Limbourne – 16th February 2015
 
Last trip of the season and took Nick out for a morning flight. As it was late in the season and we had to keep our feet wet we went to Limbourne, which was covered in light fog. Just enough for me to make hard work of finding the yellow bin and the route on to the marsh.
One of us clipped a Wigeon that went down a little way out on the marsh opposite. It must have moved about as he had a tough retrieve, eventually picking it much further out than I thought it was.
And muddy it was, too.
Gardeners – 28th December 2014
Richie and I met Graham, who was already out on the marsh, for the morning flight at Gardeners.
I watched a couple of Mallard get off the creek near me and with hindsight I could of had a pop at them. Not a shot fired.
Joyces Creek – 12th November 2014
No shots by me and to top it off we couldn’t find Richie’s Teal. Having walked right around the Delph we spotted a pair of Fox eyes in the field. So we decided it wasn’t worth ripping our cloths on the new barbed wire fence for a lost cause.
Eastlands – 25th September 2014
I persuaded Richard to take me out to Eastlands for the afternoon/evening so he could sign me off, ready for some rough shooting later in the season. Sunny and warm, it was like a day at the beach on the shingle over the sea wall.
We hung around for several hours, eventually pitching up on the delph corner to await the evening.
Deeks out, we waited… and waited…
At last light a slim duck flew over the wall, already committed to landing. Lugging the decoys all the way out there was a waste of time on this occasion. I must be getting better as somehow I hit it in the gloom, rewarded my patience with a satisfying splash.
A minute or two later a single came over (Teal?), but I reacted too slow to take a shot. Another two followed, too slow again. Richard had a very late punt without success and that was it, just 5 mins of action.
Harry retrieved the bird, a female Pintail and we packed up. I think Think that’s the first time I’ve come home with more than him.
Bag for the day
1 Pintail (Hen)
Gore Saltings – 1st September 2014
Afternoon tide and evening flight on Gore Saltings with Richard. Â Nice weather and surprisingly no one else on the marsh. We were expecting it to be choca bloc as it was the first day of the season. Â First chance passed by as I was turned the wrong way. Â Second came as tide was rising. Â Pair of Teal. Â Got the first with first shot, but couldn’t manage the second; should have.
Richard managed a Teal from a pair whilst I was faffing about, as usual. Â Harry made a nice retrieve.
All quiet as tide went out, but as evening came we both bagged a Mallard from a group of three and at last light Richard got another Teal, which Harry found pretty swiftly out on the mud.
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Bag for the day
1 Teal
1 Mallard
Season Bag 2013-2014
 Howletts Driven and Evening Flights (39 birds for 93 shots)33 Pheasant 5 Partridge 1 Duck (Mallard) Wildfowling (4 birds for unknown shots) 1 Mallard (Not Picked) 1 Pintail (Hen) 1 Teal 1 Rook |
Brandy Hole – 23rd January 2014
Even though most of the UK is covered in standing water I bunked off work early as the forecast didn’t look too bad and high tide time looked ok. Harry had a little hunt in the rough field away from the marsh, then we set-up land side of the sea wall (but not right down the end).
The only birds flying were Rooks coming across the Crouch from the other side. Eventually had a pop at one which dropped like a stone to my second shot. Didn’t pick it as I had left Harry’s vest in the car and didn’t want him getting cold for a corvid. The shots disturbed some Widgeon, who flew too far out over the river from the direction of the sea wall end. They were the only duck I saw.
Caught the edge of some really dark clouds with rain at the close, which turns out had dropped a lot of hail at Battlesbridge.
Gardeners – 29th December 2013
An early start for the morning flight at Gardener’s with Richie. By the time we had faffed about at the Supermarket getting supplies and walked out to the marsh time was getting on, so we just squatted down in a couple of muddy holes.
It wasn’t long before a few Teal passed by, but they were either slightly out of range or were out of range by the time I had spotted them. After a quiet patch Richie called out suggesting he put a shot up, just as a group of about 5 flew past from behind him. Picked my bird and hit it with the first shot. It was dead in the air so I tried my luck (unsuccessfully) on another. Sent Harry quickly as I didn’t want another non picked bird like my first trip this year. He had soon retrieved it, but had a cheeky shake just as he got to me before delivery.
After it had got light we set-up the decoys, having to wait quite a while before a drake Pintail flew right over my decoys from right to left towards Richie. For some reason I just watched it go by, mesmerised by it’s long tail which really stood out; beautiful. Richie also had a good chance to get it, but missed! (and he’s been desparate to get a Pintail this season). He won’t get a much easier chance than that.
Gardeners – 23rd December 2013
“On Monday the 23rd of December and Tuesday the 24th December, the UK will be affected by severe low pressure system that will bring a large storm of severe gale force or storm force winds and heave persistent rain. This is expected to bring major disruption to Christmas travel and even damage to trees and property in some areas.”I met Richie and his boy over at Gardeners and as predicted above, it was very windy.  I moved to the slightly sheltered corner area. There were plenty of Brent and Shell Duck taking cover there
and about and a couple of single Teal flew over the sea wall, but both times they were well past by the time I saw them.
Gardeners – 28th November 2013
Evening flight at Gardeners hoping to make amends for missing the mallard at The Gore a couple of days ago. Richie walked some deeks out to the middle of the creek, showing me how it’s done.
Could hear plenty of Brent over the sea wall, then a Greylag called in the distance and I spotted a pair coming straight for me. Changed the breach cartridge over to a goose load and waited, just to watch them turn away. Don’t think it was the noise of changing cartridge, but next time will hold the bolt level when releasing, just to cut the noise down a bit.
No chances for me, but Richie dropped a Teal on the mud the other side of the creek which Harry did a great job of picking just before we started to clear up.
Gore Saltings – 26th November 2013
Richie took me out on The Gore for an evening flight. Set out a few decoys and sat down in a gully. Not too long before a Mallard flew over me, incoming left to right. I knew I was behind it before I’d even pulled the trigger and that turned out to be the only chance of the evening. Harry had been reluctant recently to come back to the hide, which I though might be down to noise level when shooting, so I tried getting him to sit un-tethered in my decoy bag a little way away from me. It worked for all of 20 minutes, when I heard the splashing noise of him tearing across the mud. Well, I tried.
Limbourne – 14th October 2013
Early start, up at 4am for morning flight with Richie10 on Limbourne. Not too cold but bloody muddy. Plenty of birds about. Richard had the best of it managing 4 Teal, but I broke my duck and dropped a Hen Pintail, to my great relief.
Brandy Hole – 1st October 2013
First trip out on the marsh. Went out early hoping, perhaps, to flush a Pheasant up. Managed to flush several, all of which I missed. Sat up at the end of the sea wall and missed a screamer of a high goose. Finally dropped a Mallard in a group that splashed down 30 yrds away. Harry tried his best but the bird must have been a diver as he just couldn’t find it. He disappeard up the creek for 5-6 minutes ignoring recall whistle desparate to find it without luck. gave me a little scare thinking that I wouldn’t be able to cross the creek to go look for him.
Season Bag (2012-13)
 Howletts Driven and Evening Flights (48 birds for 122 shots)30 Pheasant 8 Partridge 8 Duck (Mallard) 1 Woodcock 1 Goose (Greylag) Wildfowling (0 birds for 6 shots) |
Joyces – 20th February 2013
Last chance saloon, so after talking to Mike Lawrence I decided to go to Joyces, arriving late afternoon. Harry put a couple of Mallard up from the delph, shame it was foreshore season only. A few ducks got up off the splash and settled way out on the water, so I decided to setup at the base of the sea wall hoping to get them as they flew back.
By the time I’d finished and settled they’d buggered off somewhere. The odd duck flew over, but by the time I’d spotted them they were gone. We waited whilst the tide came in and the birds moved closer with the water line. Harry wasn’t too impressed.
Then Nick turned up with Nell, so we moved up the wall a bit. As the sun set Widgeon started to fly in from the Estuary in little groups. I didn’t notice the first bunch utill it was too late. It looked like I pricked one in the next group and Nick said it landed on the splash. Nick hit one from another group that went down in the splash as well. When it got too dark, we walked the long walk around the delph to look for them. Dispite Harry and Nell’s best hunting we only found one, which was almost certainly Nick’s, so it looks like I blanked my first season as a fully paid up Wildfowler.
DUCKS, they’re harder to hit than Pheasants, that’s for sure.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 3 shots)
Gardener’s – 19th February 2013
Took Harry to Gardeners in the afternoon, so he had a run around in the mud again. Setup the hide net as the tide came in and the sun started to go down. Air very still and mild with not a duck in the air. Absolutely nothing about, so decided to hang around well after the sun had set to see what would happen.
Dead quiet, then suddenly two ducks passed over very low from behind, sounding like a couple of tornado jets through my electronic ear defenders, landing in the creek a little way up. After that I could hear a few ducks flying over, but it was just too dark by then to even see them, let alone have a shot.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)
Brandy Hole – 8th February 2013
Watery Lane flooded. Thought I’d pushed my luck too far as the bow wave running ahead of the car grew bigger and bigger. I could hear the ice cracking as I drove through.
Should have got there half hour earlier, as usual.
Ducks got up as we reached end of sea wall, then we spent the rest of our time watching them fly up and down the waters edge the other side of the main creek.
Only chance was a Teal that I let fly by, but with hind sight was probably within range and I should have had a go.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)
Brandy Hole – 3rd January 2013
Went for a walk with Harry over Brandy Hole for a look about on the 2nd Jan and decided to go back the next day with the gun. As it’s our first trip on this marsh, Colin suggested we tried a spot about 80 yrds before the end of the sea wall as the tide currents will be lower. A few groups of duck were flying about, but not in our vacinity and the Widgeon whistle did nothing to bring them closer.
Whilst I was watering the daisies a Teal flew up on the marsh side of the sea wall and would have been a good chance. Later a couple more flew along the marsh side of the wall, so maybe turn around an face that way next time.
Bag for the day (0 for 0 shots)
Joyce’s – 30th December 2012
Took Harry for a walk over Joyce’s. Lots of walkers about so didn’t take gun out of it’s slip. Plenty of Brent about, especially on the flooded fields, but that was all.
Gardener’s – 21st November 2012
Out again with Nick. Let Harry tear through the muddy creeks to wear him out. Set up as the rain came down by the far bridge, five deeks out just as the wind got up. Blew a gale and a few birds about. A group of Widgeon came over and had a couple of shots. Missed with both. Nick did better and dropped one, which Nell retrieved in no time. Should have wore my waders, as my bum got covered in mud. Had another shot at a single bird going away, but again no luck.
At least there were a few birds about.
Game bag too small. Need to buy another toy and get a wildfowling bag.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 3 shots)
Joyce’s – 8th November 2012
Harry ran about and had a swim in the delph whilst Nick and Nell walked down the sea wall towards The Gore. They pushed a single Mallard up and back over me, but I didn’t have my gun out of it’s slip. Harry and I settled down on beach side of the sea wall as the sun went down. A single duck (probably the same mallard) flew across, too far out and a pair of Teal flew in over the wall to my right, again too far away. Nothing else, but we had a nice pint in the Blue Boar afterwards; shame Mark wasn’t working that night.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)
Limbourne – 25th October 2012
Our first time out on our own as Nick has signed us off on Limbourne. Up at 5:10, but not on the road until gone 6. Arrived at the farm at 6:45, so probably not setup and sat down until after 7:15 earliest.
No ducks about and we went home at about 9:00 empty handed. Should have got there at least 30 mins earlier really.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)
Limbourne – 3rd October 2012
My first fowling trip of the 2012-13 season, when Nick from BWA kindly offered to take me out. I left Harry at home recovering from gashed paw (and also so he couldn’t leg it off somewhere in front of Nick). We checked the Mink traps; no luck. Nell pointed three pheasant in the scrub by the sluice gate.
Some ducks way out, on outgoing water of Southey Creek and two skeens of Canada (30 mins apart) from Heybridge direction flew over the wall near the sluice gate before sunset. Unfortunately we were 200 yrds further along.
Only a single Bat in the sky after sunset, so we called it a night.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)