Back in the swing

Peter Theobald and his shooting partner a chance to blow off some cobwebs

last, the pigeon are beginning to return to Paul’s and my permissions here in south Essex. They disappeared around the middle of November. This is not unusual in a big acorn year; I often used to witness huge flocks of pigeon flying over the farm, heading west during this month. I always presumed they were following the path of the Thames towards the massive oak and beech woods of Kent and Surrey. I was always sceptical that these birds ended