The finding of the common quail Coturnix coturnix broods in the Boksitogorsk raion, Leningrad province in summer 2007

The Leningrad Province is situated in the northern limits of common quan's distributional range. Sometimes quails appear here in sufficient number and the male's nuptial call can be hear through all the summer in many localities. As a rule, such appearance of the quail are followed by several summers without any signs of this bird. The finds of nests or broods are very rare. In the summer of 2007, unusually warm, was another invasion of quails to the Province and nuptial calls were usually to be hearing regularly in many places during June-July. In contrary to the previous invasions of such kind, several broods were found in the SE corner of the Leningrad Province, in Boksitogorsk Raion (59°13' N, 34°49' E). Information about of the presence of this species here was absent in literature. We have only a personal communication by I.M.Fokin, who heard the nuptial calls of this species in cereal fields during summer seasons of 1979-1981. It should be noted that agricultural activity in those period was rather high and was ceased only in the end of XX Century. In the big field here (50 hectare, former agricultural land), situated between forests, were inhabited 5-6 broods and every brood consisted of 10-12 nestlings. Two young birds collected here 27 August 2007, were 22-23 days old. The last specimen (old female, finished the moult of the wing), was collected here 16 September 2007.