Quail and Spotted Flycatcher

I'm back from the UK (where I was treated to double figures of dippers in the Derbyshire dales) and have enjoyed a very hot and sunny end to May in Charente. My morning birding often takes me along the Tardoire valley on my bicycle and this is always a good area for red backed shrikes. So far this year I have located four breeding pairs between SaintAngeau and La Rochette (and another three pairs outside this valley) so it seems to be a good year for this species.
The Tardoire's waters in this stretch of the valley disappeared underground some weeks ago although I had the curious experience earlier in the month of standing in the virtually dry river bed near La Rochette and watching the water rising again and spreading like an incoming tide. The river's tree- lined course is still favoured by plenty of birds, though, and it was here that I saw my first spotted flycatcher of 2017.
It was while stopping to look at one of the shrikes today that I heard a quail calling from close by in a wheat field. Experience has taught me that it is a futile activity to try to actually get to see a calling bird so I just listened for a while.
While on the subject of birds calling, melodious warblers are particularly noisy at the moment, including one in my garden. Nightingales are still throbbing away, cuckoos and corn buntings have quietened down considerably, orioles are fluting all over the place and turtle doves are purring everywhere but I have not heard a hoopoe since mid month.
The good weather has meant that much of the hay is already in and as always I wonder how this has affected ground nesting birds. The quickly growing crops elsewhere are making it difficult to locate stone curlews but a pair were still showing themselves on the plains this week.
Along the GR 36 west of Saint Angeau at least two yellowhammers were singing yesterday along with a tree pipit.