A Slow Week

I had expected to find more birds this week, but the woodcock proved me wrong.  Appointments and the weather kept me from hunting until Weds. when Thicket and I headed for the Church Hill covert. A thin covering of snow clung to everything.

 

Although we hunted hard the woodcock were few. I did end up with this pic.

 

I had the camera out taking a pic of a hawthorn tree when Thicket came in from my right and bumped a woodcock. When I got home I found this pic on the camera. When the bird flushed I must have had my camera pointing at just the right angle and instinctively hit the shutter button. I didn't realize I had even taken the pic.  It was truly a one in a life time shot.

I cropped the pic the get a nice "shot" of just the bird.

 

On Thurs. Thicket and I headed to the J & K covert. A huge reclaimed strip mine sitting on top of a mountain growing back with locust, spruce and a scattering of aspen. I've never found a lot of birds here but do have some wonderful memories of hunts with Emma.

This day no birds were found.

 

On Friday my friend Russell and I hunted the Piney Creek covert with Emma.

Usually my most reliable covert we didn't find a single bird today.

 

So what I thought would be a good week for woodcock turned out just the opposite.