They came in singles, pairs and small groups, and 15 minutes later they were still coming, against a magnificent backdrop of a rainbow that arched across the wide East Anglian sky Saham Hall Norfolk
What conditions make for the perfect shooting day? An overcast sky with no bright sun into which birds must be driven or towards which the Guns must face, yet a soft enough light in which to enjoy one’s surroundings. A decent breeze – not a howling gale, but sufficient to lift the birds and challenge the Guns, and preferably coming from a direction that suits the majority of the drives.
As I drew up to Saham Hall on the Saham Toney Estate near Thetford to meet Kevin and Beverley Bowes, all the weather boxes were ticked, besides which the west Norfolk countryside was looking utterly gorgeous in its autumnal colours of russet and gold. The estate was bought by the family in 1974, at which point the shoot was set up. It has been Kevin Bowes’ passion ever since, and the shoot now extends to more than 6,000 acres. You only have to look at the place to see how the farmed landscape has been managed with game and wildlife in mind: wild bird seed and pollen-nectar mixes,
