Reminds me a lot of 1 January 1974 when I went with Richard Loyn after the BOCA christmas camp to Omeo on the way home to John Izzard’s property near Finley NSW which had an influx of Red-chested Button-quails, Little Button-quails and Stubble Quails. We saw lots of all 3. After that Richard hoped to find Red-chested Button-quails, in similar habitat in Victoria. We went across the border to a similar looking oat field near Dookie. By chance I came across a small pile of feathers at the edge of the field. I collected them. By comparison with specimens at the Victorian museum they were clearly female from a Red-chested Button-quail. No doubt victim of some predator. I wrote this up in the Bird Observer (about April 1974). I wrote at the time that it would probably be a long time before I encountered Red-chested Button-quails again and I never have.
That was a great trip for a young fellow at that time (just before the start of my last year at school).
Philip
