Recent content by Chasing Rainbows

The first drip I seen in the Firth of Clyde was on Tuesday, been checking daily. I wonder if it's started in the North yet.

Aye, been doing tapping experiments myself for the last few days mate. It wasn't half fiddly at first but after the first two the second two were fairly easy. Next time I'll use putty rather than rubberised tape for sure. What a satisfying thing it is to see a regular drip-dripping begin to...

If you're near the sea I think it's still a good time for shellfish and seaweed. Maybe some dried fruits with the rabbit. Nuts roasted in the fire are a favourite winter treat too (or would go nicely chopped in the bannock).

I've got a major soft spot for applewood, lovely stuff that it is. That spoon is a fun design too. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

What an interesting couple of finds you guys made. An anti-tank bullet and a very well travelled baloon. 110miles! Kudos for taking the trouble to send those kids something they can get their teeth into. That'll be the talk of the clasroom mate.

The only reason I said tipping is that the ovoid shape suggests multiple journeys from the same direction with a wheelbarrow. At least in my mind it does anyways. :) That's a really nice quote from Plutarch there BTW

I'm a novice, so if this works for me it'll be a good bet for anyone. Loose bark from a clematis and dead wood gathered from amongst the branches of a holly. The holly will give good cover if it's only a small fire too. The aforementioned cramp balls are incredibly good. ;)

Hehe I have seen the birds, good film that. I think Hitchcock must have once tried eating a chippy on Aberdeen beach. Lot's of stories involving crows popping up. Those corvids are real brawlers. Most people seem to hate them but I have a great respect for the crow family, they remind me so...

Thanks very much Toddy. This wild seed business is turning out to be far more interesting than I could have imagined. It really highlights how knowledgable our pre-farming ancestors had to be if one type of food required varied techniques to gather. I have to say I'm really looking forward to...

In early summer of 2011 I saw something quite spectacular which I still don't fully understand. An epic mass battle taking place between magpies and jackdaws which covered an entire hillside from about 500-1500 feet. The first hint at what was to come was two magpies chasing a jackdaw low over...

I think Adze has a great idea. A gentle enquiry to the local ranger service might well clarify the mystery. In the unlikely event of them not knowing anything about the mound you can bet they'll want a look see.

In my opinion it would be a shamful travesty if bushcraft prospects boiled down to a peice of paper. I somehow feel threatened by the mere existence of that qualification. I really don't know why but it scares me. On second thoughts: If the pass is gained by a month in the wild with just a...

Thanks for the replies all. Agreed Toddy, I was looking into how ergot propigates itself. It's very clever really, it hijacks the seed production system to produce honeydew laced with spores. Insects touching the honeydew transfer the spores to other heads. So it's reasonable to assume that one...

Hehe 5' by 3' does sound ominous. I'd check if the surrounding soil matches the mound (somehow I doubt it does). I've seen that shape before where builders fly-tip unwanted supplies. The holes look ratty to me too. Maybe they're taking advantage of the better drainage provided by the already...

Thanks very much Digger. This is what I'll be reading while pretending to work today. :) Much appreciated!