crops towards the end of the year, clouds of
smaller birds will rise from beneath.
Reaching one of our flight ponds at the extreme
end of the farm, I’m somewhat taken aback by the
amount of reeds that have started to spring up
once again. Brother Paul had spent a couple of
days the previous autumn with his pole hedge
cutter trying to open up as much water as
possible for flighting birds to land into, but it looks
as though his efforts have been somewhat in vain.
I have decided to get my digger man in for a
couple of days, not only to clear out the main
swathe of rushes but to double the size of the
pond, which will hopefully encourage more
migratory duck from the river nearby. If such
actions produce an extra flight for those of us that
are involved, it will be more than worth it.
On my way back, I check on some hazel whips
that I have recently planted in a wet corner, only to
find that several have fallen fowl to one of our
resident hares, something I have grown
accustomed to over the years.
I am hoping that in due course a woodcock or
two might find such a corner to their liking. I must
admit, although they do a lot of damage,
particularly at sapling age, I do like to see hares
in the vicinity. They are not as common as they
once were due to changing agricultural practices
so a few damaged trees will be overlooked if it
means I get to watch these magnificent creatures
for years to come.
So, as is normal at this time of the year, there is
loads to do, even though at times one is reluctant
to jump from a warm duvet, especially at
weekends, but it will be all worth it as the year
draws to a close. This year, our syndicate has acouple of new recruits, one of which is keen just
to run his red setters in an area where he knows
birds are present, but I’m sure we will get him to
dirty a barrel or two in the process. It is always
rewarding to have new members; they bring a
fresh energy which serves to push older hands to
greater deeds. Not only this but they bring with
them new ideas on how to maximise the area we
have at hand. But most of all they bring some
extra banter – and here in Ireland, that is as
important as anything. IRELAND
PICTURE:DAVID KJAERPICTURE:D MASON‘I have decided to double
the size of the pond and
clear swathes of rushes,
which will hopefully
encourage duck from
the river nearby’
It’s business as usual in Ireland when it comes to
catching up with the crows and pigeons!Keeping on top of the mink population
all year round is extremely important