A good start then downhill

[7daysinaweek]

Went back up to one of my small permissions  today, I was there last week and there was not "much doing" from what I could observe from my limited visits due to work commitments among others. It is mostly wheat and the farmer has asked me to keep an eye as regular as I can post the covid restrictions. 

Had chance to get back today and it was overcast, dry with a good wind. On pulling up there were the odd birds following what appeared to be a flight line across a field of spuds adjacent to the wheat and going though a gap in the trees. I could also see two three sat on the telegraph lines next to the wheat field. I watched from the car for a good 15 minutes and saw probably seven or eight or so birds go through.

I walked down and travelling light I tucked myself in at the far end of the spinney of trees (to the right of the picture) this is where the pigeons had been travelling through. I say a gap in the trees however, they were travelling some good height above it. I had no hide with me so managed to get myself in the ditch with good cover around me facing outwards towards the spuds. Within a few minutes the first couple of birds came fast on the wind and a good height for me and had the first one down, this was followed up by other birds being stirred from the rapport of the gun, a couple of minutes later downed another cracker. No sooner had I put cartridge in a crow come over the trees from the back of me and I connected with it and followed it up with a second and down it came. It was a great shot for me as I find going away birds the most difficult and crows I find all the more difficult as to my eye they just seem to be "not moving" when my brain knows they are.

I thought things are going very well then birds started to come in small numbers and I missed the next four or five on the run and they were all "lowish" birds and was getting a bit frustrated. Over the next hour or so things began to quieten down and I managed another four birds and could not connect with a good few others.  I called it a day and will get back down next week when I off again.

The wheat is really stunted and lots of it is only about a foot tall and the heads are poor, I posted in one of Marsh mans threads recently how poor the wheat has been and this appears to be reflected in many parts of the country judging by similar comments in the threads and appears this is a  result of the prolonged dry spell. The farmer says he is looking at around a 50%  reduction in yield this year from his crop, the worst in many, many years. Add in the year on year pigeon damage and the yields are under much more pressure.

Even though it was not the most productive it was still very, enjoyable to get out and provide some service and "breathe some fresh air."

atb

7diaw

[JDog]

Good report.

That wheat is a very thin crop and will hardly be worth harvesting. 

[marsh man]

 Very enjoyable read 7diaw , some of the shots you connected with will stay in your memory bank and the others will fade in time .

As you rightly say , this coming harvest is going to be very patchy , all that long spell of very hot and dry weather have taken it's toll on some of the grain fields and apart from making it an early it certainly wont produce many records. 

[WalkedUp]

Wheat is going to be expensive. Lots of bad harvests. Good report 👍

[7daysinaweek]

Thanks Chaps!

This farm is only very small and also grows spuds which have fortunately done a little better for the farmer, it will be interesting to see what he yield he gets off it.