A coastal amble

 I really don't know why I bother looking at the weather forecasts which refer to Thanet. Absolutely no idea how many £billions worth of satellite technology the Met Office have at their disposal, yet, with a consistency matched only by my own inability to tempt a Barbel from the Stour, do they get the forecasts so horribly wrong. I'd set the alarm for 04.45 hrs, this morning, purely because of the 99% chance of torrential downpours accompanied by thunderstorms. I didn't want the moth trap getting soaked and, as such, was a little pissed off when I discovered clear skies with no signs of inclement weather. After switching off the moth trap, it was a bit of a surprise to see how the forecast had changed during the six hours I'd been in bed. Light showers and a moderate breeze being the revised offering. Even this was way off the mark. If I were able to measure all the rain that fell along Vine Close, today, it wouldn't have filled an egg-cup! It would seem that looking out the window and hanging some seaweed on the fence couldn't give any less accurate predictions?

Olive-tree Pearl - one of three today

Bev had a chiropodist appointment for early afternoon, so I decided to take a wander along the clifftop footpath from Pegwell to Cliffs End then onward to Pegwell Bay NNR. I carried my camera and binos, just in case. I was actually trying out my new Karrimor "Elite" walking boots for the first time. With our Kefalonia holiday getting closer by the day I didn't want a repeat of my Corfu experience. I'd purchased some rather expensive (£89 in a sale) Mountain Warehouse walking boots and completely destroyed them in seven days walking up and down the rugged, mountainous, terrain that surrounds Agios Gordios. The uppers were relatively okay, the soles were absolutely ruined with splits and missing chunks. Unsurprisingly, they got thrown in a Greek dustbin, prior to flying home, and I won't be spending any more cash on that brand. Mountains? They'd struggle with a dropped kerb!

I've owned quite a few pairs of Karrimor boots over the years yet the pair that I really felt were excellent in both, value for money and comfort/performance were a cheap Hi-Tec product that I've been unable to source again. Anyway, the new footwear performed admirably and I enjoyed my stroll without seeing anything particularly notable or getting soaked. Pegwell Bay NNR is an amazing place which has almost unlimited potential for watching wildlife, birds in particularly. However, due to the physical dimensions, a scope is a real necessity if you want to make the most of the site and what it has to offer. I was out, simply enjoying a stroll, without any preconceived ideas as to what I was hoping to encounter, en route. As it turned out I was pleasantly surprised to record decent numbers of Mediterranean Gulls amongst the hoards of Block-heads (not a typo!). At least sixteen Little Egrets dotted about the salt marsh, a Whimbrel, a Green Sandpiper and a decent number of Swallows moving through whilst the bushes held good numbers of Common Whitethroats and a lone Willow Warbler. Back home within two and a half hours, I'd really enjoyed my little ramble. If I ain't feeling it for the Barbel then it seems stupid to ignore the potential offered by the other opportunities that Thanet is able to provide?

I apologise for the lack of angling content, it quite simply ain't happening at present. I'm also attempting to steer clear of mothing content because my own slant on the hobby is not shared by the vast majority of those bloggers who are also interested. Just can't be arsed to get into discussion about something so bloody unimportant! If I have to resort to a few "birding" posts? So be it!