ayano3 Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Your aim seems better now you have a girlfriend. Maybe less hand shake on firing ? Any thoughts or is it coincidence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Your aim seems better now you have a girlfriend. Maybe less hand shake on firing ? Any thoughts or is it coincidence? Pure coincidence I'd say Graham, I have changed back to shooting the auto lately. Will be back out again tonight after a few more duck! Will hopefully be on Holbeach next weekend sometime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGoose75 Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 As for the sighting of the Eagle " anser2 " , no I haven't but I think I know where your talking about and if it is out there, it might be around the marsh carrs between Halvergate and Reedham , word will soon get about and if I do hear anything I will let you know. This morning I took my dog up Breydon for a run before I had to go on todays shoot , when I first went around 6.45am it was starting to get light and being a calm morning the geese that had been roosting started to talk to each over , the noise got louder and louder and I thought there must be several out there but it was not light enough to see how many there was , well when I was nearly back to the little car park Peter A the well known bird watcher was setting up his telescope to watch them lift off and as I had a little time on my hands I decided to stay and watch , by now it was light enough to see them through his scope and what a sight it was , just about every goose was walking round and stretching there wings and then they started to take off in there thousands and I don't know how they count them but he estermated between 14 and 15,000 , and I know one thing , when I finally hang my guns up I am going to treat myself to a decent telescope as you can intrude on there way of life without causing any disturbance and learning about how they live at the same time . Hi Marshman' like yourself I have a few Birdwatching Friends and find time spent with them very interesting. You always seem to learn something new from them and its great when they let you look through their expensive Scopes. One Guy in particular' An English gentleman who is one of the most respected birders in Ireland is always a pleasure to spend time With' Although Sometimes i get the feeling he is fed up seeing me as i' usually spend so much time on the shore. They are so well clued up on all birds and seem to spot things that the casual eye doesnt. For example he told me to take a look at a ruff through the scope one day and he moved it several times as i said i couldnt see anything but godwits . It was only when I said that i was looking for the the puffed out neck feathers that he informed me that it was only in the breeding season that this occured. Like yourself' when i hang my Guns up "not for a good few yrs yet I hope" I will be purchasing a good Scope or one of them long lense cameras or both. I was trying to sell a gun to fund a good camera but I couldnt get the asking price. Ref- Bird Counting' when it comes to Wildfowl like geese' what you do is if you see a Skein of birds Count out say 20 and through time you will get to know What 20 geese in flight looks like and when you see big Skeins' you roughly count in 20's until Say' you get to 100 and when you familiarize what 100 looks like' you Start to Count in 100's and that is Roughly so to speak how to Count big numbers of birds. I suspect it is something Similar with geese on the Ground. Glad to hear you have been putting plenty of time in Anser2 and seemed have had a good season after your health problems.Long may it Continue . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barls2-9-12 Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Had a nice late afternoon tide flight plenty of birds about which was nice to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Did better than me - I had one shot at a pink - and missed... Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 26, 2015 Report Share Posted January 26, 2015 Looks like a very good flight to me , hard luck on the pink Grandalf , hopefully I will see some to try and miss this week !. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barls2-9-12 Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thanks. It is nice when things just go your way for a change. Good luck to all for the rest of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Made my first ever visit to the marsh last night, and i'd like to say a huge thank you to Fal and Jet for showing me the ropes. (Shows how good the brotherhood of pigeon watch is) The flight was a blank one although, had i been more awake i should of had a shot a wigeon. But as they say its a start! I am very keen to get a dog now. Cheers Aled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fal Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Made my first ever visit to the marsh last night, and i'd like to say a huge thank you to Fal and Jet for showing me the ropes. (Shows how good the brotherhood of pigeon watch is) The flight was a blank one although, had i been more awake i should of had a shot a wigeon. But as they say its a start! I am very keen to get a dog now. Cheers Aled No probs mate! I will get you out again a few times before the end of the season, hopefully get you a foreshore duck! Like I said, just let me know when you're free and I will see what I can do. Shame not to get a shot last night, but we did see birds so can't complain, I think with age, your reactions slow down, that'll explain how that pair of wigeon got off lightly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 I had the marsh to myself this morning , things were a little quiet with the duck and a handful of greylag moving while it was still far to dark to see . I managed to save a blank quite late on with a nice left and right out of three widgeon that came straight over me ,. A very cold and fairly strong wind this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barls2-9-12 Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 I had the marsh to myself this morning , things were a little quiet with the duck and a handful of greylag moving while it was still far to dark to see . I managed to save a blank quite late on with a nice left and right out of three widgeon that came straight over me ,. A very cold and fairly strong wind this morning. Sounds like an enjoyable morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Ahh now Fal age caches up with us all eventually....LOL Thanks again. Looks like you had a good one fenboy. Cheers Aled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 I had the marsh to myself this morning , things were a little quiet with the duck and a handful of greylag moving while it was still far to dark to see . I managed to save a blank quite late on with a nice left and right out of three widgeon that came straight over me ,. A very cold and fairly strong wind this morning. Well done on your left + right at Widgeon " Fenboy ", I was out first thing , just to take my dog for a walk and it didn't seem that cold , but having said that I wasn't exposed to the elements like you were and I didn't stand around to long to get cold. Around dinner time it hailed hard and the wind blew close to gale force with the temperature dropping quite a bit...........so tonight I will have to put my thermals on and see if I can get a pair of duck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Well done on your left + right at Widgeon " Fenboy ", I was out first thing , just to take my dog for a walk and it didn't seem that cold , but having said that I wasn't exposed to the elements like you were and I didn't stand around to long to get cold. Around dinner time it hailed hard and the wind blew close to gale force with the temperature dropping quite a bit...........so tonight I will have to put my thermals on and see if I can get a pair of duck Thanks marsh man , it is very windy indeed here now , and without being wrapped up it cuts through you , hope this evenings flight went well for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Thanks marsh man , it is very windy indeed here now , and without being wrapped up it cuts through you , hope this evenings flight went well for you. Tonight " fenboy " was very cold and a strong N / E wind, which like you say find all the gaps in your clothing. I was flighting between two big flashes of water on the same field with a few decoys out in front of where I was sitting, the first stars were out when I saw the first lot of duck come across the marsh well in front heading on to another field with some water on the old grass land , my dog was seeing the duck well before I was and the first chance I had was when his eyes were following half a dozen crossing on my left hand side , two shots were fired and one fell out , weather it was the one I fired I don't know but at least I had one . several times I saw duck but then lost them in the darkness. I did have three more shots without success until a pair crossed my front towards the decoys , I could only follow them with my gun as I couldn't see any background and with the first shot I saw a splash and my second shot could have gone anywhere because all I saw was a dark shape going into the darkness , so that was it , a good flight but if there had been some cloud cover it would then had been a very good one.. ...Still well satisfied. I didn't realise how cold it was until I got back to my car and my hands were to cold to press the button on my key to open the door , I have been a lot colder in the past but it wasn't below freezing tonight , but there you go I must be getting soft. Pity you didn't live a bit closer " fenboy " as you could come for a flight with me ,as the marshes I was on I rent and I am the only one go on there , but if you fancy coming down your more than welcome , it might be a bit late in the season now but if I still have them another year we can sort something out ......Hopefully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Thanks marsh man , glad you got your duck , I would love to join you but as you say perhaps a little late for this season but I am sure we could sort something out for next . Of course you are more than welcome to join me on the wash also . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 28, 2015 Report Share Posted January 28, 2015 Well done marshman. I was taking a prospective new member around my clubs marshes yesterday when we headed north over the new bridge at the head of the estuary. There was a huge long line of duck along the edge of the tide near the saltings at the east end. I was in a moving car so could not glass them , but thought they looked like wigeon in the main. Plenty of geese to the north of the estuary and up the Bure , both pinks and greylags , but not many duck as we headed up the North river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Blyth Estuary last night with two guests - The guys who found and returned my large bag of decoys when they were washed away by the flood tide last season. Picked up on the beach two miles away! Glad I had my name on the bag and it was found by a fellow fowler. Anyway, yesterday afternoon - torrential rain and an increasing westerly wind. Rain stopped just as we got to the marsh at 2pm. The temperature dropped like a stone. Strewth it felt cold in that wind. Freshwater marsh behind the river wall. Lots of ducks about but, infuriatingly, they all wanted to settle in the lee of the old river wall just in front of us. (Not allowed to shoot on the other side of it). We were in three rudimentary hides, facing east, with the wind at our backs. We had teal, mallard, widgeon, shellduck and several greylags all behind a wall just twenty yards ahead of us! Eventually one teal crossed the wall and paid the price to my shot. The air immediately filled with squawking, flapping birds of every size, shape and description. The westerly wind was too strong for them and they all soared away to the east and silence fell again. A long cold wait - very cold for Merlyn, my yellow lab, who had been for a swim to recover the teal - with many duck and a few greys off in the distance but nothing over us. My bladder took control and I stood up and left the low hide for relief. Tony, next door, did the same shortly followed by Dave - funny how bladders work in unison. That was the sign for the widgeon to rush down the marsh with the wind behind them. Straight over our heads whilst the three of us stood there with the wrong weapons in our hands! We had a 'mardle' - stamped our feet and rubbed our fingers, drank coffee and settled down again. One crow fell to my shot - we have to shoot vermin as part of our licence from NE - Then quiet again. At nearly last light we moved about twenty yards closer to the water splashes behind us and looked into the fading light. Duck at last appeared and we ended with five teal and a crow. Recovering the 'coys with frozen fingers and toes was a trial best forgotten as was the short walk back to the vehicles. We then discovered that Tony had left his lights on and had a flat battery. A rummage in my landy produced jump leads and he soon had a running engine again. And so, away into the night for supper, leg of lamb, and a couple of glasses of malt. The Memsahib went off to bed early and I was woken up by Merlyn nudging my knee to inform me it was time for her last puddle and a biscuit before going to her bed in the kitchen. It was quarter to eleven and I had slept in the chair for two hours. No doubt dreaming of all those birds sheltering behind the wall twenty yards from our waiting guns... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 A couple of good tales marshman and Grandalf. Last go for me on Saturday morning for a tricky little lot of greylags on my syndicate in Essex. Laying out under a net in the middle of a big wheat field they have been using, with a few deeks is the plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Well done marshman. I was taking a prospective new member around my clubs marshes yesterday when we headed north over the new bridge at the head of the estuary. There was a huge long line of duck along the edge of the tide near the saltings at the east end. I was in a moving car so could not glass them , but thought they looked like wigeon in the main. Plenty of geese to the north of the estuary and up the Bure , both pinks and greylags , but not many duck as we headed up the North river. Morning " anser2 " ....Yes you are right , most of the duck are Widgeon with a sprinkling of Mallard , Teal and a few Pintail , also when we were watching the geese lifting off in the morning last week P A pointed out 7 Barnacle geese feeding along the tide line . The best time to watch the duck is when the tide is full and the area known as the Lumps is packed with duck running into there 1000s , and now there is little or no shooting down there the duck become a lot tamer where it is possible to watch them without glasses from 80 to 90yds. Its a pity the Widgeon have left it late this season coming on to my block of marshes next to Breydon, as we could have arranged a afternoon on there together and had a yarn about old times , but how things have been my side it would have been a fair way for you to come with very little fowl moving about. As a long shot if you were free over the next two days, your more than welcome to come over for a flight and if you want stay round mine for tea that's no problem , we have got enough plates and ( we haven't got duck on the menu ) . Sadly my season finish tomorrow night as we have got our last shoot Saturday and I don't think I will have time to go when we have finished , if there was enough light you can bet a pound to a penny I will sitting on little box waiting for the last chance of a duck before I close the curtains on another season. Good luck wherever your going and I hope your keeping well.........M M A couple of good tales marshman and Grandalf. Last go for me on Saturday morning for a tricky little lot of greylags on my syndicate in Essex. Laying out under a net in the middle of a big wheat field they have been using, with a few deeks is the plan. Morning " Penelope " I like the sound of your plan , but I don't think whats left of my body would appreciate laying in the middle of a field in this weather, but I will keep my fingers and everything else crossed that your plan come up trumps and your able , after your thawed out to give us the results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Thanks Marshman , but as you say time is short this season for fixing up a flight before it all ends. Perhaps we can sort out something next year. Tomorrow morning I am taking a friend out on the coast in the hopes that this cold weather will bring the duck out of the inland lakes , but its been pretty poor recently and since mid December I have shot far more geese than duck and most of those geese have come from your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 A couple of weeks ago I had made arrangements with all concerned that I was going to have an evening flight today Thursday 29th January. All was going well until it flippin snowed again!!!! At about 11am it was "Daaaddd can you fetch your granddaughter as they have shut the school because of the snow" The school is about seven miles away in Baslow but because of the snow and traffic stuck it took me and the missus 2 hours and 40 minutes to get there and back. When I got home my son was waiting at the door, he had abandoned his car in town and wanted a lift to fetch my other granddaughter from nursey at the other end of town. Needless to say I didnt get to the marsh yet again This was my drive instead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p5vX0elWaw Best laid plans of mice and men and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Strewth, Harry, for a second or two there I thought you had rolled the car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Strewth, Harry, for a second or two there I thought you had rolled the car! Its funny you say that, when my daughter saw the footage she said "tell mum not to apply for any camera man type jobs" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 30, 2015 Report Share Posted January 30, 2015 Well the alarm went off at 4.15 am this morning , I thought I would have another 10 mins and woke up again at 9am so missed todays flight , never done that before , luckily I had not arranged to meet anyone ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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