Rain, Great Fish and free birds.

Our pheasants have come on nicely considering the conditions they and this ghillie have endured season so far this season.
Conditions in three words would be wet, wet and wetter. I really shouldn’t complain as I've heard some real horror stories of what has happened to other game farmers, many losing thousands of birds.
I'm just getting ready as we speak to start releasing birds for our shoot, so it’s check , check and double check - pen wire, electric fences and traps. A few sleepless nights until the birds start roosting in the trees.

On the fishing front; again all this water in the river has been really good for our salmon catches, I think we are nearly at the same number of fish that we caught for the whole of last season - so there are some happy anglers about.
     
All clouds have a silver lining they say, well the only thing this weather has saved me from is cleaning the mill barbeque - there haven't being many days to put a shrimp on it!

Regards
Carl

…and so this is Summer...

Well summer is here, I think.

With all the grey skies and downpours it's been hard to tell. I only knew by the grass cutter going most of the week, the trees in full foliage and new life appearing on the estate. The peregrines  have managed to rear at least one chick possibly two, the kestrels did better with at least four chicks reared, young rabbits and leverets seem to be in abundance at the moment which is nice to see; indeed when I started on the estate very few rabbits and no hares were visible.


My pheasant rearing is in full swing with 5,500 mouths to feed, touch wood I seem to have faired better than some other keepers have, (I hope I didn't speak too soon). With a lot more rain forecast this weekend I think I may be better fitting flippers to their feet! Which reminds me, my resident goose and duck flock are loving this weather, we now have new goslings and the ducks are sitting eggs at the mo so maybe a few more bills to feed as well.

Our resident fishing syndicate are having a good time with all this water in the river, even though a lot of fishing
hasn't been done, the fisherman that have ventured out have had some good sport with many fish landed and even more lost. Sea trout have been in good numbers as well as the salmon.

Well that's it from me for now, I'm going to go look for a dryish set of waterproofs for today's deluge. If it rains much more I think I’m going to build an ark, lead all my animals on two by two and sail away to Majorca!

Noah's_Ark_iconRegards , Carl