Bickleigh bird table

One of the first things we did when moving to Bickleigh was to set up a bird feeding station. As autumn progresses we are seeing more and more coming to feed.

Just a robin, but nice to see, he tries to keep everyone else off the feeder.

Blue tit and Great tit, looking annoyed at the thistle feeder, which they can't get in to.

A pair of Nuhatchs have found the feeder and are getting used to movement in the house four yards away, so are less nervous coming to feed.

The wood pecker has found the nuts too

Fishing by HRTB

Good day at HRBT

My pastor and I picked up a boat from the Naval Marina and headed out the HRBT.  We fished VA beach side just beyond the bridge, hitting into croacker quickly. Tinney catching almost before I got my bait on the hook.

It's great to fish with someone who just gets on with fishing and enjoys the sport for what it is.

After an hour or so we moved across towards Hampton to the little island where the HRBT goes under.  Less fish here but bigger.

We caught, flat fish, on my spinning rod, and puffer fish, sea trout, croaker and a few more on squid and finger mullet. 

Norfolk Zoo

Sunny afternoon walk round the zoo.

Alaska, Grayling Fishing

Grayling Fishing

Spent a fantastic evening having guided grayling fishing in Denali. I was given a light #2 rod with a short leader and alternated between goldhead, pink buzzer and a black and white stonefly. All caught well on the small rivers. Fished the Jack river and Fish Creek. Fish Creek was particularly good.

As I am used to an 8 weight rod this little 2 weight took some getting used to, also you can see that long casts were not necessary! just a little roll cast upstream then let the fly float naturally down and wait for the lightning takes of the fish.  For every one I managed to hook I missed at least four, the were just too fast for me.

Greg from the fishing guide company that Princess Cruise use was very good and did not shout too much when I kept missing the strikes early on.  We started with a strike indicator on, but I am not used to this and was better with it off.

First one of around 20 caught in three hours.  I thought I ought to get a shot of the first one in case that was the only one, little did I know!

Something else I am not used too; my fishing guide carried a heavy calibre hand gun in case we encountered unfriendly grizzly bears.  I am unsure whether the gun was to shoot the bear, or to shoot me in the leg so the guide could get away.  A pistol does not seem big enough to bring down a Grizzly!  

A real red letter fishing experience.

Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish.

A quiet hour in work gave me the opportunity to do a little fishing.  Cast in inch pieces of finger mullet and lost a lot to crabs, but having a good pull, struck and reeled in this monster! A Puffer Fish.  I was quite surprised by the amount of spines on its little body, and was relieved when another fisherman came across with gloves to remove the hook and return it to the sea. 

A lot of the fish here seem to be armoured with spines so I have now invested in a pair of gloves.  Though trying my best to keep fishing gear to a minimum, it is starting to expand! 

Norfolk Naval Base Fishing

Not the usual view from a fishing pier.

Mighty USA ships in the back ground.

Hot Friday afternoon on the fishing pier.  Good to see so many out attempting to catch fish.  Everyone from lads with spinning rods, trying for half and hour, to a couple of lads who had enough kit to fill a fishing store.  I caught one small shad, and lost two more.  Lots were trying to catch crabs as well; dropping baskets baited with chicken legs.

Racoons raiding the bins at Botanical Garden

Raccoons up close

Walking in Norfolk Botanical Gardens the other day we came to the picnic site under the pines down by the lake.  As we walked towards the covered area I saw a ringed tail disapear into the bin.  Even closer we saw another masked bandit sneaking up the post of the shelter and hidding in the roof.

Not many walking round today as it was a showery day, so the wildlife was closer in than usual.  Below is a lovely white egrit we saw as we crossed one of the bridges.

For the first time this year we also saw dragon flies.  I am sure they have been out sooner, we have just not noticed them.  Below is a picture of one taken by the veg plot shed.