Cold!

mallards

Temperatures are dropping. Duck, Snipe and Woodcock are off the menu as the season has been temporarily closed for the first time due to the weather. To give you an idea how cold it is here, people are walking, cycling or even driving over the frozen loughs up here! So with the birds getting it hard, I put out a little extra food for them.



The small birds are really getting it hard and I'm sure they could hear the wheat pouring into the feeders as the first had desended on it in seconds.






There is something really special in this picture, see if you can spot it.



So with the birds fed, I left for home.





Funnily, I've seen quite a few snipe, considering the conditions but as they are off limits and witha pheasant hunt planned tomorrow morning, I decided to hunt crows today.

We staked out a feeder that the crows have been hitting lately. I managed two Rooks and a magpie which should discourage the rest of them for a day or two. The rooks like to eat grain but will take eggs in the spring. I discussed with my cousin whether we will eat them or not, as I would like to try one. In the end we decided to use them as decoys for another vermin hunt after the pheasants tomorrow.




Mallards

Terrier

Had two Snipe in my parents tiny back garden today and they live in a houseing estate.

Had 8 dead redwings around my own place this morning, had 5 more in a box since about launch time, warmed up nicely in a few hours and released again.. they were so bad that i walked stright up and just picked them up!

DR6.5

Looks like a woodcock being flushed in the fourth pic, good pics mallard.

Cass

Some great pictures there mallard.

Was out doing a bit of work today around the club grounds. Checking feeders, etc. Got home and the young lad found a dead bird under the trees. So spent the afternoon putting together a make shift lean to for the smaller birds. Provides a little shelter and i keep it stocked with grub. Not much in the grand scheme of things but every little helps (thanks for the quote Tesco ).

mallards

Close, it was a snipe. There seems to be a large influx of snipe recently, probably from the UK. Or it's maybe that they are on the move more looking for food and shelter.

deeksofdoom

mallards wrote: »

Close, it was a snipe. There seems to be a large influx of snipe recently, probably from the UK. Or it's maybe that they are on the move more looking for food and shelter.

Yep it looks more like a snipe the woodcock would have browner wings.

deerhunter1

deeksofdoom wrote: »

Yep it looks more like a snipe the woodcock would have browner wings.

Lovely shot, prior to the ban I was meeting a lot of snipe in cover, ditches etc. Never seen so many

jwshooter

if your as fast with the shotgun as the camera ,the dog would not want to look up

mallards

4gun

they are off limits and witha pheasant hunt planned tomorrow morning, I decided to hunt crows today.

We staked out a feeder that the crows have been hitting lately. I managed two Rooks and a magpie which should discourage the rest of them for a day or two. The rooks like to eat grain but will take eggs in the spring. I discussed with my cousin whether we will eat them or not, as I would like to try one. In the end we decided to use them as decoys for another vermin hunt after the pheasants tomorrow.




Mallards[/quote]

"crow pie" for you so mallards .... wild turkeys a few weeks ago ....oh how the mighty have fallen:D:D

nice pictures btw

some more sensitive people might take exception to you wearing a balaclava:eek:....and toting a "weapon":D

Dusty87

Went for a walk today with the camera to the local Abbey to get some pics of deer. Was walking back a long a river and threw up a snipe every 30 yards or so. Never seen so many. Would they move to an area with water flowing seeing as the ponds and marshes are froze?

mattock

I think Mallards was in the press lately concerning a certain MLA politician , thats the reason for the Bally.
Anyone else agree.

CJhaughey

Dusty87 wrote: »

Went for a walk today with the camera to the local Abbey to get some pics of deer. Was walking back a long a river and threw up a snipe every 30 yards or so. Never seen so many. Would they move to an area with water flowing seeing as the ponds and marshes are froze?

Thats the only way they might get food in an area that isn't frozen solid.
Given that they probe the ground with their beaks for worms it must be very hard on the little beggars.
I saw a lot just in the week or so before it was closed.
The local stream that runs down near my place has frozen over in all but the little fast flowing areas. Ice was 2" thick, I broke as much up as I could to try and give the birds a chance but I doubt it will do much good.

Dusty87

CJhaughey wrote: »

Thats the only way they might get food in an area that isn't frozen solid.
Given that they probe the ground with their beaks for worms it must be very hard on the little beggars.
I saw a lot just in the week or so before it was closed.
The local stream that runs down near my place has frozen over in all but the little fast flowing areas. Ice was 2" thick, I broke as much up as I could to try and give the birds a chance but I doubt it will do much good.

Yea all the boggy marshy areas are froze over. Love the noise they make when they get up. The water is running quick enough so hasnt froze over there. I left some food out today with a bit of warm water and they had it gone in minutes. Lots of starlings came so had to put out more for the little songbirds. There dropping out of the trees around here

jwshooter

i seen 4 very good fallow bucks today just 50 yards ,fecken camera in my pocket never thought of it they were along a river would have made a lovely pic .
shot a fox out in a stubble a quick shot at 334 yards ranged it after the shot:D

mallards

mattock wrote: »

I think Mallards was in the press lately concerning a certain MLA politician , thats the reason for the Bally.
Anyone else agree.

Since the decommissioning you can get balaclavas and camouflage gear cheap!