anser2 Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 (edited) Yesterday after the wildfowl counts on the reserve I thought I would take a quick look at what was about on the club marsh. The numbers of teal have halved on the reserve as we have not had much rain for several weeks to freshen up the flashes. Indeed many had dried up. It’s a bit early for the teal to migrate across the North Sea yet , but all their instincts will be pulling them eastwards so it is doubtful they would return to the West Country. It was more likely they would be on the local saltmarshes. Way out beyond the main creek there are some shallow mud pans and they were alive with teal. Nothing else just teal , hundreds of teal. A morning flight was on the cards. It’s amazing how the dawn creeps up on you at this time of year. I was up in good time , quick cuppa and piece of toast and I was off on the 10 mile journey to the coast. Yet despite the misty overcast conditions it was breaking light by the time I got my waders on. At least it made an easy walk out across the marsh. As I got to a big mud pan a lot of duck rose out of it, shielduck in the main with a few mallard and teal. The small tide was just ebbing off the mud, for now I could hide under the slope onto the muds but once it was full light everything would see me. It did not take long to set out a dozen wigeon and teal decoys on a pool on the mud flat and I settled down for the flight. Fog is unusual on this part of the coast, but it had been quite thick as I walked across the marsh. A pair of wigeon drifted back almost giving me a shot, but they saw me at the last moment and flared off. Two teal quickly followed them and the drake came into the decoys without hesitation. A single shot and he was mine. Off went Meg my black lab for an easy retrieve and hardly had she returned when a single hen teal pitched onto the mud a few yards away. She jumped as I stood up and fell 40 yards off behind a small cliff. This one was a more difficult retrieve for the dog, but she marked it well and soon had it to hand. A second pair of teal came, but I did not see them until they were 5 yards away and they disappeared behind the bank before I could get a shot. Then there was a long lull with nothing moving apart from the odd curlew. 10 days ago there had been hundreds here but I only saw a handful this morning. Slowly the fog thinned into a mist and the brent started to flight in off the sands. Great wedges of them came over with many landing on the saltmarsh behind me. A single teal swerved into the decoys at terrific speed but again a single shot splashed it down beside the decoys. Three for three shots, that’s good shooting for me, but pride comes before a fall and I missed the next teal and a long shot at a pair of wigeon. Now it was getting full light several duck saw me so I moved off the slope into a small creek that cut through the mud pan. There was not much cover but the jumbled back ground would break up my background and there was just enough of a bank to tuck the dog in out of sight though I felt pretty exposed. However I have done this before and by keeping a low profile by sitting on a bucket, wearing a dull grey camo coat and face mask, provided I keep still most birds would not notice me. Slowly the mist thinned further and then the teal really started to flight in numbers. One little pitched to the decoys, but the shot had to be taken at a difficult angle and I only winged him. This time Meg had a long search before she found it. More and more teal appeared. Early on they had been all singles or pairs, but this time big packs came racing across the mud pan. Without exception none of the packs took any notice of the decoys, but the singles did and soon quite a little pile of teal was forming beside my seat. A lot of waders started to come into the creek, twisting redshank and quite large flocks of godwits. Meg looked at me in disbelief when I let a party of shielduck land beside the decoys. It was quite comical the way she looked at the shielduck and then back at me as if to say if you can’t see them give me the gun. Somehow I managed to miss a pair of mallard and a pair of wigeon and though my marksmanship suffered as the birds were picking me up earlier than before I soon decided I had enough. Four little brown hen teal and six cocks in splendid plumage, if a little mud daubed. After a good start my shooting got a lot worse and I had a few really bad misses but I guess 10 for 22 shots was not so bad given the awkward deep mud did not allow any foot work and the birds were picking me up the moment I moved. I gave Meg a swim in a deep creek to get the worst of the mud off her and as I looked back already a dozen teal were sitting on the pool where I had been decoying and as I watched three wigeon arched in to join them. After a long trudge back I crossed the sea wall and a dog walker flushed a duck mallard from inland. She circled a while and then landed in the ditch at the foot of the sea wall 100 yards off. It would be easy to walked her up when I remembered it was February and she was safe above the high tide line. Still a few days to go before the end of the season and the forecasters were giving an east wind tomorrow. Now I know a nice little mallard flight line that only shoots well on an east wind. Roll on tomorrows evening flight. As I write this Meg is asleep on her bed whining a little and feet waving in the air, I guess she is dreaming about our little teal morning. Edited February 16, 2015 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Another cracking read. Yesterday after the wildfowl counts on the reserve I thought I would take a quick look at what was about on the club marsh. The numbers of teal have halved on the reserve as we have not had much rain for several weeks to freshen up the flashes. Indeed many had dried up. It’s a bit early for the teal to migrate across the North Sea yet , but all their instincts will be pulling them eastwards so it is doubtful they would return to the West Country. It was more likely they would be on the local saltmarshes. Way out beyond the main creek there are some shallow mud pans and they were alive with teal. Nothing else just teal , hundreds of teal. A morning flight was on the cards. It’s amazing how the dawn creeps up on you at this time of year. I was up in good time , quick cuppa and piece of toast and I was off on the 10 mile journey to the coast. Yet despite the misty overcast conditions it was breaking light by the time I got my waders on. At least it made an easy walk out across the marsh. As I got to a big mud pan a lot of duck rose out of it, shielduck in the main with a few mallard and teal. The small tide was just ebbing off the mud, for now I could hide under the slope onto the muds but once it was full light everything would see me. It did not take long to set out a dozen wigeon and teal decoys on a pool on the mud flat and I settled down for the flight. Fog is unusual on this part of the coast, but it had been quite thick as I walked across the marsh. A pair of wigeon drifted back almost giving me a shot, but they saw me at the last moment and flared off. Two teal quickly followed them and the drake came into the decoys without hesitation. A single shot and he was mine. Off went Meg my black lab for an easy retrieve and hardly had she returned when a single hen teal pitched onto the mud a few yards away. She jumped as I stood up and fell 40 yards off behind a small cliff. This one was a more difficult retrieve for the dog, but she marked it well and soon had it to hand. A second pair of teal came, but I did not see them until they were 5 yards away and they disappeared behind the bank before I could get a shot. Then there was a long lull with nothing moving apart from the odd curlew. 10 days ago there had been hundreds here but I only saw a handful this morning. Slowly the fog thinned into a mist and the brent started to flight in off the sands. Great wedges of them came over with many landing on the saltmarsh behind me. A single teal swerved into the decoys at terrific speed but again a single shot splashed it down beside the decoys. Three for three shots, that’s good shooting for me, but pride comes before a fall and I missed the next teal and a long shot at a pair of wigeon. Now it was getting full light several duck saw me so I moved off the slope into a small creek that cut through the mud pan. There was not much cover but the jumbled back ground would break up my background and there was just enough of a bank to tuck the dog in out of sight though I felt pretty exposed. However I have done this before and by keeping a low profile by sitting on a bucket, wearing a dull grey camo coat and face mask, provided I keep still most birds would not notice me. Slowly the mist thinned further and then the teal really started to flight in numbers. One little pitched to the decoys, but the shot had to be taken at a difficult angle and I only winged him. This time Meg had a long search before she found it. More and more teal appeared. Early on they had been all singles or pairs, but this time big packs came racing across the mud pan. Without exception none of the packs took any notice of the decoys, but the singles did and soon quite a little pile of teal was forming beside my seat. A lot of waders started to come into the creek, twisting redshank and quite large flocks of godwits. Meg looked at me in disbelief when I let a party of shielduck land beside the decoys. It was quite comical the way she looked at the shielduck and then back at me as if to say if you can’t see them give me the gun. Somehow I managed to miss a pair of mallard and a pair of wigeon and though my marksmanship suffered as the birds were picking me up earlier than before I soon decided I had enough. Four little brown hen teal and six cocks in splendid plumage, if a little mud daubed. After a good start my shooting got a lot worse and I had a few really bad misses but I guess 10 for 22 shots was not so bad given the awkward deep mud did not allow any foot work and the birds were picking me up the moment I moved. I gave Meg a swim in a deep creek to get the worst of the mud off her and as I looked back already a dozen teal were sitting on the pool where I had been decoying and as I watched three wigeon arched in to join them. After a long trudge back I crossed the sea wall and a dog walker flushed a duck mallard from inland. She circled a while and then landed in the ditch at the foot of the sea wall 100 yards off. It would be easy to walked her up when I remembered it was February and she was safe above the high tide line. Still a few days to go before the end of the season and the forecasters were giving an east wind tomorrow. Now I know a nice little mallard flight line that only shoots well on an east wind. Roll on tomorrows evening flight. As I write this Meg is asleep on her bed whining a little and feet waving in the air, I guess she is dreaming about our little teal morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 I was with you out on the marsh reading this, apart from the cold, wet and mud of course. A very good bag at the end of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 A great read and a great flight , good luck with those mallard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Sounds like a great flight. You painted the picture well, Anser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Brilliant post, very interesting read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Thanks for that. Very well written - if I close my eyes I can see it all. Very enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Excellent post anser2 , good shooting considering the cramped position you were in and well done to Meg ......All in all a perfect flight . Good luck for any remaining flights you have in mind over the last few days . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony G Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Top read again anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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