,but not yet.’ ■ highly-populated country as the periment, when it was a thriving the balance has been restored. ¶ See also The Corncrake, p68.

From Country Illustrated magazine Issue 79 October 2006.To view full contents and for subscription details click here.