Earnscleugh man Dave Baird is not quite able to shoot ducks from his front porch, although he does not have to go far to do so.
A mere 200m from his house, a made-to-measure pond is an easy stroll away, an accompanying mai mai providing a handy hideout for duck-shooters on the opening
weekend of duck-shooting season.
Family have front-row seats and this year Baird's son, Andrew, 11, had his third season duck-shooting alongside his father.
Baird's daughter, Sarah, 7, was also there and will next year have her first season duck-shooting, in keeping with family tradition.
Baird said the "home comforts" of the mai mai - a corrugated iron affair surrounded by planting and with a couch and bar stools inside - were modest, but the proximity of the mai mai to their house added a touch of luxury.