Fisherman Mike Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Despite the deluges this could be a very good year for breeding with stacks of laid wheat & barley available at peak breeding times. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conygree Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Good year for Plums as well Mike - I'm up the road/floods from you in N/oxon . Have given up on going on Holiday so its back to building loads of 'scratchers' for the poults - not what I had planned ( nor my wife). The pigeons became a 'rare breed' last summer with the infection but numbers have now risen - loads of 'blackies' about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 It seems to have been a good breeding year for most birds. Robins, sparrows, blue tits and a wren in our garden, we know have all definitely had two broods already. We had a bumper crop of cherries this year, but the rain split a lot of them before they fully ripened and its looks as though the plums could suffer the same fate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Is anyone seeing any numbers of wild Pheasant or Partridge chicks around? I usually see plents of broods around the shoot, but his year so far I haven't seen a single brood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 I have seen good broods of mallard, pheasant and partridge this year, but the best thing was a group of english partridges, consisting of 4 adults and 18 young. I have also seen more leverets this year than usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conygree Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Hi Cranfield - I pick my plums as they come off easily, don't worry about the splits. I have picked 3 batches so far, cut the stones out and boiled them up with loads of dark brown sugar and froze them in 'tupperware bowls' - so they act as moulds. I lost loads last year as I waited too long - this time I checked the tree twice a week - no wasp problem. Blackberries doing just as well and too many apples have set on one tree. I go 'scrumping' in an old ruined wall garden - some lovely fruit of old varieties, best cookers ever - store well, the Victorians knew their fruit. Hi Browning - we had a change of Keeper so none of the phesants caught this year so all gone wild - loads of Foxes/buzzards but many of the birds have had large broods of chicks, many using the OSR as cover. Bit conserned about the new poults in the rain so I have been helping the new keeper building 'scratchers' on an industrial scale - ears still ringing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 I've seen many leverets, first and second batch.... longtail tits and rooks Not many pheasants broods or redleg partridge broods No grey partridge at all I went to see a local farm manager today to try for the second time to get permission.... He took my details and had a look at my licence .... then said he noticed the pigeon numbers on the increase...... Now I hope he will call ......... Malk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 pigeon popper, where are you located ? My victoria plums are still green, only a few are turning, they must be a few weeks away from picking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted July 23, 2007 Report Share Posted July 23, 2007 Leverts down this year and I have no idea why as the farmer does all he can to protect them:( But on the plus side the red legs are showing well this season despite the damp conditions. Pheasents are almost non-existent LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conygree Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 pigeon popper, where are you located ?My victoria plums are still green, only a few are turning, they must be a few weeks away from picking. North Oxon - I have had 3-baskets full so far. This Vic plum tree was useless, fruit not setting for a few years, then last year cropped well but I waited too long and lost say half over ripe or dropping + wasps, this year it cropped well. If they are dark just give them a twist, if not leave them. As I said cut them up even if they are a bit green say a pan full to a handfull of dark sugar taste great. I have only lost say 10% to drops etc, some plums are 'pear' shaped with an internal split, its not an insect just the weather. It seams as if the hot spring acted like summer now fruit acts like late summer, Black currents are cropping well so are late Raspberries!! and the largest Horse mushroom so far a few weeks ago 9" dia - bit early, one per family. The old walled garden on the estate is like 'Miss Fathershams', last year I shared the large cooking apples with the deer and still had crumbles for weeks, I swop surplus pigeon on one farm for duck eggs and a lamb coming soon - life is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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