It's getting near the end of the season for water pepper so while out recently we decided to pick some for a little culinary experiment
BUZZARD BUSHCRAFT
Tuesday 24 September 2024
Water pepper - persecaria hydropiper
Sunday 15 September 2024
Of Sailing Ships and Giant Puffballs
We have had a very busy weekend just past and today was a lovely day to be out taking a coastal course. The weather was bright but cold yet plenty of enthusiasm from those present. On the horizon we had the splendour of a beautiful ship..
Sunday 8 September 2024
Sunday 1 September 2024
Fabulous Fennel
We are preparing for a couple of saltwater and coastal foraging walks coming up over the next month or so and its a hard time getting good weather between the showers, but occasionally the sun comes out, the sea turns blue and God gives you a little gift. Some gorgeous wild fennel growing amongst the dunes, I'm in two minds whether to show it to people during the walk but I'm more than happy to share it with my Buzzard family on here.
Thursday 22 August 2024
The backwaters of Fermanagh
Trusting in the Lord makes you aware of his plan for your life, when one door closes he opens an even better one.
Stephen kindly invited us down to his smallholding a few days ago, the work he has put into it is testament to his vision and dedication of self sufficiency.
He took us to a gorgeous little river, with gravel beds and meandering swirls. Dappled light and soft rises kissed the waters surface as we stood and surveyed the pools before us. I opted for a lure, the others for a worm trotted with the flow of the stream. I made a light cast under the near bank beneath an overhanging willow and I could feel the mepps start to rotate, barely 2 seconds later and I had a strike, fish on!, it was one of those pesky brown trout that plague you when you're fishing for real fish! Unhooked and back in the river where it belongs I then heard an exclamation as Stephen hooked a fantastic perch, it fought like a monster 10 times its actual size, shaking and twisting while it's gills flared it's dorsal caught the flow of the river. It was fine and bristling with arrogance as he released it, I can admit I was a little envious.
A few other small ones followed as we ambled our way upstream to other beckoning pools to search for the denizens of their murky depths.
The rain had been falling softly all day but it was enough to increase the flow and darken the colour of the water making angling just that little bit more challenging. The creases and eddies were more noticable than an hour before as the foam started to pepper the surface of the stream. The clouds continued to darken as I got distracted by the water pepper growing at my feet along the bank and it burnt my tongue as I nibbled it.
Monday 12 August 2024
An unusual find in a community garden
We were doing a wee walk for a community group recently and we found more interesting things in the streets outside than the garden itself!
This one for instance, wild celery.. couldn't believe this was just growing wild along the wall and there were quite a few plants.
There's no way to tell if it's a garden escape but it's smell was fantastic
Just be careful with this unbellifer as it can be mistaken for HWD!
Saturday 13 July 2024
Tub Gurnard, pretty extraordinary.
Every now and again when you're fishing you turn up something unexpected, but very welcome. This gorgeous fish is a Tub Gurnard, its one of the prettiest fish in our northern seas and pretty good eating too, as a matter of fact its often called the chicken of the sea. This little beauty was too nice to eat so a few pictures, a quick conversation with him ( they actually talk!) And back he went.