Guttersnipe

Excellent pictures and some lovely animals there...

Is it the standard, wet-look, product or the "natural Matt" - thanks

Bit of good news, we put 20 nest tubes out at the end of the season and despite reading all the literature, expecting them to be ignored first year we have 11 clutches in them, the first of which are just hatching. Early clutches are collected from ground nest-boxes and tubes, to encourage a second more feasible brood, then incubated, brought on and released in July but with very limited success this year compared to previous - probably the cold spring. Gulls and Crows are our biggest issues, the ladder and larson traps are working overtime with good numbers, just need a solution for the gulls....

Great video, a lot of hard work there and some history saved. Glad he's being so proactive with his campaign and lobbying - he has my vote, we need proper representation

All good recommendations but pigeon, bacon, black-pudding and rocket pitta breads are No1 on the menu in our house.

great pics, the wife rang me this morning to say a woodpecker was helping itself to "her" blue tit chicks from the nest box outside the kitchen window..... not quite sure what she wants me to do about it... great birds and they have chicks to feed as well.

Good job Flynny, you'll remember that for a long time. Wish mine were being as cooperative as to announce their precence, i've been given the right run around this season....

Really good Dave and as you say very atmospheric - good luck with the exams, stick with it, it'll be worth it - the odd afternoon off is important to clear your head. cheers GS

Would you be willing to courier this? If so I'm interested. Cheers

Cracking Dave - some lovely pics, if you keep showing them all how great Lancashire is we'll be inundated - the 35mm prime f1.4 is a great lens, just invested in one for baby pics (wife's orders, apparently too many landscapes).... cheers

Great pics Beardo - big fan of the little tree-creeper, got one making a nest in the garden at the minute in the tiniest little crack in a treetrunk

Thanks for your responses - as said this would have to be centrally organised and is only the germ of an idea. I'll see if I can bend Mr Ali's ear next time we meet.... Harrycat, i'll send you a PM but it was hypothetical - "any similarity to real events is purely coincidental" as they say regards GS

I've got a hypothetical question for you, which whilst informed by recent events is not directly related to any specific club or situation. The WHT offers the opportunity to wildfowling clubs to borrow money to secure shooting/sanctuary habitat, this is then paid back with interest. These funds are limited and my belief is that this pot is currently empty having already been utilised for the purpose it was intended. However that means that should a club find itself in a position where it needs to re-secure its leases and has limited funds or a direct threat from a conservation body, there is a real risk that shooting rights are lost, unlikely to ever be returned. The obvious common denominator for the majority of wildfowling associations is their affiliation with BASC, over 140 clubs currently pay their club memberships to the organisation. As such I see an opportunity for a centralised managed solution to what i believe will be an ever increasing problem. If every club were to simply commit that, if called upon by BASC, they would fund up to £1000 as a loan to a central fund, to be repaid at the 3% WHT rates, this would instantly give huge security to the majority of clubs. The risk would be spread and thus minimised, the same way Lloyds insurance works, whilst being of benefit to the wider wildfowling community. Often when its needed, its too late for a single committee to be approaching another individual club asking for a large loan, understandably clubs are beholden to their members and must protect any assets. This £1000 commitment, as that is all it would be, no one parting with any money without a specific BASC request, could be approved at a clubs AGM so the committee could quickly act if required. In any auction, knowing you have contingency funds to draw upon in addition to those of the club, puts you in a far stronger position. On this forum there are representatives from across the country belonging to different clubs and the general consensus seems to be that if "wildfowlers don't help each other no one else will" so i thought this may just be an opportunity to put our money where our mouth is.... Any of us might just need that help one day. Particularly interested in any of the BASC reps opinion on the feasibility of this proposal.

Good offer, exactly what PW should be for, wish I was closer - good luck

Sent you a PM. Regards

Sent you a PM. Regards

Thanks for posting Alpha mule, its good to have everything in one place with so many variants out there. Cheers

Good website, you only need it for a month. £10 is a small amount to pay for the investment in knowledge - the id section is particularly good with both instructional slides and blind tests.

Good job Fenny and great to be offering the sport to PW members - only wish I was closer, i'd be there in a flash to take you up on your generous offers.

Great shots as always Dave, only a stones throw from me... inspiration for a bigger lens (any excuse) just too many expensive hobbies!

counting the hours down to my day off tomorrow then a carefully coordinated family holiday starting Sunday. Good tides with us in the morning and cold enough to have frozen inland - geese in the morning, still a few straggling pinks. Evening will be a late one with a 21:00 tide but shooting under the moon until midnight - the wigeon have been coming in very late with us. Bag returns in on Saturday to avoid penalties - i've only done half the flights of last year due to circumstances but only a third of the ducks, geese slightly up... seems a similar story to elsewhere. You never know tomorrow may bump up the numbers... All the very best for the summer... keep out of mischief

thanks, i'm just considering my first PCP for NV rats around chicken sheds where i can't use the RF so thought this may fit - i'm not in a rush, just seeing what is out there, if you haven't sold it when you are next coming south, send me a PM. All the best. GS

Do you ever get down the M6 past Preston? Interested, just struggling for time to travel. cheers

Could I have the two large forks in the middle, the left, slightly longer roll/spike and the top right coronet/brow tine please, 4 pieces total. PM me your paypal details and the final total - postage to Lancs, mainland GB. Cheers Nick