NatureBoy

Or doing the OKey wokey! NB

Bright crispy frosty misty morning my way earlier! Amazing sun rise! Saw 6 different rareish birds before 8oc. In the garden goldcrests, a male brambling and over wintering female blackcap. Over pasture out back a barn owl and merlin. 30 odd lapwings going over at first light! Still have a resident wood pigeon in garden with a crippled foot. Been about for about 4 months now. Comical to watch. Visits other gardens/feeders in the village and local farm. Seems to manage ok. Roosts in my holly tree most nights. Only saw about 20 pigeons when looking round. Big flocks of yellow hammers, linnets and goldfinches about and a few larks. Been many acres of parsley grown and cropped local to me this last year. It a new crop to me and know nowt about it. Thought it might pull in pigeons, but haven't seen any on it. Hare and rabbits seem to leave it alone to. Just the odd deer on it. NB

An interesting but negative read! Be interesting to see what/if DEFRA NE come up with in next 2 weeks? I hope our orgs are being consulted and as much involved in talks and policy making as as WJ seem to be? WHY? NB

They want and were behind and pushed for Labour and there manifesto for land reform! That George Monbiot was the main author of it. They promo Guy Shrubsoles latest book "Who Owns England" calling for the same. Never heard Avery say anything good about anybody or science that go against there agenda. That Ruth Tingay just spits venom! Dominic Dyer wrote BoJo's gal Carrie Simonds speech for the Birdfair. Tho she has been quiet lately. They pushing in there media this week that the public in this country only have access to 8% of the land. Find it strange that Packham has aligned himself with Extinction Rebellion who the Met police said were extremist and a security threat, yet he and WJ are still having meetings with DEFRA and NE and involved in there policy making. See they are asking for money again. Never herd any more about the 2 supposed Panorama programs on game shooting that folk were talking of? NB

Indeed! And there has been more cases! Nature will sort us out if we carry on the way we are going! Interesting that they say it has crossed over from animals! I wonder what the protectionist pig huggers will make of that? NB

There's always something to see and learn! Never tire of it. And it keeps the farmer happy if they just see you about. Surprised i really been enjoying brushiing for a change. Great banter and catting with folk about whats going on. Get different perspective on the same ground i shoot on out of season. Dispite yet another wet day on shoot the other day the effort was worth while to watch a real crack team of guns shoot challenging birds with a ratio of 2/1. One of the few shoots my way that can do mainly partridges all season. Plus i get to take what birds i want. Top eating! 😉 NB

7.7 Billion people and counting. BBC2 Tuesday 21st January 9pm! Tomorrow night One of the few Packham programs i and others i know will be interested in watching.Population is the biggie that that folk don't want to talk about! NB

BBC Radio Suffolk Leslie Dolphin Show last Friday 17th Jan. Richard Negus (shooting times writer/Countryman ) talking about shooting conservation other matters rural and how we are percived in the media and BBC even! Very good!!! Comes on about half way through her show. Talk of making it a regular slot at the end. Do you have anything like it on your local BBC radio? Wouldn't it be great if we could get more of this kind of thing on our local stations with a view to it getting picked up by the main stream channels. It had great feed back and people talking about it! All something that can be grown on and help educate folk! NB

Very true Old'n! Many folk saying the same! So nothing to report! Very few about! A lot of failed rape or fields not been drilled! Strange times! I am sure when crops get drilled and numbers build and become a problem folk will be reporting again. I have spent more days brushing than in a hide in the last two months. Not even seeing any numbers of pigeons in the many maze covers on shoots like previous years. Makes you wonder if there are many in the country! Never know the countryside so quiet where i do my rounds. Noticed lot more fieldfares redwings and several starlings on the stubble's and knocked back rape. Nice to see few more mistle thrushes about to.Seen several merlin and more bullfinches and reed buntings this winter. Buzzard numbers down! Still so much water on the land. NB

Agree with you there Dave! NO! We don't need any more legislation dumped on us! I think we can work with the GL as it is! No more rules! All sides are much more aware now! I really do actually believe this whole thing and our submissions of information to DEFRA has made them realise how passionate some of us are and what a valuable free service we provide not only to agriculture and conservation, but we are also another valuable set of eyes and ears in the countryside with all the cuts and rural crime becoming a bigger problem! So long as folk know there quarry species that's fine! In my previous post i was just surprised that two county fellas that had shot for more than 40 years didn't naturally know more given the amount of time they spend in the field! Not everyone involved in country sports or farmers will be, want to be or needs to be a conservationist. Just like the rest of the public so long as they understand, support and know why and what some of us choose to do! Because we do care and it's as much part of and our way of life as shooting is! If you can get them in to/give them wild food even better! From my own experience, If we are all open and willing to start a conservation and maybe educate folk we will get support! They haven't got to agree with us! Just understand a bit more and not be against us! People are not as gulable or against us as the anti's would have you believe with there constant rabid media rants! The more recent in ya face vegan lot has shown that from what i have experienced! Be interesting what reaction the pig program on tonight will have! Farming community already reacting to it. NB

Wild in the wood! Wind made for challenging short session roost shooting in a fir wood. Birds keen to get in to the extra cover. Manage 9. NB

Did anyone else bother watching it? All a bit safe! IT said a lot about Packham. He was even unpopular in his youth. Had to chuckle when he said he never got invited to parties! Bit of a propaganda show for Extinction Rebellion to. Good to see some different old punk footage though. All his gear looked designer even then. His leather jacket form when he was 17 looked completely fake and like it had never been worn. Still got mine from back then and it is really well worn and beaten up with every badge, pin, chain,stud and slogan telling a story. Probably a bio hazard now though.😉 NB

Had the privileged of meeting and knowing the great conservationst and writer the late Roger Perry MA FRGS. He was one of the founders and longest serving director of the Charles Darwin Foundation on Galapagos. A very modest knowledgeable true gentleman! One if the last of the great unsung adventurers! Told amazing stories! Way ahead of his time in conservation. He realised how different and endangered the tortoises were and started the breeding program. And realised non native species, predators and vermin needed controlling if they and other endangered species were going to survive! He also knew controlling, educating population and tourism would be part of that and set up training and education programs for scientists and the populations teachers. Sadly he and lonesome George (last tortoise of his species) have gone. He was also director/Governor/ Brit rep on both Tristan Du Cunha and Christmas Island for a while. He wrote a great book called "Island Days" about his life, conservation work and adventures. Worth a read if you can find it. After his death i managed to rescue, his old egg collection (totally legal), His cameras, slide collection he used for lectures, his climbing equipment and air gun (he hated squirrels). Sadly his family museums, schools or colleges didn't want any of it and it was going to be destroyed and dumped. NB

Very true Whitehackle! Good post! NB

Strange trailer! Fake prog maybe? 200 of them all dressed the same got in there and all filmed. Yeah right! BS! like to see them take on some 90kg+ Plus lumps at point of slaughter. NB

I am not saying shooters should know any bird or animal species LB! Apart from what they are shooting of coarse!! Especially the little brown jobies. Many folk don't! I was just surprised that two fellas who had shot pigeons for 40 plus years that lived/worked in the country didn't known some common species or were bothered about other pest/vermin control after commenting on how good it was to see the growing number of different birds on that farm. One reckoned he had never seen a yellowhammer or the reed bunting i pointed out before. NB

I did mean how you summed the anti's up IG. 😉 Good on Simonm for putting the link up tho! I argued the point on Averys blog ages ago when he started on grouse shooting and the moors as the heather/ heathland is also managed around Minsmere reserve local to me for the same reason. Had no joy complaining to BBC either. But keep trying like others.Have spoke to agri /shooting jurnos and media production folk about it. They don't seem interested in rocking the boat or not a big enough story for them. Some shooters don't seem bothered to, or think if we keep are heads down things will be ok. I don't think so!! Some have even told me i shouldn't be so vocal about it all and shooting in general. I have nothing to hide! i think some see them shooting live quarry as a guilty secret with whats been going on. I am happy to tell/show people why, how, where, when i shoot and that i bloody enjoy it! I enjoy the wild food i get from it and giving /educating others to it! I enjoy seeing wildlife and wild game thrithe by shooting/ controlling pest species predators and vermin. I tell/show folk, by shooting I am a practising conservationist. And most can see it! It's not hard! Observation, little bit of the correct habitat and the right feeding. Don't take a lot to get folk on side! Anti propaganda and playing social media works for them. We have to do the same! Do our bit as individuals. . . . Frustrating at times though! Stood chatting in a field the other day with another shooters of many years watching not only pigeons but amongst others. Grey partridges loads of finches some reed buntings merlin and little egret. We agreed we get to do and see what we do only because we shoot pigeons and provide a service to farmers. But what really surprised me! They did not know what may of the birds were or recognise a water vole and there parting words were they never had or would waste a cartridge on a crow squirrel or rat. Another rant over! NB

Same here PC. But without your success and less birds. Outings with hard earned modest bags of 20 plus might come off 3 different farms. Often days end up walking the hedges roost shooting and squirrel bashing.( Pound a tail at mo). Still something to see and learn every time tho and it keeps the farmers happy if your about. NB

Ahead of this prog he's saying today " Has he become the ba###rd he would of hated when he was 17"?? YES!!!!! You have Chris! 😛 And so much more! "We do mind the Bo####ks" you speak! "Questions and answers, honesty, lies". Yours are LIES! in much more than a thousand eyes! And we wish you would go away! Were you really ever PUNK???? I think not!!!! JOKE! Yes! There was a prog on a while back with that hippie vicar in it (dont mind him) showing how they do the burning in the New forest. Him talking to forest folk and graziers. Packham recon he had to start WJ and be the voice for wildlife after meeting a fella who lived 200mls away wandering in the forest near his home with a gun who when asked said he was shooting crows magpies, jays and whatever else came along. Really!!? Good post IG. You have summed them up! NB

I have seen one working either in the dvd collection of Out Of Town or the Bygones collection. Might find on Youtube if you haven't got. Operated by by spring and pulling a cord. I understood from my dad and other ol boi's that they were supposed to attract by birds thinking the reflection was a shimmering puddle/ source of water. Remember one my granddad made and used knocking around when we were kids. NB

On next Tuesday. How to steal pigs and influence people! No time for him but have followed his activity's for a while. Very biased but at least prog has got folk talking. Hopefully it will make peps think more about where there food comes from. Good on Abby Reeder for taking them on! ( She was also on the series veganville with that nasty angry little vegan fella! Refused to let him on her farm). Was surprised Monbiot actually shot that stag and eat it Tho. Him being a vegan. Showed that control is needed. Anyone know that stretch of the Wye on there? Looked like just very low summer levels to me. They talking about just the salmon. But it is one if not the best coarse fishing rivers in the county at the moment. Matches producing massive weights. 30lb plus getting you no where in a 60 peg match where 60lb + often needed to win or place. River and water quality has got to be really good to support all year class's to keep doing that. NB

Apocalypse Cow. Channel 4 tonight 10pm. Prog fronted by George Monbiot. Another well known angry anti worth keeping an eye, on about our food production and lab produced foods in the future. NB

Yeah! Very angry and looked very uncomfortable being on with Rachel. Looked him up and he's a well known militant activist with a criminal past and psychotic problems. That lead me to prog/series on BBC with him in called Veganville. Usual BBC bias, but again didn't make them look great. NB

After talking to folk about her being on the show found out she had also been on This Morning on Friday 3rd talking about veganuary with a really rude angry wired vegan activist. Worth a look! He really done vegans no favours at all. She done well to keep her cool. At times he looked liked he wanted to pop her one. NB

Great to see her on Victoria Darbyshire show earlier in piece with Jordi (mind that fly) Casanutana debating Ethical veganism being a religion. Great she putting it across about those of us that are ethical carnivore and how animals (deer) need management/controlling. Sorry to hear she getting yet more grief and mainly from vegans. Least she,s prepared to stand up for our way of life yet again!! As i read it! Part of ethical veganism being accepted as a religion means it " Does not oppose or interfere with the rights of others!" Also Avery saying today. " caring about conservation does not make you a conservationist". Really!? They still happy to take folks money to fund pushing there negative agenda though! He in north Suffolk today if anyone interested. At Woodland trust in Halesworth. NB