jall25

Yes i know we have to can pay for one - but maybe as something of safeguarding our future - why not as BASC look at this as a "benefit" - part of a "whole" shoot subscription ? - Surely a win - win

And the same reason we do anu survey really - evidence of success and blueprints for the future

Yes like the things the GWCT do

We put barn owl and kestrel boxes We have issues with the buzzard - Gos - peregrine - spars - tawny and barn owls killings poults - but they are wonderful things to see. The thing as i say with the owls is the death of the poults - just the head taken - seems such a waste. I think having these raptors about though does really make you think about having a good pen - not overstocking it - so that cover is and remains available for the poults Losses have to be accepted because when you have a Gos about - even if i put the adult birds in flak jackets they would still get smashed In our pens we play the radio - put up and move daily flashing lights too - it all helps - i think

Conor - maybe BASC could offer free biodiversity assessments to any shoots that are members

Yes we have issues with them for sure - and when the partridges are in their pens you should see them swoop down and sit on the posts judging how to get in - they dont in there but can cause panic for the partridges The thing is the tawnys only ever seem to eat the heads ?

I would not worry Dougy - see them like this every year They always seem so little but usually make it

Help on work parties - beat - get involved

The advice regarding signal crayfish was.......interesting

Years ago on an island on a pond we planted - wrongly - some laurel - these harboured rats Once i realised my error a few years later and cleared the laurel and planted native shrubs and flowers - but as i was doing so i came across some deep rat holes - digging into them were duck egg shells - several feet deep - This was the start of my rat control passion Indeed i was out last night foxing and spotted rat trade - so i will be back tonight as the fox is no more - the rats it is

Rats are true survivors - they eat anything - they climb hedges and trees - dig holes - chew through plastic and other materials - incredible creatures really They also store so much food when its available On another note as a gameshooter may i encourage you to keep feeding into March /April and May - you and the birds will reap the rewards

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We did do for years ditchy - we had 2 kilns on site Now we just coppice and give the shoot lads the wood as thank yous

Yes ditchy - i say to them all if i can sort it - its not rocket science ! Water Food Shelter Nesting Habitat Predator Control Human engagement - keeping the walkers and bikers where they should be! Its all took some determination and a few cross words over the years but everyone in the locality is now on board and can see the benefits of its all The first job we did you see was ruffle a load of feathers when i put the logging track in the woodland and then clearfelled over 7,000 tonnes of timber

Great ! To help them last we put "roofs" on them this year - which was some felt over the wire I also used old sheep fencing this refurb time rather that chicken wire - as it makes them far more rigid and resilient

No - nothing has raided any of the duck tubes at all in the 5 years or so we have been doing them What i do now as well is once the first broods have come from them - refurb them rather than wait until next year and we can have more than 1 brood in each every year

Its gets addictive - the more you do the more you want to do This last few years i have been having a massive push on predator control - not just the usual foxes or crows - but rats The only thing i have not got on top of is the stoats if im being honest

Thank you Hi Ditchy Yes it a right old mix Crab apple Guelder Rose Hazel Lime Oak Hornbeam Rowan Wild Cherry Wild rose Wild Privet Field maple Alder Aspen Blackthorne Bird Cherry Hawthorne I also make shelter belts between the hedges - with a small ditch or bank for nesting I also have the hedges laid on rotation and then i make dead hedges each year We also plant circa 25 acres of wild bird plots I made a small orchard - only perhaps 20 trees - with plum - pear - apple - gage - But the real old varities

Blaser

Thanks Old Un I have been advised to enter the Purdy Awards to be honest and i was nominated as one of those wildlife heros this Feb - i think that was to Countryfile actually - but to be honest the paperwork and stuff is not why i do it Im actually inspiring my neighbours - their words not mine - to do bits - so its all helping too Thanks for your interest !

Thank you Old Un I have some brilliant help from the members of our shoot - guns - beaters - pickers up - even people who come on our clay days Its galvanised us all as friends for life Put up a few hundred birds boxes too old un And about 30 odd of these wild bird feeding stations - as well as scattering on all the hard tracks

It was commercially grazed but I turned all the grass into proper old fashioned flower meadows - and we cut for hay but not until August to let the birds get away Half of the holding is woodland - it was commercial timber - but i clearfelled it and its now natural generating over the last 7/8 /9 years It brings in a bit of income from HLS stewardship

Mines a Blaser Pro Success - with a lawrence mod - Its nice but does jump I bought it a few years ago as a present to myself - but i would not buy another to be honest

In all seriousness Old Un - i did ask Packman - but he never answered I have had several MPs up

Also love planting hedgerows