Countryfile photo

[islandgun]

Just noticed this evening, this one was taken where my main Rabbit perm is, these ponies follow me all over the dunes..😉

[NoBodyImportant]

What do they taste like? 😂  Just kidding, we had a guy get in trouble for killing a few wild horses on the outer banks. 

Edited August 25, 2019 by NoBodyImportant

[NatureBoy]

Gt pic. Saw it on CF earlier. Standard high this year, What you make of oystercatcher shot? Hare's to? Hell of a perm! Not jel at all! They taste any different off there?  NB 

[islandgun]

11 hours ago, NatureBoy said:

Gt pic. Saw it on CF earlier. Standard high this year, What you make of oystercatcher shot? Hare's to? Hell of a perm! Not jel at all! They taste any different off there?  NB 

As you say there all good. Oystercatcher shot is growing on me, taken from a drone i guess,  stunning village by the Estuary looks to me like the Scottish borders/Northhumberland, [ anyone know ! ]  My preferences are for either Hare picture both fantastic, here's a picture of my rabbit ground where the pony photo was taken. decimated by mixy last year numbers are just picking up, looking forward to getting out there this winter

 

[johnphilip]

Boo hoo my photo did not get chosen , still there is next year lol .

[NatureBoy]

10 hours ago, islandgun said:

As you say there all good. Oystercatcher shot is growing on me, taken from a drone i guess,  stunning village by the Estuary looks to me like the Scottish borders/Northhumberland, [ anyone know ! ]  My preferences are for either Hare picture both fantastic, here's a picture of my rabbit ground where the pony photo was taken. decimated by mixy last year numbers are just picking up, looking forward to getting out there this winter

 

I was thinking maybe both them pics tho good maybe heavily Photoshoped or faked? Something not quite right about em to me. That looks amazing IG! Bet it a bit wild in winter tho. Yeah rabbits seem to of really bounced back this year every where along with numbers of buzzards this way.    NB

[islandgun]

50 minutes ago, NatureBoy said:

I was thinking maybe both them pics tho good maybe heavily Photoshoped or faked? Something not quite right about em to me. That looks amazing IG! Bet it a bit wild in winter tho. Yeah rabbits seem to of really bounced back this year every where along with numbers of buzzards this way.    NB

That was my first thought re oystercatchers but surely not ! ..It was fantastic for rabbits as they were used to visitors in the summer, so didnt bother running away. strong gales in the winter but seldom dull, Was recently looking at a picture from East Anglia of approx 30 buzzards following the plough.. It is remarkable how well they have become established. never saw one down there in my youth. 

[marsh man]

On 25/08/2019 at 20:26, islandgun said:

Just noticed this evening, this one was taken where my main Rabbit perm is, these ponies follow me all over the dunes..😉

Stunning photo IG , also your Rabbit hunting landscape would take some beating ( excuse the pun  ) no seriously , a view you could never get tired of .

All the C F photos were superb , and as I am drawn to snowy scenes , my choice would be the Hare pushing it's head above the snow .

[islandgun]

1 minute ago, marsh man said:

Stunning photo IG , also your Rabbit hunting landscape would take some beating ( excuse the pun  ) no seriously , a view you could never get tired of .

All the C F photos were superb , and as I am drawn to snowy scenes , my choice would be the Hare pushing it's head above the snow .

Can vouch for the light in the picture late evening on a sunny day..  yeh I thought the blue hare. The area is Luskentyre isle of Harris if you fancy a google. plenty of pictures 

[NatureBoy]

15 minutes ago, islandgun said:

That was my first thought re oystercatchers but surely not ! ..It was fantastic for rabbits as they were used to visitors in the summer, so didnt bother running away. strong gales in the winter but seldom dull, Was recently looking at a picture from East Anglia of approx 30 buzzards following the plough.. It is remarkable how well they have become established. never saw one down there in my youth. 

Well they both amazing capture if real! Light and lines in hare pic look wrong to me. Maybe  we view/see them different because we see birds. hares and countryside more than most and pick up on it. Simon King rated hare pic tho and he ant no fool!  . . . Sounds perfect! Lot of tourists then? Friend wants me to go Orkney with her. Suffolk get'n crowded now! . . . .What part of East Anglia was that?  Have seen 10+ doing that! They ant all "after worms" ! Waiting for leverets or partridges to move. Recon most parishes have at least one pair. See them most days. on some farms they have learnt that decoys and shooting mean pigeons. Some with little fear strike and take birds off cradles. Less sparrow hawks and little owls because of them. The thug and mugger of the raptor world. . . . Never used to be so many corvids about  either!  NB

[islandgun]

39 minutes ago, NatureBoy said:

Well they both amazing capture if real! Light and lines in hare pic look wrong to me. Maybe  we view/see them different because we see birds. hares and countryside more than most and pick up on it. Simon King rated hare pic tho and he ant no fool!  . . . Sounds perfect! Lot of tourists then? Friend wants me to go Orkney with her. Suffolk get'n crowded now! . . . .What part of East Anglia was that?  Have seen 10+ doing that! They ant all "after worms" ! Waiting for leverets or partridges to move. Recon most parishes have at least one pair. See them most days. on some farms they have learnt that decoys and shooting mean pigeons. Some with little fear strike and take birds off cradles. Less sparrow hawks and little owls because of them. The thug and mugger of the raptor world. . . . Never used to be so many corvids about  either!  NB

The pic with the Buzzards was on the farming forum and it did look a bit enhanced..😁....I'm originally from the Maldon area and the first Buzzard i saw was in N Wales.. Tourists everywhere now. theres been a huge increase in numbers here [tourist's]  in the last 25yrs they come for the peace and quiet.😉

[johnphilip]

13 hours ago, islandgun said:

Can vouch for the light in the picture late evening on a sunny day..  yeh I thought the blue hare. The area is Luskentyre isle of Harris if you fancy a google. plenty of pictures 

One of the best holidays i had was on the Outer Hebrides  bed and breakfast with a couple in Stornoway  , they did not want me to go , i said are you a bit short money wise . I said i would stay a bit longer , they laughed and said no , we enjoy your company i used to take a couple of cans to them for the evening , the lad said oh here is a nice excuse for me to get out a bottle of whisky  he had been given for helping a neighbour cut the turf . The second week we went to North Uist . Fish a loch there , the locals called it " Washerwoman " seems it look like a lady washing her step from up in the air .

[yates]

See what you mean about the oystercatchers picture, it’s doesn’t appear real. 

[old'un]

On 26/08/2019 at 09:24, islandgun said:

As you say there all good. Oystercatcher shot is growing on me, taken from a drone i guess,  stunning village by the Estuary looks to me like the Scottish borders/Northhumberland, [ anyone know ! ]  My preferences are for either Hare picture both fantastic, here's a picture of my rabbit ground where the pony photo was taken. decimated by mixy last year numbers are just picking up, looking forward to getting out there this winter

 

There’s no trees for pigeons, no only joking, looks a stunning place and I would image you could easily think you were on a desert island on the right day.

Any idea how mixy got there as you are a bit cut-off from the mainland, well I presume you are.

[oowee]

11 minutes ago, old'un said:

There’s no trees for pigeons, no only joking, looks a stunning place and I would image you could easily think you were on a desert island on the right day.

Any idea how mixy got there as you are a bit cut-off from the mainland, well I presume you are.

It does look a stunning place but I don't like the idea of being followed around by those ponies when after rabbits 🙂 

 

[islandgun]

44 minutes ago, old'un said:

There’s no trees for pigeons, no only joking, looks a stunning place and I would image you could easily think you were on a desert island on the right day.

Any idea how mixy got there as you are a bit cut-off from the mainland, well I presume you are.

Thats a fact.. we have more golden eagles than woodpigeon. Ive been growing 2/3 acres of trees.  [mostly various willows] for the last 20yrs and have had the occasional woody visit.. re- mixy. good question. Ive come to the conclusion that the virus remains dormant either in the ground as eggs or carried in each generation of fleas eventually becoming stronger / mutating to become dominant again. or the rabbits that are immune to the original out break, who's off spring then become gradually become less immune until they succumb. we seem to get an outbreak every approx 7yrs when the rabbits are at huge numbers.........perhaps the flea is simply brought in on the back of visitors dogs from the mainland.. that picture is just of the dune slacks. its quite a large area, the rest of the island is permanent pasture, moor and mountains 

31 minutes ago, oowee said:

It does look a stunning place but I don't like the idea of being followed around by those ponies when after rabbits 🙂 

 

They dont usually follow for very long once i get started and soon get spooked. I think the whine of the 22 bullet disturbs them. either that or my camoed figure appearing out of the Marram..

Edited August 27, 2019 by islandgun

[old'un]

21 minutes ago, islandgun said:

Thats a fact.. we have more golden eagles than woodpigeon. Ive been growing 2/3 acres of trees.  [mostly various willows] for the last 20yrs and have had the occasional woody visit.. re- mixy. good question. Ive come to the conclusion that the virus remains dormant either in the ground as eggs or carried in each generation of fleas eventually becoming stronger / mutating to become dominant again. or the rabbits that are immune to the original out break, who's off spring then become gradually become less immune until they succumb. we seem to get an outbreak every approx 7yrs when the rabbits are at huge numbers.........perhaps the flea is simply brought in on the back of visitors dogs from the mainland.. that picture is just of the dune slacks. its quite a large area, the rest of the island is permanent pasture, moor and mountains 

They dont usually follow for very long once i get started and soon get spooked. I think the whine of the 22 bullet disturbs them. either that or my camoed figure appearing out of the Marram..

Without searching all of your posts have you ever put any pictures of your croft on PW if not you should do, I think a few would be interested to see where you live and the surrounding landscape, well I know I would.

[islandgun]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

Without searching all of your posts have you ever put any pictures of your croft on PW if not you should do, I think a few would be interested to see where you live and the surrounding landscape, well I know I would.

Not sure about that mate. this pic is from the hill at the back. my croft is the one in the middle I drained it into V shaped beds, I have SRC willow and veg in the beds.  Iv'e flooded an area near the saltings at the bottom and made a shallow pond/splash, which i feed although ive yet to shoot it, perhaps this year when we get some bad/good weather

 

Below is part of my strip of Machair, about 3 acres in all. it grows fantastic carrots and nice dry potatoes, [given a good dressing of seaweed and compost]  I seed about half with oats which i leave for the birds.. also have sheep hens and ducks. Towards the bottom of this picture are several splashes which attract ducks and greylag geese.. In the picture my son and eldest daughter [on quad]. she is at gaelic college on Skye doing acting

 

Edited August 27, 2019 by islandgun