Woodlife Trails

After Mrs P left the woods it was time to get down to some serious ‘shrafting. Well, serious discussion, handling, testing, sharpening, comparison and chopping. In short it was kukri time!

Regular readers will know that I bought a custom AngPana kukri from kukuri house in Nepal and I was keen to compare this to other kukris. In fact this weekend could have been dubbed a kukri weekend. There were more kukuris present than people!

We were lucky to have Mark (a regular kukuri user) and Adam who has recently returned from Nepal where he actually visited www.kukurihouseonline.com (and came away with a few bargains – surprise, surprise).

I spent a lot of the time under Mark’s guidance profiling my 8 inch custom kukuri, so that it was more even along the length of the blade. All I have to do now is hone it a little more to a good edge. I did learn a lot about profiling on the way.

Adam was kind enough to assist with a video comparing a number of kukris (also thanks to Andy for the camera work). Part one is on my YouTube channel (also below). The out-takes were hilarious but I’m saving that for a Christmas special  The video camera also captured Jon’s first foray into a hammock dwelling… and a very ungraceful exit as he fell out of it!!

As dusk fell Nick, Andy and I went in search of the Nighjar that can only have made the distant churring noise heard the evening before.

Nightjar – RSPB website

We arrived at what we thought was a good area. A piece of open conifer land with open ground at both sides. It wasn’t long before we heard the weird and slightly eerie churring sound that could only be the Nightjar. It was only a few yards in front of us.

Please wait until audio streams

A whistling keeewick, not unlike a Tawny owl, meant that the Nightjar was in flight and low and behold, silhouetted against the darkening sky, was its bat like, erratic flight.

We watched their aerial acrobatics for quite a while as they dived, swooped and dropped on their insect prey sometimes flying at head height within a few feet of our noses as we walked along the path. I counted four in the same area. The most I’ve ever seen at one time.

It was a spectacular end to a great weekend. Once again, thanks to Mark and everyone else.

Thanks for the visit,

Pablo