02:15 An annoying alarm has me grappling to find my mobile as I force myself from a deep slumber. Dressed, slurp of orange juice and into car. Beginning to wake up. An hour later I'm making my way up a forest track towards my hide that is shrouded in thick fog on an exposed moorland. Chances of any decent blackcock images seem slim this morning, but I set-up quickly and crawl into my sleeping bag to await the imminent arrival of these ritualistic game birds. 04:20 and the first grouse has landed 50m from the hide, then a second. Half-hearted calls soon give way to a flurry of whirring wings as six blackcock land all around me. Strutting their stuff, full of testosterone-fulled energy they fill the air with their extravagant rasping, cooing and bubbling calls. Too dark to photograph I watch them square up to each other, full of bravado and no less intent. This is serious business, the appearance of several hens serving only to heighten their frenzied activity. By 06:30 the hens have long gone and the males stamina seems to be waning. A time for quiet contemplation, until the duals resume same place same time tomorrow.