Saturday 1 December 2012

I'm Not A Pheasant Plucker - (Part I)

Knowing well the controversy that surrounds hunting of all kinds, it would only be fair to issue an 'advisory notice' for those who do not care for the pursuit to log-off now!
 A cold and frosty morning there's not a lot to say about the things caught in my mind!
Don't Go Away - Oasis
This was the scene at Parley Court early this morning where rain and mild conditions were dramatically replaced by a heavy frost and almost continuous bright sunshine. The lower image shows, once again, the 5th fairway on the Golf Course which magically cleared of flood water overnight.
While I fight no corner for of against the Pheasant Shoot I have to say that my invitation to
was one of the best days of my year where I met a large number of lovely people
while learning so much more about our countryside and its management.
There is just something about farmyards that fascinate me, so I wasn't slow to both meet the company
 
and to poke my nose into the barns, outhouses, stables etc
where I found the farm cat taking 40 winks.
 
Soon it was time for 'Shoot Captain' Hugh Mullens to brief both 'guns' and 'beaters' (and the 2 observers including myself) of the strict rules, regulation and ethic of the day.
 
 All take up station for the first beat

while the first bird escapes unharmed despite 'point blank' range. This shoot was restricted to Pheasant, but as a result of the beaters c5 Common Snipe and singles of Woodcock and Grey Partridge were also seen.
Needless to say, not all birds were so lucky, giving my friend Hugh's dog Shoofty a chance to show her skills.
After the first beat there was time for conflab while the
collectors (Alexandra and her Springer Hebe),
 
BEATERs
GUNs
and ON-LOOKERs chance to relocate.
BROWN HAREs were also in evidence, but numbers are not known, along with lots of Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird and each location Nuthatches which went berserk vocally when firing started.
After a full morning walking the estate a hot Bovril drink was served with sausages, with the beverage hitting the spot perfectly.
End of another month and the Stats remain fairly healthy. Only one new country was added to the list, Swaziland, but given the total has now reach 175 that may not be too surprising. UK continue apace towards the magical 100,000 mark as both Croatia and Slovakia broach the 3 figures, leaving Austria teetering on 99.
Num Perc. Country Name
drill down8850872.09%United KingdomUnited Kingdom
drill down91197.43%United StatesUnited States
drill down16221.32%CanadaCanada
drill down13441.09%AustraliaAustralia
drill down13081.07%EstoniaEstonia
drill down12341.01%GermanyGermany
drill down11680.95%FranceFrance
drill down11090.90%NetherlandsNetherlands
drill down10380.85%JapanJapan
drill down8490.69%ItalyItaly
drill down8220.67%IndiaIndia
drill down7880.64%New ZealandNew Zealand
drill down7520.61%SpainSpain
drill down7420.60%PhilippinesPhilippines
drill down5980.49%BrazilBrazil
drill down5560.45%TaiwanTaiwan
drill down4910.40%SwedenSweden
drill down4860.40%Korea, Republic OfKorea, Republic Of
drill down4410.36%PolandPoland
drill down4210.34%SwitzerlandSwitzerland
drill down4030.33%ThailandThailand
drill down3960.32%BelgiumBelgium
drill down3620.29%NorwayNorway
drill down3470.28%Russian FederationRussian Federation
drill down2800.23%South AfricaSouth Africa
drill down2770.23%RomaniaRomania
drill down2760.22%MexicoMexico
drill down2730.22%TurkeyTurkey
drill down2650.22%IrelandIreland
drill down2590.21%MalaysiaMalaysia
drill down2560.21%PeruPeru
drill down2470.20%IndonesiaIndonesia
drill down2370.19%FinlandFinland
drill down2320.19%GreeceGreece
drill down2000.16%PortugalPortugal
drill down1870.15%Czech RepublicCzech Republic
drill down1840.15%ColombiaColombia
drill down1840.15%DenmarkDenmark
drill down1820.15%ArgentinaArgentina
drill down1770.14%HungaryHungary
drill down1670.14%SingaporeSingapore
drill down1590.13%PakistanPakistan
drill down1590.13%IsraelIsrael
drill down1570.13%Sri LankaSri Lanka
drill down1540.13%UkraineUkraine
drill down1540.13%Hong KongHong Kong
drill down1510.12%United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
drill down1460.12%Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
drill down1200.10%BulgariaBulgaria
drill down1190.10%VietnamVietnam
drill down1100.09%ChileChile
drill down1040.08%CroatiaCroatia
drill down1030.08%SlovakiaSlovakia
drill down990.08%AustriaAustria
drill down920.07%VenezuelaVenezuela
drill down890.07%OmanOman
drill down880.07%SerbiaSerbia
drill down810.07%Costa RicaCosta Rica
drill down720.06%Anonymous ProxyAnonymous Proxy
drill down720.06%El SalvadorEl Salvador
drill down710.06%MaltaMalta
drill down700.06%EuropeEurope
drill down660.05%EgyptEgypt
drill down630.05%LithuaniaLithuania
drill down590.05%BangladeshBangladesh
drill down570.05%MadagascarMadagascar
drill down570.05%QatarQatar
drill down560.05%EcuadorEcuador
drill down410.03%Palestinian TerritoryPalestinian Territory
drill down380.03%Asia/pacific RegionAsia/pacific Region
drill down370.03%SloveniaSlovenia
drill down350.03%GuatemalaGuatemala
drill down350.03%LuxembourgLuxembourg
drill down330.03%MongoliaMongolia
drill down320.03%

drill down310.03%GeorgiaGeorgia
drill down310.03%IraqIraq
drill down300.02%GuernseyGuernsey
drill down300.02%LatviaLatvia
drill down290.02%MoroccoMorocco
drill down280.02%LebanonLebanon
drill down280.02%Trinidad And TobagoTrinidad And Tobago
drill down270.02%Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
drill down260.02%JamaicaJamaica
drill down260.02%MacedoniaMacedonia
drill down250.02%Satellite ProviderSatellite Provider
drill down240.02%BelarusBelarus
drill down240.02%CyprusCyprus
drill down240.02%KenyaKenya
drill down240.02%YemenYemen
drill down230.02%KuwaitKuwait
drill down220.02%CambodiaCambodia
drill down200.02%JerseyJersey
drill down200.02%Lao People's Democratic RepublicLao People's Democratic Republic
drill down190.02%JordanJordan
drill down190.02%AlgeriaAlgeria
drill down160.01%Isle Of ManIsle Of Man
drill down160.01%PanamaPanama
drill down140.01%Moldova, Republic OfMoldova, Republic Of
drill down140.01%MaldivesMaldives
drill down140.01%BelizeBelize
drill down130.01%MauritiusMauritius
drill down130.01%UruguayUruguay
drill down120.01%NigeriaNigeria
drill down120.01%BahrainBahrain
drill down120.01%ArmeniaArmenia
drill down120.01%BermudaBermuda
drill down120.01%SudanSudan
drill down110.01%TunisiaTunisia
drill down110.01%Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
drill down110.01%MontenegroMontenegro
drill down110.01%GibraltarGibraltar
drill down110.01%BarbadosBarbados
drill down100.01%IcelandIceland
drill down100.01%AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
drill down100.01%NamibiaNamibia
drill down100.01%NepalNepal
drill down90.01%ReunionReunion
drill down90.01%Brunei DarussalamBrunei Darussalam
drill down90.01%Virgin Island, U.s.Virgin Island, U.s.
drill down90.01%Tanzania, United Republic OfTanzania, United Republic Of
drill down90.01%Bosnia And HerzegovinaBosnia And Herzegovina
drill down80.01%ChinaChina
drill down80.01%ZimbabweZimbabwe
drill down80.01%AlbaniaAlbania
drill down80.01%HondurasHonduras
drill down70.01%ArubaAruba
drill down70.01%KazakhstanKazakhstan
drill down60.00%Netherlands AntillesNetherlands Antilles
drill down60.00%New CaledoniaNew Caledonia
drill down60.00%BhutanBhutan
drill down60.00%Faroe IslandsFaroe Islands
drill down50.00%GuyanaGuyana
drill down50.00%UgandaUganda
drill down50.00%EthiopiaEthiopia
drill down50.00%Libyan Arab JamahiriyaLibyan Arab Jamahiriya
drill down50.00%GuamGuam
drill down40.00%ZambiaZambia
drill down40.00%SeychellesSeychelles
drill down40.00%GhanaGhana
drill down40.00%BahamasBahamas
drill down40.00%Syrian Arab RepublicSyrian Arab Republic
drill down40.00%Iran, Islamic Republic OfIran, Islamic Republic Of
drill down30.00%DominicaDominica
drill down30.00%BoliviaBolivia
drill down30.00%Virgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, British
drill down30.00%MyanmarMyanmar
drill down30.00%CameroonCameroon
drill down30.00%GambiaGambia
drill down30.00%FijiFiji
drill down20.00%MacaoMacao
drill down20.00%Falkland Islands (malvinas)Falkland Islands (malvinas)
drill down20.00%BotswanaBotswana
drill down20.00%Cote D'ivoireCote D'ivoire
drill down20.00%AndorraAndorra
drill down20.00%ParaguayParaguay
drill down20.00%GrenadaGrenada
drill down20.00%Cayman IslandsCayman Islands
drill down20.00%GabonGabon
drill down10.00%AfghanistanAfghanistan
drill down10.00%MalawiMalawi
drill down10.00%HaitiHaiti
drill down10.00%French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia
drill down10.00%UzbekistanUzbekistan
drill down10.00%SurinameSuriname
drill down10.00%VanuatuVanuatu
drill down10.00%Saint LuciaSaint Lucia
drill down10.00%SwazilandSwaziland
drill down10.00%Turks And Caicos IslandsTurks And Caicos Islands
drill down10.00%MonacoMonaco
drill down10.00%GuadeloupeGuadeloupe
drill down10.00%MartiniqueMartinique