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Here's a sight for sore eyes - pigeons - lots of pigeons - but it's a case of so near and
yet so far.
Bit like everywhere else in the country, no one has had any pigeons.
They have migrated through and I am lucky enough that I have got a load that stocked
up on acorns here.
So what we are doing at the moment is letting them come out.
They rest here for a bit then they spread out and we are hopefully going to shoot a
few.
Same old problem, there are a lot of acorns about down here so when you might get a shot
they get up and just go over the hedge.
We will find out in a minute.
Crow has been watching them fly over the farm every morning between 7.30 and 8 o'clock for
the past week.
With the whiff of foreign pigeon in the air, Andy has invited the man who's responsible
for teaching both Andy and certain Mr Digweed everything they know about pigeon shooting,
game dealer Adrian Netchie and his wife Ann.
I always like to put the guests in the hot spot.
So they are going down, there is a pond down where me and George shot the crows, well George
shot the crows recently.
They are semi retired and were looking forward to whiling away their new found freedom shooting
their days away, but it just hasn't happened.
There is hope today.
The pigeons are so scarce there are hardly enough to stick on the whirly.
It has already started today.
Adrian is fighting over who is going to get what for the whirly.
I have managed to get two out of him.
Yes, so he has got 20 decoys.
He has only given me two, but that is the way it goes.
While Andy's cousin Gary helps Adrian and Ann set-up on one part of the farm.
Andy takes us across to the other side where he's spotted them dropping.
This part of the farm is unfortunately out of bounds as there is a pheasant shoot here
at the weekend.
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These have just moved in.
Hopefully they will stay.
They have got enough grub here to keep them going.
I don't want them out here obviously because they are on the rape.
They are only here having a peck on the rape, so as I say they are just working their way
out under the oak trees because it is just a carpet of acorns.
It's quite a sight!
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Crow reckons there's about 5,000 - but that's half of what it was yesterday.
Despite Crow's clapping they don't seem to want to shift from here.
We just hope the birds start splintering off into smaller groups that like the look of
The A1 decoys.
They are more useful than ever this year when real pigeons are like gold dust.
How else do we get the party started?
We have got two for the whirly which Adrian has brought up we can stick a few plastic
out just to attract their attention really so we can shoot a few.
As soon as we shoot them we will just bring these plastics in any way.
These are half flock coated A1.
These are from A1 so we will keep these out here for a bit.
With Adrian and Ann set up, Crow needs to get a shift on.
Here is some high speed hide building.
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Unfortunately it's a case of hurry up and wait - the birds are about but they're so
high and hardly worth lifting the Lincoln skywards.
There are one or two chances for the Gamebore Clear Pigeons to hit home.
We're just wondering what might have been if we'd been able to shoot near the shoot.
Oh well.
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Word on the street is that it will all switch on at 1100.
I have just been talking to Adrian and we think they will switch on between eleven and
two which is their best feeding time.
So that is what we are hoping.
They are being a bit wary at the moment.
There isn't a lot of wind.
They are going a bit wide, a bit wide of us.
About another five minutes before it is eleven o'clock . So hopefully after eleven o'clock
it is going to start, but don't hold it to me David.
Oh dear - even Ruby, usually the busiest dog in the South of England.
starts thinking it's a dead loss.
We do get some shots - but not enough to get excited - Crow even resorts to showing Gary
last week's episode of Fieldsports Britain... desperate measures!
On the other side of the fields Adrian and Ann are getting some sport but it's tough
going - 40 birds to add to Crow's 8 - exceptional given the circumstances and probably worth
a fiver each - may be not.
So there you have it - essential kit for a pigeon hide - gun, shells, dog and smartphone
to Fieldsports Channel when it all goes quiet.
Plus we give you an excellent excuse when u exit the loo looking flustered with an iPad
- other fablets and tablets are available.