First Forshore duck of the season

[anser2]

I have been a bit late getting down to the foreshore this season. Though I have managed a couple of successful flights inland it was only yesterday that I got down to the shore and that was more to see what was about rather than a serious flight and I stayed in the sueda bushes at the back of the marsh. It was quiet , very quiet , I only saw one pair of duck , though there were a few little parties of pinks flitting about low over the flooded saltings.

 

Last night common sense told me that it was not worth getting up at 4 30 am for the 10 mile drive to the coast. With yesterdays knowledge of the tides cutting below their predicted level and the weather men suggesting we might have a bit of wind and with the tides were perfect for a chance at the mallard I decided to go after all. The sky was a lot clearer that yesterday and though I was a little earlier arriving the dawn was already spreading across the sky as I pulled in at the back or the marsh. Hardly had I arrived at the creek I chose to flight on than a nice bunch of a dozen mallard passed a hundred yards wide of me. Should I move to get under the flight line or stay where I was ? I Opted to stay put as the tide was due to arrive in the creek any moment and I did not want to be wading back across flooded creeks at the end of flight.

 

Meg my lab saw them first, four coal black dots coming fast out of the primrose flush of the dawn. They were well up , but still worth a shot . Nether were anywhere near the duck, their speed beat me and the pellets well behind . Meg looked reproachful as I reloaded.

 

A few curlew trickled past flinging themselves sideways at their first sight of me. I am always surprised how wary they are. It’s nearly 30 years since their protection and still they do not trust man. Somewhere in the dark western sky a pink foot called and pasted unseen against the cloud bank now gathering to promise rain later. But to the east the sky was almost clear apart from a low grey bank of cloud just starting to catch the first rays of the morning sun. A stutter of quacks, I swung around towards the sea to see a high pair of mallard heading towards me. Reason told me they were too high, a good 50 yards up and going like the clappers. But they were at the perfect angle and I swung through the nearer bird giving it a huge lead. It staggered lost height and just as I was about to give it a second shot it spun down, hitting the marsh 100 yards behind with a resounding bump.

 

Meg was off like a shot, jumped 2 sizable creeks, finding the bird quickly and delivered an adult female mallard into my hand in less than half a minuet. The first foreshore duck of the season was in the bag. Four pellets ( Gamebore Mammoth no 3s ) had hit it, one in the neck , two in the body and one had broken its wing.

 

We settled down to see what else might come with the tide that was now racing up the creek. A constant stream of gulls coming up the main creek from the sea needed watching as sometimes an odd duck would slip in with them so often not noticed until it was too late. Not this morning however, the only other duck I saw were a bunch of five mallard that passed 100 yards off and a sizable bunch of wigeon , perhaps 40 that flighted along the distant tide edge.

 

 

Finally the sun peeped up above the eastern clouds turning the drab marsh into a riot of golds and yellows with its early rays. With the sun rise the pinks moved , 200 of them , but they passed a quarter of a mile away flying towards the sunrise. A big bunch of little egrets came up the creek 50 strong turning from dark silhouettes to stunning white birds flying owl like in the morning sun fading away into a distant rainbow. It’s for sights like that really make a morning flight for me. But the rainbow was a warning of wet weather to come and as no more duck were moving it was time to head off for the car made all the more appealing by the flask of coffee it held.

Edited September 15, 2015 by anser2

[Blackpowder]

Nice write up, could feel myself there pre-dawn.

 

Blackpowder

[misser]

nice write up....

[marsh man]

Nice to know you are up and about and well enough to tackle a morning flight on the foreshore again , above standard write up and a well deserved duck .

 

Widgeon are building up a lot each day down here, with a nice lot of Mallard scattered about , but up to now I haven't heard or seen any Pinks yet , although I expect to see the first ones. within the next few days.

[Penelope]

I really nice read Robert.

[SuperGoose75]

I enjoyed that. I still havent ventured forth as yet as we are experiencing something like an Indian summer at present' but write ups as that are a sure way to stir the senses and give the urge to get out again.

[Tony G]

Once again a great read When's that book out ?

[fenboy]

Excellent read as usual.

[anser2]

Thanks for the comments. Marsh Man unknown we were almost within contact on Sunday. I was talking to SimonTrinder for some time while Bas H said he had been talking to you across the BASC tent , SandringhamShow , at the same time !!

 

Tony as for the book its well advanced though I do not intend publishing until I retire in a couple of years so I have the time can gather up photos from friends polish the stories up a bit .

[Penelope]

One to wait for.

 

Thanks for the comments. Marsh Man unknown we were almost within contact on Sunday. I was talking to SimonTrinder for some time while Bas H said he had been talking to you across the BASC tent , SandringhamShow , at the same time !!

 

Tony as for the book its well advanced though I do not intend publishing until I retire in a couple of years so I have the time can gather up photos from friends polish the stories up a bit .

[marsh man]

Thanks for the comments. Marsh Man unknown we were almost within contact on Sunday. I was talking to SimonTrinder for some time while Bas H said he had been talking to you across the BASC tent , SandringhamShow , at the same time !!

 

Tony as for the book its well advanced though I do not intend publishing until I retire in a couple of years so I have the time can gather up photos from friends polish the stories up a bit .

That's a shame , it would have been nice to have had a yarn and I am sure it wouldn't had been long before wild fowling would had came in the conversation , I was talking to one or two blokes on the F W A stand who kindly showed me some photos of Kenzie that I hadn't seen before and just as I was getting in full flow my wife came in the tent holding my young dog and saying I had been over a hour and the dog had fell asleep , there you go you cant win them all.

 

Did you see the Breydon gun punt Simon had for sale ? , well that was our small one that my brother sold it to him when they pulled the sheds down.

 

If any one on here was thinking of buying a gun punt , I can vouch the one he have got for sale is a lovely boat to row , sail and is very stable on the water.

[Konnie]

Good read well done to you on the first of many in 2015/16

[anser2]

I saw the punt gun , but did not realise it was for sale. But then my punt gunning days are well behind me , not that I ever did a lot , but a friend took me on the Wash several times . I too spent a lot of time in the BASC tent , mainly chatting to Simon who I have known for many years . It was great to see old friends for a chat from a number of Norfolk clubs which is for me the main reasonn for going, though there were a number of items I wanted for pigeon shooting and wildfowling this year from the trade stands. Got all the pigeon gear , but I did not find many stands that had much wildfowling gear or if there were I missed them.

[marsh man]

No , the punt gun on display wasn't for sale it was the gun punt that Simon have got that is up for sale , he had a photo of it pinned up where he had some of his pictures on the wall next to his easel .

 

He is most likely getting old like us and his days afloat are coming to a end , except when he go on his Mediterranean cruises

[Zechk]

Congratulations on the duck! Lovely write up as usual.