Tag: caught

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Starting from number one there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number one there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Freshwater East is so different from Freshwater West. Much more sheltered and much safer for children to swim. Jacqui

Freshwater West, South Wales . My boys enjoyed their swim. Jacqui

We have large Fish in the Lakes at Denbury. Last year a Carp was caught weighing 22lb in the Lake and a larger fish was seen in the Pond. We didn’t put any Fish in the Pond, the fry over the years have got in there through the overflow pipe from the Lake that keeps the Pond full. There are now a lot of large Fish in the Pond. Two days ago one of our fishing Holiday Guest saw a lot of large Fish just under the surface of the water.

Over the past two weeks three of those fishing the Lake have told me that they have had their fishing lines broken by something very big. One of them who had the Kingfisher land on his rod was broken a few times, and he was using a 15lb fishing line, so what ever it is is very large and strong.

Another of our guests caught a very large Fish last week. I was there when he hooked it. The Fish was so strong that he needed to hand his rod to another guest as his arm were aching. He had trouble getting to land it and the Fish managed to get into the reeds. It was decided to use the boat to get the Fish in the landing net. Just as he got to where the Fish was in the reeds it got off of the hook. We think that it was the same Fish, or what ever it is that is breaking the lines. One of this weeks guests without me mentioning it also had his line broken. He is going to fish on an 18lb line.

We need to know what is breaking the fishing lines in case it is a predator. Two predator breeds of Fish that could cause the problem are a pike or a Catfish. Both we would not want in the Lake for they can grow very large and will eat a lot of our Fish. We have never put any Pike or Carp into the Lakes, although it is possible that some person with the same problem did. It could also be a large Eel. Quite a few Eels have been caught in the Lake. Some years ago when I cleared the sediment from a small pond in the Farm Yard we found some very large Eels. I wont be concerned if it is an Eel that is breaking the lines as they do a good cleaning job.

I don’t ever allow the use of keep nets for those fishing at Denbury, but I have put one close to the Lake so that if what ever it is causing the problem is caught we can move it away if it is a predator, Although it may well be a very large Carp.

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Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

This is my Sunflower I am very proud of it, I watered and cared for it, it is in Karen’s front garden. It has got 3 heads. Jordan Age 6 years Stoke,

4 Photographs. I cant remember when we last had such a lovely day as today(Saturday 13th Sept). Our garden suddenly came to life again, so I got the camera out. Rose W’canton.

One of the Reindeer Cows managed to get her antlers caught up in a large clump of Bramble this afternoon. Now that they are in their own Field I cant get them on the webcams, as I am using the main Badger camera that is a good four hundred metres away from the field and there are large areas that I cant see. I need to watch them more often than I would have to for a week or two, to make sure that they do not start to scour as they have all been moved from different locations. Changing their grazing could upset their stomachs. When I went to look at them this afternoon one was missing. Other than getting out of the field she was either in one of the two shelters or by the side of one. I found her by the side caught up. It was the friendliest one but she wasn’t best please with the thought of me going to have to get hold of her so she panicked and tried to get behind the shelter. The gap between the fence and the shelter was not wide enough for a Reindeer so I was able to get hold of her. Untangling her wasn’t easy. I came out worse being scratched by very large bramble. We have cut them away so hopefully we wont get that problem again.

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There are five new photographs on the Photo page from…

There are five new photographs on the Photo page from number one, all sent in by Lynne.

SUNSET AT BROADHAVEN PEMBROKESHIRE. LYNNE.

WEEDS GET EVERYWHERE !! LYNNE

PLANE TRAIL. LYNNE.

GORSE ON THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST. LYNNE.

SOLVA HARBOUR (OUR FAVOURITE PLACE). LYNNE.

Although there has been a lot of Fish caught on our Lake this year, there has not been many big fish caught until this last week. In fact I was getting quite worried that something had been taking a lot of the big Fish, especially after the Geese and Goslings disappearing as they did. Usually you would very often see the large Fish swimming close to the Kingfisher branch. I was starting to think that a Otter or a Mink had been getting its food from the Lake. Fortunately one of our Holiday Guests on a Fishing Holiday caught quite a few large Carp up to 18Ib. Since the Fish have been caught some are now swimming close to the branch.

A few years back we had Otters who must have bred close by the Lake, as every morning for quite a few weeks I found the scales of Mirror Carp on the bank of the Lake. You can tell that it was an Otter by the sweet smell of their droppings that we found many of. If it had been a Mink we would probably had not seen any remains at all. It was not a nice sight as the scales were obviously from the biggest Fish that we had in the Lake and I had only stocked the Lake with the Fish a few years before. It makes me wonder what size the Carp would be now.

There are a lot of Predator for the Fish. As well as Otter and Carp we get Heron. Heron are indiscriminate when they are trying to get there food. Any Fish that moves they try to catch, it doesnt matter if it is to big, so often Fish are caught with injury scars that the Heron has inflicted. Another predator is Cormorant, I have only seen two at Denbury and one was only was a few weeks back. Cormorant are able to swim large distances under water, so they are able to follow a Fish virtually at leisure striking when it is ready. Our Holiday Guests that week helped us to try to dissuade it from catching the Fish, but the law does not give you many options to protect the Fish as most predators of Fish are protected. That is the reason for the Otter to nearly become extinct in areas of the British Isles. The Fish from the Lakes and Rivers were a food source to people, so it was neccassry to try to protect the Fish with Otter hunting.

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There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting…

There are five new photographs on the Photo page, starting from number six.

Whitby harbour,I think the sea speaks for itself. Lindsay.

I had to share this beautiful bloom. It’s called a Maypop Passion Vine. I purchased this vine for my Zebra Butterflies. The caterpillars eat this type of vine. Karen, Florida (USA)

I took this picture of this unusual looking tree at Savil Gardens in Surrey. Bec.

A BLUE TIT HAVING A GOOD MEAL. LYNNE.

Sun flower I like to grow these for the seeds which the Birds love. CH.

The Gosling did survive the night, but they had a lucky escape this afternoon. I thought that last night the Geese were not going to the safety of the island. A couple of times it looked as if they were going there, but they turned away at the last moment. It wasnt until it was nearly dark that they eventually settled on the island, with the Gander keeping watch. Every time that I checked the webcam he was standing upright like a guard.

Around about 3.pm this afternoon I returned to the Farm, after a quick dash to get some plumbing parts. The Geese suddenly started to call out just after I had caught sight of Kye coming from the direction of the calling. I found the Geese in the sand school. On approaching them to see if the Goslings were with them, they flew away, landing in my neighbours next door field. There were no Gosling to be found. I must admit that I thought that Kye had killed them. I heard the other pair of Geese calling from the Lake. When I went to investigate one of the missing Gosling was with them, but they were trying to keep away. I called one of my Lads to help me look for the Goslings. As he came to join me he caught site of one of the missing Gosling in the stream, by the side of the Lake. He jumped down the six foot bank to rescue it. When down there he caught sight of another of the Goslings being swept away by the running stream. It went out of sight, so he climbed back out of the stream so that he could help me follow it. When we eventually caught sight of the Gosling again the last missing one was with it. We managed to stop the Gosling from swept down the stream and put them back on the Lake. All four were following the other pair of Geese while the parent were watching from the next field. Soon after my Lad and myself were out of sight of the Lake, the Geese returned to reunited with the Goslings.

I should think that it was Kye chasing the Geese that caused the problem. It would have been the first time that she had seen Geese. Fortunately it finished without loosing the Goslings, but we will need to watch Kye, especially as the Geese have started to graze with the Goslings on the cottage lawn. Since the Gosling have hatched the geese have been wandering all around the Farm. This morning we found them waddling along the Farm drive, looking very much as they were leaving. Fortunately they tuned around before reaching the Lane. But it is nice to see them and I am sure that our Holiday Guest will enjoy them.

We purchased our Telescope from the oldest telescope suppliers in the World called Telescope House. They have been in business since 1785 and are the main stockist for many brands, and they were the cheapest to purchase from. They have just opened a new business called Buzzoptics www.buzzoptics.com selling optical equipment that is used for as well as others, watching wildlife, Yesterday they offered to give us some sponsorship, not money I am sad to tell. They are supplying us initially with Binoculars and Scopes for our Holiday Guest to use for watching our Wildlife. We are putting a few links on the website. If they see that they are receiving sales from the links they will give us financial support. If you are considering buying any Binocular or Scopes please give them the opportunity to give you a price. I have found them very competitive and helpful when I have needed advice. Mention Denbury Farm and they will give you an extra discount. We may also get much needed sponsorship.

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Our holiday guest both last week and the week before…

Our holiday guest both last week and the week before, came for the fishing as well as for the wildlife watching. Both stayed for most of their holiday on the farm fishing most of the time. They caught some large Carp, our guests last week caught 10 and 12lb fish. Both of them also caught large Eels, although I never saw any of them, they both indicated that they were well over a foot in length. If they were not in our lake, I may well have eaten them, if I had had the chance. Other than myself I don’t know of any other people who do eat Eels. I suppose it is mainly because of the look of them. Believe me if you have never tried Eel, you don’t know what you are missing. Before I came to Denbury and started farming I was squeamish about the sight of different food, but never with Eel. It doesn’t matter how they are served , jellied, stewed with mash and liquor or smoked, I will eat them. Eel would be my favorite food. When ever we have family coming from London I make sure that they fetch me a bowl. I think a bowl would have about seven to eight pound in them, believe me I am well pleased no one at Denbury likes them. I reckon those Eels caught from our lake were pretty lucky.

I find it hard to believe but Eels start their lives as Elvers in the Sargasso Sea, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Somehow the shoestring thick worm type Eel, only inches in length, make their way into our waterways, eventually travelling overland to lakes and other waterways. When mature for breeding they make their way back to where they originated from.

When we first came to Denbury the pond in front of the farm house, that is stream fed was silted up with what the stream water had brought down with it. We got contractors in to clean it out. It took a good few days to finish the job with a large digger and two dumper trucks. When they were doing it, there were so many Eels being taken out we lost count. Over the period that we have been here the pond has silted up again and need clearing out again.

I tried to align the Telescope last night, but after an hour and a half I got annoyed with it, and had to walk away. It all started very well. After setting the time, date and nearest location, the Telescope automatically selects a Star and finds it. The Star selected needs to be centred spot on. Vega was selected and with the help of the machine that I purchased from the USA, I centred it. It then selects another star that you need to align spot on. It chose a star of the Plough, and slewed to it, nothing was centred, I needed to centre it, but the Sky was so clear and with it being upside down from the spotting Telescope, I could not be sure what Star it was. After an hour I had to walk away. The Sky is so clear above Denbury, when there are no clouds about that you see every thing up there, to untrained person as am with Astronomy it make it difficult to see a specific star through a spotting Telescope. I phoned the people who supplied the Telescope, they told me that I can alter the Telescopes selected choice. If there is a good Sky tonight, I will find a star that is easy to see and try again.

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By luck not so lucky for a last year Portland…

By luck, not so lucky for a last year Portland Ewe lamb, there are now ten Sheep in the field that I an now putting them in. A few day ago I saw her caught up with a piece of electric fencing wire, tangled around her back foot and a fence post. I was on the quad at the time. As I drove towards her she got up and started to run away breaking, the wire. There was still a very long length attached to her, so I gave chase on the quad. That really is not a good idea. Quads used foolishly are very dangerous, and my chasing the Ewe was foolish. They are so easy to turn over, with the machine finishing on top of you. I purchased the quad new. On the first day of having it, a girl who had her horse stabled on the farm, was using the quad and trailer, after mucking her horse out, she went around a turn to quick, and the quad finished up on top of her. She was lucky, escaping with a couple of scratches, as did my new quad bike. A couple of Christmases back Ozzy Osborne was seriously hurt on one. So you have got to be very careful on them.

When I was chasing the Ewe, I was trying to cut her off from going into the wood, by swinging the quad from side to side, it started to tip as I swung it into the camber of the hill. If I had not cut my speed it would have completely gone over. After slowing down I could not catch her from going into the wood. The quad tyre did go over the trailing wire and broke a fair piece off, but there was still a lot trailing behind her. The next day I saw, what I thought was the remainder of the wire laying in the field. I didn’t bother to check the Ewe to make sure that it had dropped off her.

Yesterday after catching and moving the Texel Ewes and Lambs I heard a Ewe calling out, believing that it was one of the Texel’s that we had left behind, and that she was calling for the Ewes we had moved, I did not bother to much about it. This afternoon I could still hear a Ewe calling from the wood. It was to continuous not to investigate. I soon came across the calling Ewe, it was the last years Portland Ewe Lamb, who had the wire on its foot, caught up on a low tree branch. She had obviously been there for a day or two, going by her messy rear end. After cutting her free and cleaning her up, she was given a drive on the quad, to join the nine sheep that have been move to their new pasture. Only fourteen left to catch.

The Grand National, it would not be my favorite Horse Race. It is not the four and a half miles they run, neither the thirty large jumps they have to negotiate. Horses regularly did both and more when hunting was allowed. National Hunt Racing was born out of Fox and Deer hunting. What I don’t like is the injuries and fatalities that are caused because of it being a race. Being a race the Horses are pushed on hard to win. To hard for most of them, as the low percentage of those Horse that finish the race shows. Today just thirteen of forty starters finished the race, and this was a good year.

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We have 24 sheep on the farm we only keep…

We have 24 sheep on the farm, we only keep them to eat of the grass that the horses leave, and of course their droppings fertilise the fields and our holiday visitors and their children love to see them and their lambs.

They are free range, touch wood they don’t stray to far, although they do go missing a times, so you need to count them at least once a day, although you tend to do a count every time you see them. When they are all go missing you know that they are normally not in any trouble, When one disappears you have to start worrying, they may be caught up in the bramble, the sheep with horns(our ones with horns are Portlands) may even have their horns caught up in wire, being sheep anything that can go wrong, will.

Doing a count early this afternoon we were one ewe down to 23 sheep, they were in a field close to the Farmhouse. It was one of the Portlansds that was missing, anything that you are doing has to stop so that you can look for it. You start to look in the hedges and all around the fields.

I had been looking for a good hour and a half and was starting to think the worse, but decided to go up to the far end of the farm, a good way from where the other sheep were grazing, further than I really thought she would have been, but it was worth a chance, then I heard a faint bleat, so faint that it may have come from a field on another farm, that is on the other side of the wood. I went through a gap in the hedge that leads into the wood to look into the field, and then to make my way back home through the wood still searching, when I caught a glimpse of white, there she was. I made my way up the bank, she was laying down and would normally have run off when she saw me, on reaching her I realised why she had not, she was licking a new born lamb, behind her was a born lamb still in the birth sack looking very dead. After removing the sack it was still lifeless, but you should never give up with lambs, after clearing its mouth I shook it, swung it, and slapped it and after a few minutes it stirred, shook itself and open its eyes, I laid it in front of the ewe so that they could bond. That lamb was lucky, they cant get oxygen whilst in the sack and would have only a minute or so left before dying

On returning home we took the dogs for a walk, giving the ewe the time she needed with the lambs and returned later to take the ewe and lambs back home on the quad and trailer, you may have seen it on the webcams. They are in one of the stables now, if the weather is OK tomorrow they will be let into the fields with the other sheep. The ewe tends to hide them for a day or two. As soon as they are about, we will put them on the webcams.