Norfolk reeds in their winter hue, the colour of Dijon mustard, sweep in an arc around one bank length of the pond. The reflection of an ancient oak is on the water, velvet-like and menacing. As black as pitch, it reaches out over the furthest and deepest reaches of the chilling ripples.
In the shallows it is crystal clear and free of terrors, mirroring the overcast winter skies. Gravel of varying grade is revealed accompanied by haphazard masonry, clods of ancient vintage. An array of aquatic herbage rolls to and fro in an eddy caused by the north-easterly breeze. Four patrolling mallard swim in pairs. They are oblivious to my gaze. The ducks dabble in the shallows while the drakes cruise behind; watchful in the proprietorial manner of a boyfriend unsure as to the faithfulness of his beloved.
I check my watch. With surprise I realise that this winter scene has held my attention for more than threequarters of an hour, 30 minutes more than I usually allow myself for lunch.
It is time to get back to the hedge I am laying. I stand up with a grunt, knees stiff, from behind my hide of bramble and suckers. The mallard erupt in a cascade of spray and droplets.
No rainbow appears in their wake, it is too gloomy. However, their theatrical take off, hiss and quack followed by whispering wings departing in a semaphore of green, purple, orange, yellow and white, provides sufficient colour. Leaving the pond to return to its wind-tremored isolation, I trudge back to my waiting billhook, stakes and thorn hedge.
The Barker boys’ new pond at Lodge Farm is no longer merely a muddy hole. It is now a place for ducks, a place for all wildlife. This series has followed the regeneration of this sizeable wetland habitat since the T-shaped pond was cleared some 14 months ago (If you build it, they will come, 27 March 2019). The change from those days when it was a Somme-like crater to its current state is marked.
Denne historien er fra February 26, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra February 26, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside
