Overview

This stunning large format photographic book is the first to showcase throughout the course of a year, that iconic game bird, the rare grey partridge. Renowned photographer Tarquin Millington-Drake spent over 500 hours in hides, capturing the unfolding of a grey partridge restoration project on local arable farmland. Observing the elusive greys' movements and habits, he gradually attuned to these beautiful little birds and managed to capture the thriving progress of the grey partridge as it established a foothold on this former farmland. Tarquin's photographic account, with short descriptions of each season, tells the story of the year in which the colony is established, outlines the farming practices that create the premium habitat and all-important thriving insect numbers, also following the often solitary life of Frank the young keeper, whose tireless efforts earned him a Purdey award. AUTHOR: Tarquin Millington-Drake was lucky enough to have a grey partridge restoration project start up on his doorstep, giving him the opportunity to photograph the lives of these wild birds. First, he had to get to know and understand the elusive greys, observing their movements and habits, working out the best times of day to find them and where to place his hide. His perseverance finally meant he was able to capture extraordinary encounters. His journey has been a long one, and with over 500 hours in his hides, he truly feels as if he has been 'living with greys'. Tarquin's unique photographic account, with his descriptions of each season, is full of the most intimate moments, and tells the story of a year's cycle in the life of wild grey partridges and the birds and animals around them. He focuses on the land management and farming practices that create premium habitat and all-important thriving insect numbers, and he follows the often-solitary life and work of Frank the young keeper, whose tireless efforts are key to the great success of the restoration project which ultimately won the Gold Purdey Award for 2022.

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9781913159740

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Tarquin Millington-Drake has shot all his life and is fanatical about his pigeon shooting. He is also a respected flyfisher, with a particular love of the Atlantic salmon, and has fished all over the world. His career with renowned sporting travel company Frontiers has required him to travel extensively and photograph some of the world’s most remote places and their people. However, it is affection for the UK countryside and its communities which led him first to photograph grouse on the moors of Northumberland and then to the grey partridge on the farmland around his home. In 2022, he founded Why Moorlands Matter, which seeks to bring conservationists together to understand the moors and find a common way forward to protecting and restoring our countryside and wildlife. When not travelling, Tarquin lives with his family and dogs in Gloucestershire. His first book, A Year on the Moor, was published in 2015.

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