Bugger!

After what seemed an absolute age we got a lamping session done on Tuesday night. Myself, Stephen and Martyn all tooled up and ready to go. Two main fields were cut although not cleared of the straw, both of them account for a good number each year.
Optimistic was the bye word, after a good few months we should bump into hoards of them, thus expecting the landscape to be like a Christmas tree with eyes shinning every where.
Who the hell were we kidding, not one set of eyes on the fresh cut fields and a few spots of the resident bugger on the river field.
If I am honest then this was no great surprise as each time a field is cut it takes a good week before they gain their confidence to venture out onto the stubble. Lets face it they have just had their cover removed so are fully exposed, would you do the same?
We did lamp two other sets, one which would not stay around long enough in a safe position plus another in a smaller field which was spotted virtually by the road side hedge with the M3 as his background. We did not fancy explaining why a truck had a bullet hole through it so it was left to disappear.
Next lamping session should be a whole lot different....please!