17.8.39.

Hot. Some blackberries reddening. Found a few mushrooms. Most of the corn now cut, & everyone working fast to get in the remainder while the good weather lasts. Conveys of partridges are mostly large (8-12 birds) but the young birds seem rather small. Saw a bird which I cannot identify. In size colour & type by flight it resembled a waterhen, but apparently was not a waterhen, as it flew too well & took to the wing too rapidly, & also it was nowhere near water. It got up together with a hen pheasant, but was certainly not a pheasant at any stage of development. When Marx put up a covey of partridges the mother did the well known trick (it is sometimes denied that this really happens) of leading M. off by flying rather slowly & squawking, while the young ones flew away in a different direction. What I believe was a fieldfare, though this seems very early. Cock goldfinch calling to mates makes sound rather like “chee-wa” (less like “cheese” than that of greenfinch).
8 eggs (3 small).