Launching long marks into crawfish water remains hazardous, as we're not very far along with his casting conditioning and keeping casts short. Couple mornings ago I launched a long one (using a bumper good for about 110yds barring strong head or tail winds) and found when i turned to release him (after marking the fall, myself) that our hero was watching blackbirds in the new rice behind us. Not wanting to lose a $20 bumper or go get it myself, we tried running it as a blind that he broke down and started hunting well short on, and I ended up having to wade out, cut the distance to the bumper to that which he'd gone straight and send him again - successfully that time.
Sloshed the next couple miles in shrimp boots that kept needing drained of my soaked-to-the-pockets jeans' runoff before trying to prove I'd learned nothing that morning. That time Call watched the launch and had a mark but got steered off course to it by a pair of low passing white bec croix/ibis. Wanted to kick myself with a still wet foot, but got lucky and a left cast got him from where his diverted line broke down to where he could scent and retrieve the bumper.
Better believe I looked both ways for birds before this morning's launch. Pretty sure, though that I've already posted where we ought to be with marks in the face of avian diversions before next season, but here's a clip of his predecessor, Marsh, maintaining focus on his mark amidst a swarm of birds, somewhat like marking what falls from a flight of ducks:
Have gotten away with something similar using short launches beginning with 50yd? fat canvas bumper only partly seated on the launcher, but the first time I launched a real flyer into a mess of bec croix was the first time I took a cold water soaking with Call. Won't try it again until his handling is much farther along.