No sooner had we returned north that we took up a very kind invitation to mark the end of the season with a day’s shooting at Pitkerrie with James Munro. James is a very generous host but he certainly makes you work for your sport.

We spent the morning on Nigg Hill on the end of the Tarbet Peninsula, with great views up and down the coast, the afternoon on low ground inland and then back to Nigg Hill in the evening in search of flighting ducks. There were quite a few of us out and the bag was seven woodcock, seven pheasants and eighteen ducks. We walked our socks off through the day so every bird counted and was treasured.

The woodcock were not there in quite the numbers I had expected which seems to be a common story this season. Whether the mild weather means they are more scattered than normally, or whether total numbers are down I don’t know. Let’s hope it is just a one-off phenomenon.

The evening flight was cold but there was no cloud and the birds should have been easy to spot. My own difficulty in seeing them coming was rather disappointing and a reminder that my sight in poor light is not as good as it was. Such is the way of things.