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A Fox in the Snow
After a fairly significant fall of snow overnight, the glen was smothered under a white blanket this morning. No more than three or four inches at its deepest, most of the snow had fallen shortly before dawn. I was keen to get up to the Chayne for a look around at the tracks, but I… Continue reading
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The Half Lekking Blackcock
Over the past week my pet blackcock has started to display more and more. Watching him from the upstairs windows, I see that his wattles are more prominent than they were, although they are still a long way away from being at lek size. He walks about very keenly, then inflates his neck after a… Continue reading
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The Return of the Grey Partridges
Things went very quiet on the grey partridge front on the day that we shot the game cover. Three hen pheasants rose up out of the radishes, and the subsequent outburst of shooting put all of the partridges up in a single covey. None of the pheasants came down, but we were all so distracted… Continue reading
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Twittering
Approaching its fourth year of existence, Working For Grouse is expanding (somewhat tentatively) into the world of social media. Things have changed so much since I started writing a blog at the start of 2010, and I daresay it’s time to keep up with the crowd. I have always been extremely flattered by how supportive… Continue reading
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Over The Sea
I have spent much of my life within sight of the Isle of Man. The familiar shape of the island is visible from the Chayne, and the peaks of the highest hills are easy to pick out even on moderately overcast days. Despite the fact that the Isle of Man is closer to the coast… Continue reading
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More Heather Beetle
After posting about heather beetle a few days ago, a few readers have been in touch looking for more information on the subject. As a bit of a disclaimer, there is a great deal of information that we just don’t have about heather beetle. Some fairly fundamental facts are just missing when it comes to… Continue reading
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Broody Again
After a shaky start into the world of broody hens last year, I must admit that I am now totally hooked. The hens have been laying throughout Christmas and New Year, and although they are known for having a downturn in fertility during the dark days of winter, now seems as good a time as… Continue reading
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New Year
And so here is 2013. After a long and perhaps a little boisterous evening, the first day of the new year dawned amidst waves of rain and sunshine. Heading up onto the hill with the dog, it didn’t take long to clean out the pipes and get things working again. I had hoped that the… Continue reading
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Wind Blow
Following some decent gusts of wind last night, I headed out to assess the damage in the woodcock strip this morning. As I expected, the big holes I cut into the wood during October have left the internal trees very vulnerable, and some of the weaker ones have blown out of the wood altogether. This… Continue reading
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Going Strong
Just in terms of an update on the blind black grouse, he seems to be in very good spirits. I’ve now had him for four months and he has come back well after his moult. His plumage is pretty well immaculate, although his longest tail feathers are always a bit tatty (as per the photo,… Continue reading
About
“Shout on, Morgan. You’ll be nothing tomorrow”
Swn y galon fach yn torri, 1952
Also at: https://andtheyellowale.substack.com
Bog Myrtle & Peat 