And a partridge in a.. Oh, and a pair of bunnies...

Hot on the tail, so to speak, of bagging his first pheasant Gunner managed to catch a young partridge. The flock were hanging around Mangal and Ginger's pen on Saturday morning when we went out to do breakfast. I didn't see them. But eagle-eyed Young One did. The rest of the flock managed to fly off, but one clearly got trapped between a dog and a stock fence. When I - very slowly (still half asleep) - realised what was afoot, I whistled him to bring it to me; which he didn't quite cos he was still attempting to keep it in his mouth. Anyhow, when I got to him he gave it up quite happily.

"Look what I found Mum!"

We then took Young Dog indoors and then went back to release his treasure in the safety of the chicken pen (so he wouldn't catch the scent when he came back out!).

Allowed out again, Gunner spent the next hour eagerly looking for..... well, anything really. Life is suddenly so very exciting.

Then this morning, out for our 'constitutional' routine walk with the rest of the pack Gunner suddenly starts snuffling in the hedgerow. Calling him back, he eventually returns with..... - a tiny, tiny rabbit in his jaws, which he happily gives up to me.

"Look what I found today Mum!"

I put it in the bag and send him on his way again. In no time he is back snuffling in the hedgerow. Calling him back, he returns with -another - tiny, tiny rabbit in his jaws, which he happily gives up to me - again. And I put that in my bag too. Sent on his way again - well fired up by now ("Some laid back Gundog" I thought to myself), he (luckily) finds the hedgerow now bare of baby bunnies.

But what to do with two baby bunnies? They are tinier than the palm of my hand. Eyes only just open.

Temporarily,having left all the dogs indoors, I put the bunnies in a box of straw. And ring our Trainer. "Maybe he would like two baby bunnies for his Rabbit pen?"

"No thank you" he says "I'm overstocked already" and advises me to put them out of their misery - which of course I cannot - or return them to the wild.

So, I drive the bunnies in their box up to the hedgerow (so dogs can't follow scent) and release them where they were found - as near as dammit anyway, since I didn't exactly mark the spot.

Thought I'd just check the rest of the hedgerow in case there were others about but, No, not a one. Returning to the spot where I released them, there is now just one baby bunny. I rootle around but the other is nowhere to be found.... Perhaps it scuttled back down its burrow; perhaps mummy bunny was waiting in the undergrowth and carried it back to safety? Let's hope. I left quickly in case she was waiting to claim the second.

But I marked the spot so I can check tomorrow......

When, goodness knows what Young Gundog will find...........