A nice dozen

[Mightymariner]

So yesterday I was presented with the late opportunity to get out for a few hours, and though the weather was hot with light winds I never pass up the chance to get out.

I headed to a farm where I knew there was lots of stubble as it is owned by a family who do all the work themselves, so if they are harvesting there is no cultivation.

Parked on the top of a hill with views to the east coast and the Wolds, I was quite happy watching the world go by. Below me they were harvesting wheat, other fields had been cut, some baled some not. And the field I parked on was week-old rape stubble.

An initial drive round put up approx 200 birds, mostly on the lower portion of the field. I drove off to the wheat, and while I chatted to one of the farmers at the wheat field, I noticed birds coming back in. Sure enough as I drove back on to the rape, a good number lifted again.

I parked up again, nearly 4pm, plenty of time. After a few minutes of watching odd birds drift back to the field, I could bare it no longer and picked my spot - a lone tree with the sun and wind behind me, next to a 100 metre gap in the hedge line which the birds were using to enter the field.

Setting up in the shade, I was well positioned to take birds entering on my left to the rape. A few dead birds and a flapper completed the picture.

Sure enough as I parked the truck and walked back I could see a few birds trying to get in. Optimism was high.

Settling in the hide I had a couple of early shots, birds drifting in  to the decoys from the left, then on the shots I would get another chance from a field further away as disturbed birds headed back to the village behind me.

It was sporadic, few shots here and there, birds decoying well or coming back over me into the wind.

By 6pm it tailed off, it was never busy but I got the odd shot.

I picked 11, lost two in some bushes, and was more than happy given only a small proportion of the birds I initially saw came back.

In the shade of the tree with a nice wind cooling me, it was a great place to be regardless of pigeons.

[marsh man]

Great report , that is exactly how I like to pass the afternoon away , just watching the world go by and getting a few shots in the bargain , today it is already hot and should get up towards 30 degrees , I know where I can get a bit of shade and hopefully a few pigeons as well , with Norwich having a 12.30 kick off I will be a bit earlier than I normally go and pass the time doing next to nothing , well nearly nothing , I have got to put the decoys out

[JDog]

Good report. Just the sort of outing you enjoy.