NatureBoy

Thanks PC! Your pics and bags impressive! It's not about big numbers for me.But i would like to do the ton one day. Whenever i thought it going to be my day it's been scuppered by weather, farm activity, other shooters or other folk. Best day was 58 picked (in the rain) over fresh cut rape. Had plenty of 30's n 40's. Sure my day will come tho! Seems hard work making any bag at times as so many shooters my way. Feel a lot of the time i am trying to shoot shot at spooky birds. Didn't expect much at all yesterday and i should of had more. A field to keep an eye on if they don't spray the weed off. Heard of a lot of BIG bags shot locally recently! Group of lads getting 500+ and 400+ bags in a day over peas. And others getting 100+ bags over spring rape. Do you and others think big hits like that in a local area affect bird numbers/movement in an area this time of year when they don't move about so much or do you think other birds fill the void??? If you have a surplus allowance your way please send em to Suffolk or the wolds! Lol! NB

Dulux trade oil based brilliant white satinwood great product! Recommend and use loads! 50+Litres a year. Customers always happy! Easy to use. Self undercoating, durable, quick drying, low odour and easy to touch in. How deep is skirting? Forget roller! light rub down and dust off. 2in masking tape on carpeted areas. Good quality 1in pure bristle brush (Hamilton's perfection). Better pick up! Don't brush out to much. Maybe thin with bit of white spirit. 2 coats where marked chipped or flaking. Never had any probs with it Dulux had probs with whites (gloss) when they had to change formula in 2010 to meet new guidelines but sorted now. NB

Last weekend first time i hadn't been out this year. Came off ladder at work injuring my shoulder and neck. So decided to give shooting a miss as there not much about anyway. So needing my fix headed out 11oc today and done tour of farms. Very few woodies about. all crops well forward nothing been laid by the storms, But determined to have a go and test my shoulder thought my best chance on such a humid day would be on (a afternoon) field of knocked rape surrounded by trees near a wood. As i entered the field a 20 birds lifted off the field and out of trees. watched for a while and odd birds returned and crossed the field. as the crop was poor the farmer had topped a wide strip round the margins. So even tho there was stand water in places i was able to drive to most likely position under a regular flight line. Set up hide on the edge of low branches under the only ash tree in a long line of very tall poplars with the increasing wind coming from the right. Looked like birds had been feeding on the weeds exposed by the topping. Hoping to pick most i shot kept everything no further out than the first tram line. Magnet well up wind to the right with breasted birds. Same on 2 floaters down wind and flapper and angel where i wanted birds to land. 12 flocked shells in random open patches. As i was setting up magnet i herd a strange noise in the rape. I looked up to see the rape parting and something hidden is rapidly charging towards me. Seconds later a hare sped past within a few feet followed by one of the farmers dogs. hare runs off. Startled dog skids to holt. Barks at me a while before running off down tram line. In hide and just loaded maxus with lyvale express special pigeon and 1/4 choke about 1oc as imeditaly the first bird comes in. Only it's a stock dove. It floats in and around the pattern for a while ( if only woodies done that).Get the first woodie 5 minutes later as it bombs Straight in from behind. I get 4 more in the next 10 minutes before it goes quiet. Odd birds come over the trees from behind but they are spooky and i can't get on em quick enough. So i move the magnet further out to about 45yrds. This helps for a while with birds suddenly curling into the pattern from behind. but by 3,30 i have 13 birds and it goes very quiet. I decide to stick it out as i expect things to get better later. It's just nice to be out and i am being entertained by hares, skylarks,kestrels, buzzards, a couple of roe deer and a little owl trying to catch dragonfly's under the trees. The wind picks up and as things cool down a few more birds move and show an interest. Some decoying great others crosser s and many better than my shooting at mo. I pack up with a sore shoulder about 7oc picking 24 birds (4 young ones) loosing 4 in crop for 70 carts. Don't think my maxus like the lyvale pigeon carts but my 525 loves em. Pleasure was well worth a bit of pain! NB

Yeah they do! Put em round your doors and window frames. gather in season and freeze some so u have fresh ones. As they dry out they don't work so well. NB

Very true! Well said Ditchman! If we weren't a member and knowing all the facts we do now and what we have experienced from the EU over the years! Would we want to join now!!? Out or in what our "leaders" and this referendum debate has shown us mean one thing!! Our Country and politics is in for some BIG changes in the next few years!

Birds started singing as i went to bed about 4.30. Started with a wren that's nesting in garden. Great to hear it build up as others join in. Sadly corus not what it was few years back tho! NB

Had my van and shooting truck broke in other month! On my drive 9.30 on a Saturday night. Gutted they nicked all my power tools! They got a big surprise/shock when they done window on my truck tho!!! Had left wet pigeons on bouncers, angels, magnet arms and flapper in there to dry for next day. Had to laugh myself when i shined torch in smashed window! As looked like load of angry pigeons flying back at ya!! Hope It scared the #### out of them! Two other neighbours vans got done along my road as well that night! Law didn't wanna Know! "Cut Backs!! It Wasn't A serious crime"! Just crime number! Only sent forensics out next day because we kicked up as fuss and didn't realise crimes were linked until i told them! Even tho we were ringing them in at the same time. Did get a nice letter from victim support tho. NB

Cheers mate! Must be a welsh thing. Lol! I was laughing at the time and glad no one was watching. But i did have vision of me tangled in barbed wire upside down in bottom of the ditch. NB

yeah. Just great to be out! Making the most of opportunities while i can. Usually walking the hedges and woods this time of year. Lot of corvids about my way at mo. Especially jackdaws. Having to fend off the tups was a great comedy moment! NB

Thanks chaps! NB

After a wild windy wet soggy week it was good to get out in a bit of sun with every thing looking lush and green.. Checked a few farms Friday. Birds about but not in numbers. Saturday headed out late morning to the first farm with knocked back rape. very little about. Past a small pasture as i was leaving and saw a few birds down. Checked there no cattle about before entering as had a run in with some bulls here in the past when trying to retrieve a pigeon. Had to leave it and clear a five bar gate sharpish! Lol! About 80 birds lifted from the grass and surrounding trees and hedges. Would be tricky to shoot and as the farmer was working near by decided to leave it for another day. Headed to the farm and field with partly failed rape and old stubble and weeds. It had been sprayed since i was last there but a few birds pigeons and crows were down feeding there and on the surrounding paddocks. More birds were flighting across the field between the paddocks, woods and farm. 40+ birds lifted as i drove up the margin. Checked paddock behind. It was a sea of buttercups and had a small flock of sheep grazing. Set up against a high mature hedge just to the side of a tall ash sitty tree with the wind off my back. Breasted birds on magnet, flapper angel and bouncers to the right hoping to pull birds from the paddocks. dozen flocked shells in random patten. Five flocked and 5 real crows of to the left in random patten. In the hide and good to go at 2.30. First woodie come in after about 5 mins. I am to slow and it gets away. 2 more come over high and i down one. my shot causing the birds in the paddocks and hedges to lift and circle as before. None keen to commit but close enough to add a few more to the bag. Including a very high crossing bird that made my day! All goes quiet on the pigeon front. I tidy up and add the fallen to the patten. As i reach in to the grass margin to pick up a bird something moves an makes me jump back! it's a BIG grass snake! It was coiled up around/beside the pigeon. Maybe it detected heat or blood? No way it could eat it. It slithers off quickly. Lots of unsettled crows circling and crossing the field. Bit of calling brings odd birds in to have a look and are shot. Two pigeons land in the ash tree above. Try to line up both for one shot. I get one and bring down with it a big branch in full leaf.(old habits die hard)! Lol. I catchup with the other with the 3rd shot. About 5.30 more pigeons start moving and showing an interest again. in the next 1.30hrs i get another 9 birds before calling it a day and pack up about 7oc. As i squeeze thro the fence to go and pick up birds in the paddock behind i see a pair of ears poke up out of the buttercups. Wind in my favour i walk in a little closer and shoot. Another head pops up. bang! 2 down! Nice three quarter grown rabbits to. As i put my gun rabbits and birds over the fence i am suddenly joined by the small flock of 5 sheep. Then i realise they are big Suffolk rams and they mean business! They come in to butt me a try and help me through the fence. I end up having to pick up a stick to fend them off as i wrestle my 6ft+ self through the barbed wire. Had to laugh tho! I finished the day with 32 birds picked for 70 carts. 16 pigeons 7 crows 5 jacks, 4 rooks. Plus 2 rabbits. Sunday planed on thrashing my bike to the coast but it playing up. ( bloody harleys)! So i ended up on crow patrol again! Same farm as last week. Not so may crows about. But paddocks still being rested and no pigs in yet. Set up against thick mature hedge, wind off my back shooting down the paddock away from the buildings.. Crows from yesterday chined in random patten out to right close in. 10m. One out 70yrds towards buildings on floater. Five full bodied flocked on posts. 6 breasted woodies chined out to left and one on floater 70yrds out towards pond. In hide about 2.30. Half choke in maxus using ely pigeon select 30gm 6s in fiber for the first time. As i tried 2 shops in week and it only fibre cart they had. After 15mins and bit of calling the first jackdaw comes in and i get iot with 2nd shot. Crows and woodies lift and circle all around the farm. i get a crossing woodie and 3 crows before it goes quiet and i realise it's going to be slow going. As i am waiting i hear a noise down the hedge and realise it's young magpies. Can't see anything from where i am sitting as the hedge is very thick. But then a parent bird sneaks in and feeds them. I creep up the hedge and can see it sitting above the nest and manage to shoot it through a small gap. I quickly push into the hedge and can see the nest better and the about to fledge young sitting in and around it. The next 2 shots destroy the nest and 5 birds. I get odd woodies and a few more crows. But more go wide of the patten. They have wised up! I pack up at 6.30 picking 17 birds. A few lost in the hedge. 4 woodies, 1 feral, 5 jacks 6 crows and 1 rook for 34 carts. Breast pigeon and give to farmer. NB

I have and still use my ol granddads Stevens single barrel full choke 12 bore hammer gun. Dated it to around 1905. Know very little about em. Well worn but still usable. If that gun could talk!!! He and my dad were rum ol country boys! Dad taught me to shoot with it and i got my first pigeon with it at 14. Very light. Great walk about and bunny gun. Especially when i shoot with it over the same farms they did. Worth little but the memories are priceless!!!!! Also have my ol granddads now deactivated 410 walking stick gun. No manufactures details on it. Started shooting rats with it as a kid. NB

Had to sort jobs Saturday but managed to check a few farms.Very little about.So not expecting much but needing my fix yesterday i headed out further to a farm i hadn't been to for a while feeling doing it more out of duty really.This farm is newish to me and has been gas gun,banger and scarer crazy most times i have been and I've not done very good there. Pull up to two fields of rape that are well knocked back/not taken.Half the fields in blossom the rest s stubble and weeds. there are 60+ pigeons in both fields and in the trees. As it's getting winder I set up in a ditch between the to fields under a very large oak sitty tree where the birds were feeding near the edge of what rape is growing and with the wind off my back.As i walk back rom parking the truck 3 birds go into the patten and land.In the hide and maxus loaded about 1oc. It's a half hour before the first bird screams over the hedge from behind and into the patten. I get it with the second shot as it tries to leave. As i do this pigeons and two buzzards lift from some oak trees at the end of the field. Pigeons disappear sharpish. Buzzards start quartering the field displaying and checking out my decoys causing any birds wanting to return to disappear again.In the next hour i only get 2 more birds and decide to pack up.Friends wanted some rabbits so decide to go walk about on rest of farm and round the buildings.As i pull into the farm yard a flock of 100+ crows fly off from a paddock and around the piggery.They not in a hurry to go. As i wander round and get 2 rabbits at my shot they just lift circle and land in the paddocks or the trees. Maybe cos a lot of young with them.As i get back to my truck i see the farmer and one of the horsey gals. She says she has never had so many crows about or in the piggery and can i av a go at em as paddocks being rested, horses other side of farm and piggery nearest paddock empty.Make a change as don't get to have a proper go at crows.Drove to end of paddock and set up hide against/into a thick high thorn hedge with the now strong wind coming from behind and using the low branches of a field maple as a bit of a roof.Few pigeons about to Flighting the hedge line and going to the pond at the other end of the paddock.Put the 3 i had shot out to the left chined using kebab sticks as the paddock like a lawn. another to on floaters down towards the pond and hedge on left. Rummaged around in me truck and found 5 flocked full bodied crows and a magpie. 4 out to the right about 30yrds. Magpie and crow on field posts. Hid truck in barn.In hide Vail on caller at ready maxus loaded with fiber 32gm trusts no6 about 4.30.Straight away a woodie drops over the hedge.Get it with 2nd shot suddenly crows and woodies are every where. I get 2 more woodies before my first crow.They seem reluctant to *** in and slide wide on the wind calling.Chin the one i got and decide to bring others in closer to about 15yrds. It works! The change and a bit of calling brings a steady stream of crows across the paddock to have a look.I get 4 more and add em to patten, as on such short grass they didn't like the look of there mates on there back. This brings more crows in given all types of shot.Some very high birds to fast birds coming in on the wind from behind, including a double. Challenging shooting because i had the low evening sun in my face and i had forgot my shades. As the patten got bigger and with plenty of calling the more confident they became.I packed up at 7.30 when it really slowed down picking 6 pigeons,15 crows 7 rooks, 8 jacks for 89 carts. lost 2 pigeons and 4 crows in hedge. My best day on blacks! Farmer said she well happy and we cracked a bottle of wine and had red poll burgers on the barby. Interesting sighting for me today was a common tern flying over the decs and going to hunt on the pond.Spent some time there.Seen them when fishing on large lakes but seldom farm ponds.Any one notice birds seem to be moulting early this year? Some crows and rooks looked rough and brown.Birds in my garden moulting to. Guess just one brood for a lot of them this year. Heard tawny owls calling during the day at work last week to. NB

Red legged partridge. The trusty ol observers book of birds eggs (printed 1974)says these birds not as common as the grey and have restricted distribution, How times have changed! NB

As skully Says! As even good low tac tape can bleed on edges depending on surface being painted.Maybe thin paint with a bit of water (about 10%)if going on matt emulsion. If you don't paint often a good synthetic/nylon bristle contractor brush in 2 or 1.5in should do the job. If bold colours you'l probably need second coat to cover so don't try to hard with first coat. Work paint into brush on other areas first to get feel for it.Wrap brushes in bags when not in use and can straighten any lines when done. NB

Maybe one of my smart chargers is playing up then.Run 4 on my bikes 24/7 for years and never had a problem. Should work the battery like it's being used once charged and optimates supposed to be brill. Battery is a power sonic and felt sure it haden't bulged when i put it on the magnet. Left the last one that done it outside and the lads that broke in to my van and shooting truck took it. NB

One of my 12 volt 17 amp batteries sides have bulged when use at weekend.Is it Knackered/dangerous? Second 1 it's happened to.Charge em on optimate smart chargers i use on my bikes.Never had any probs with them.Would it be jus wear and tare as they are lugged round the fields and used every week? Cheers, NB

Jobs sorted and out about 10oc Saturday.Went straight to the farm that has got large field of Lucerne. Had been cut Monday and already new growth coming through. Saw several pigeons on it Friday so was hopeful. There was none! Off to next farm. Nowt about.Bit of a chat with farmer.Asked me if i wanted and would clear upload of pheasant feeders. drinkers and 2 partridge pens. Fella that had the shoot has packed in and moved away leaving them.Could be handy.Check 2 more farms.Very quiet.Next farm the same. Farmer said having trouble with rogue crows getting the free range hens eggs.Get in the hedge up back of farm and call in and shoot 2 crows heading towards the runs.Wander up hedge and take out another active nest that i had missed before. Got some eggs for my troubles and headed off again in search of elusive woodies. Back to the Farm with the 2 fields of knocked backed rape i had shot over 2 weeks ago.Several pigeons flying about and in the trees.Amazing how much the rape that is doing ok has shot up in the last week. As i drive up track/margin a few birds lift from knocked back end of fields and more out of sitty tree i usually set up near.Plenty of carp under tree an in the patchy area. Doesn't look like the fields been shot during the week so this'l do me. As times getting on, rain forecast for later, it near home in i got party to go to.Set up in ditch again at end of hedge line splitting the 2 fields.Wind is getting stronger as i set up coming over left shoulder. Set-up 2 magnets. One up wind to left close in and other in field behind to the right. Breasted birds on these and flapper on edge of margin. Two small random pattern s of flocked shells out to left and right but no further than first tram line. As what crop is growing is thickening up so hoping to get birds well into the pattern to make sure they fall where i can find em without doing damage to crop.Truck stashed down margin under other sitty trees.Chin some crows from last week with kebab stick in margin as i walk back.In hide at 1.30 maxus loaded and 1/4 choke and wait. 20mins and no action. A few bird come into the trees opposite. Wait a while and fire scare shot up wind away from the trees over the field behind.Birds lift and circle the field. 3 birds home in on decoys and battle against the now strong wind just above the rape and head into the patten.Waiting until they really committed i drop the first just past the tram lines. Miss the others as they use the wind to jink away fast. Another 2 come in low again in tandem. Wait till the last and drop both with 1 shot. Well chuffed!I manage a few more birds including a couple of difficult high ones. marking these carefully as they fall on the wind.Another bird i shoot as it tries to get away over the hedge falling straight into the hide before all goes really quiet.I set up 4 floaters round the patten an angel and put other birds visible on cradles.Move the magnet in the field behind closer in to shelter of hedge as it didn't look right in such strong wind.As i am doing this i see the reason it had gone quiet.Two shooters had parked up in the gateway opposite and were standing with guns scanning the field.Not sure if they seen me or my truck i let a shot off.They get back in truck and after 10 mins disappear. In the next 2hrs i only get 3 more birds.As i have noticed over last few weeks this seems an afternoon area and there's plenty of wildlife about i hang it out.About 4.30 birds start crossing the field high on a mission in numbers. Some curl of and head into the patten. In the next hour with some very last second move mount shooting(really meaning using a bit of self control)i down another 15 birds including a double.All goes quiet again as it starts to drissle. I pack up at 6oc picking 26 woodies loosing 3 in crop and hedge for 55 carts. Was it worth it? Cos it was!Hard work and not a big bag. But after a very poor hard soggy winter sitting out every weekend protecting rape in cold fields it's great to be out watching nature at it's best this time of year! Skylarks sang most of the day. Buzzards made the most of the wind and a daft young hare was scaring itself amongst the decoys.Saw my first brood of young pheasants to. The air smelt lovely after it rained!Heard my first cuckoo this week and others seen red kite about. After the flocks split up and the gas guns stopped Late April/May has bin good for me so far.Nothing on the drilling's tho. Had odd young pigeons in every month of this year. Strangely only 2 birds with milky crops.Birds i preped today in very good nick and had very little in them. little bit of rape,hawthorn buds,clover,tree flowers and shoots. Home sorted, scrubbed up and PARTIED ON!! NB

Out bit later again this weekend.Saw other shooters heading for the farm with knocked back rape i shot last week.so checked some other farms first.Very few pigeons about and mainly in the trees and hedges on the buds. beans well up now and had seen nothing much on them since they were drilled. So headed to the farm i shot last week No shooters and very few pigeons about.Plus looked like it had been shot during the week.only other likely opportunity on anther farm and field where the rape that had been direct drilled on stubble last Autum had failed on a large part of the field. A few more birds about but none down feeding. was just about to head off to check last farm when some birds came over and headed down out of sight in a dip the other end of the field on the stubble well away from any rape. Drove down to that end but could see nothing from the road as this field slopes away.On driving up the margin about 100 pigeons lifted from the stubble. and weren't in any hurry to leave the field.I wouldn't normally shoot along this hedge but as the paddocks next to the field were being rested and empty and were attracting a few birds to things were looking good.Had a look where they were feeding and found lot of various weeds were coming up in the old stubble where the farmer had stopped bothering to spray this end of the field.Set up against the high thick mature hedge with the strengthening wind off my back.Not ideal as the sun in my face and the field slopes away up hill.Magnet with 2 breasted bird 10yrds out and to the left where any birds crossing the paddock behind could also see it through a gape in the hedge. Breasted birds on flapper and angel 25yrds out to the left. 12 flocked shells in random patten no more than 30yrds out.2 breasted birds on floaters about 70yrds out hoping to pull birds from another paddock that joins the other side of the field. Confidence crow on margin to left.Park truck and get the maxus loaded about 1oc and wait. Nothing for 15 mins so guessing the birds have settled in the paddocks fire a scare shoot. Birds lift from both paddocks and come from all directions across the field some into and across the pattern.In the next 5 mins i manage to down 7 birds things are going well.Then all goes quiet again. A crow comes over from behind and is downed.Pigeons on cradles and added to patten. Crow chined and out to left. Over the next 4hrs on strengthening wind pigeons crows, jacks and rooks come to the patten and are shot.TROUBLE was!While focusing on the wary corvids floating in on the wind i was missing pigeons hurtling into the coys out of the sun and below the horizon.Things really slowed about 6.30 and i ended the day picking 18 pigeons 7 rooks 5 jacks and 4 crows plus a bonus rabbit walking back to my truck for 87 carts. A short while after started shooting i noticed a kestrel off to the left. It flew off when i shot only to return a short while later and disappear into the hedge line.It Was only when i herd chicks calling i realised i had set up near there nest.What to do? But they did seem really bothered by my shooting and carried on feeding there young all the time i was there.Later i could see the chicks in the entrance of a nest hole in nearby tree.Another highlight of my day apart from shooting some high challenging birds in strong wind was watching a pair of hobbies in display flight over the field. The first i have seen this year. NB

From what i have read museums not really interested any more unless you can prove provenance. Says many don't display them nowadays either. Would like to except them for myself to keep as he was a luvly ol boy and great conservationest, naturalist and writer. Proper gent to! But not sure about the legal situation?? NB

Got given hardly used gamo shadow 1000 .22 this week. Open sites. Haven't had chance to try it out yet, Any good?? NB

What's prog called. NB

Customer would like to give me her late husbands old bird egg collection! He was in his 80's and collected them as a youth before the Protection of birds act 1954 and wild life and conservation act 1981. With the bit of research i have done seems a bit of a grey area legally to have them. It's an amazing looking collection and all the eggs are numbered. No identification info though or paperwork found as yet. Has anyone got or been given and old collection?? It would be a same for them to be destroyed as the RSPB site suggests as they are a thing of beauty!? NB