Feeding in the stubble

Ha, another painterly effect image - I really must be careful about how much I crop a photo! These Gray Partridge were way over in a field east of Calgary, on 28 February 2013. We had just been photographing Snowy Owls and I had fallen behind my friends in their car. Suddenly, I caught sight of several of these beautiful birds, feeding amongst the stubble. Can't say I exactly came to a screeching halt, but I guess it would have been, if the road had been a dry, paved road. Instead, it was soft, muddy gravel, which wasn't particularly pleasant to drive on. Couldn't get more than a few quick shots before they flew off. Would love to see one of these birds up close some day.