1st morning flight of the season.

[Darno]

Well, I say 1st. I went out and bagged 3 geese on the 1st, but this was my first for duck.

Nearly no wind and clear skies, but the tide was perfect, so I thought the venture out would be worth a go. Especially with the easterly winds we have been having.

I was on the marsh set up at the entrance to a gutter by 5:00am, decoys just out in the main channel leading up into the gutter.

I could hear mallard above my head in the dark, but with no moon and no cloud I couldn't see them to shoot.

At about 6:00am 3 widgeon landed in the splash in front of me, my dog whined with excitement which made them jump up, I was able to pick them up against the towns streetlights on the other side of the estuary and knocked my first duck of the season out:-) dog made a lovely retrieve too.

My mate phoned to see how I was getting on and as the phone was ringing a party of widgeon came down the channel straight to the decoys and out dropped another, answered the phone to let my mate know what was happening, and as the dog got back with my widgeon, a pair of mallard came down the channel and I dropped the drake.

The tide was really racing in now so the dog had a fair swim, but he got on it right away:-).

With the tide getting higher and 3 ducks in the bag by 8am, I called it a day. Not bad for a couple of hours out with my dog. I could have had a few more but the dog was retrieving and they would have been miles away by the time I sent him back for them.

Will probably leave it a few weeks now, but can't wait to get out again now:-)

[squirrelhall]

Well done. Can i borrow your phone sounds better than decoys

[Darno]

Ha, it must be my phone, the only time pigeons come near my decoys is when I'm on the phone😀