"Long awaited?" report on yesterday!

kitchrat · June 28

Well, I'm going to report it anyway!

The Mett Office had misled me again, it was far sunnier and far, far windier than forecast, so before I left home I had given up my plan for a mid-field hide.

Just as well, when I got there about 4.00pm, the birds had decided they nearly all wanted the headlands for a change! About 2 dozen near the field entrance and about 4 dozen right up where the crop is at its poorest, almost non-existent. There, I would have faced a strong side wind, sun on face and no cover so I decided to set up on one side where the crop was both less poor but also thin in places, sun/wind on back, under the cover of an oak tree. These birds are used to being chased off every couple of hours, they just trickle back, in decent numbers, coming from no particular direction.

I put a dozen “Siilly-Socks” in the wind on one flank, a dozen+ of my best, flocked shells and full bodied decoys on the other flank, with any less good, potentially shiny shells in close, in the shade. A dead-bird floater on each flank. No magnet.

The hide was under the tree, small but I could rest my back against the trunk and in camo was sure I was hidden.

Three birds arrived as I was getting in the hide, gun not loaded, I'm in business I think. Ten minutes and 1 lone bird floats all the way across from trees on the other side, straight in. I'm so shocked that it takes me both barrels to knock him down. Another 10 minutes, 4 birds come in from behind, swing back to look at my pattern and one looks too closely and pays the price. Then it went quiet! By 6.30 I had shot only 4. The farmer drove round the farm and that put another couple into the bag.

Thereafter, a tiny dribble of birds from random directions. Those from my side mainly had a good look and got shot. Those coming from the other side dropped straight onto the headland, whenever they built up too much and started to pull “my” birds over I walked them off. Shots did nothing, although they were only 200yards downwind (Google Earth).

I shot quite well and killed almost all that came into normal range, ending with 16, including one long one (dead in the air) which hit the deck at 60 yards (I paced it). However, if it was 20 yards up when I hit it, using the formula S=U*T +1/2 AT*T, you can see that it took about 1.414 seconds to fall to earth. As it was turning away at the time, and going downwind, contact may have been made only 50 yards out – everybody happy?

I noticed that couples of birds would arrive, check the pattern, decide it was safe but then drop into the middle of the field, away from the “madding crowd” and maybe the randy bachelors?? whereas singles would join the group and get shot.

I felt that a magnet would have got me more visitors but probably they would have pulled away early and the bag would have been the same or smaller, with more frustration.

Anyway, why have things changed? So many less came to visit than we have usually seen. Just the fact I was shooting repeatedly reset the trickle to zero? The weather? I have reports of birds on podded rape and milky barley. Have they moved on? One of my victims had a load of barley on board, one had pea leaves and flowers, the rest were empty.

That's it, rambling over, any complaints, don't bother! Cheers,

Well, I'm going to report it anyway!

The Mett Office had misled me again, it was far sunnier and far, far windier than forecast, so before I left home I had given up my plan for a mid-field hide.

Just as well, when I got there about 4.00pm, the birds had decided they nearly all wanted the headlands for a change! About 2 dozen near the field entrance and about 4 dozen right up where the crop is at its poorest, almost non-existent. There, I would have faced a strong side wind, sun on face and no cover so I decided to set up on one side where the crop was both less poor but also thin in places, sun/wind on back, under the cover of an oak tree. These birds are used to being chased off every couple of hours, they just trickle back, in decent numbers, coming from no particular direction.

I put a dozen “siilly-Socks” in the wind on one flank, a dozen+ of my best, flocked shells and full bodied decoys on the other flank, with any less good, potentially shiny shells in close, in the shade. A dead-bird floater on each flank. No magnet.