A 2024 garden review

21st December is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day(light) of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of the winter according to those folk involved in such seasonal scientific stuff. This past year has been a real roller coaster ride for Bev and I, as the saga of her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent medical treatment unfolded. For me, as an individual, the experience provided focus and a realisation of what is, and isn't, important in life. My blogging has allowed me to share my thoughts about the situation, as it evolved, plus also an avenue of distraction when things got a bit fraught. My enjoyment of the outdoors hasn't diminished, yet has been tempered during this period. I have found myself becoming quite insular with our bungalow, and the garden, taking centre stage within my wildlife encounters. Obviously I still get out with the rods, binoculars and/or camera kit, yet the garden has taken on a very high profile role during 2024.

Birds

Whilst 2024 hasn't been a "classic" year there have certainly been a few special encounters along the way. One thing which has been a very positive part of my blogging is the investment in some new camera and lens equipment. Image stabilization and 20 million pixels is a vast improvement on my previous kit and, hopefully, has added to the visitor experience?

What a sad reflection upon the current status of the species? A January Greenfinch!
The female Brambling showed up in February

A crazy fifteen minutes in May - the first Ring Ouzel actually in the garden

August Pied Flycatcher - more regular than Song Thrushes in the garden!

A September Common Redstart

The garden year list hasn't reached eighty species, but I really don't care about what I haven't recorded, it's the birds which have showed up that matter!

Moths

I'm probably going to upset a few folk here. My mothing was nothing more than a way to keep my mind distracted from the harsh reality of the situation Bev and I were embroiled within. I kept no records and certainly wasn't bothered if I encountered species beyond my id capabilities. The ability to share my captures with the neighbours provided the major highlights and also allowed me to spread the message of how important pesticide free gardening is to the ecosystem. Although I appreciate how fortunate I am, living where we do, there were very few species which stood out from those being recorded by other local moffas! However, there was one individual which stands head and shoulders above everything else attracted to the Robinson MV Trap this year.

Portland Moth - less than ten Kent records since the start of the millenium.
There have been more Oleander Hawk-moths during this same period.

One real positive that I've derived from the Covid pandemic has been my involvement with maintaining our garden beyond simply cutting the lawn. I have gotten involved with building, and maintaining, garden planters which are filled with plants specifically chosen due their attractiveness to insects, moths being a priority, although bees feature  prominently in the process. Nicotiana (Tobacco Plants) are a mainstay of the flowers in my boxes and I have enjoyed many a night watching, and photographing, Convolvulus Hawk-moths feeding on these, highly scented, blooms right outside my study doorway.

Other stuff

If you only visit this blog on a monthly basis, you'll still be aware of how often Hedgehogs feature in my daily routine. Their presence around the garden is a real positive in such a negative period for the species within a UK context. 

Foxes are also regularly encountered around the Dumpton area, yet due to "pest control" half-wits, seem to be loathe to visit the garden feeding bowl with any regularity. Plenty of inverts have crossed my path during this past twelve months, most of which would be considered very common by those who spend time looking at such life forms. I think that the most notable sighting I had was that of a Willow Emerald Damselfly sunbathing on a metal rod right outside my study doorway.

We're still not sure if Bev's cancer ordeal has ended yet, so I make no promises about where the blog will go as we head towards 2025 and that fresh start it heralds. It's certainly not all doom and gloom, we've got so much to be grateful about, and there's still plenty more for me to say before January arrives.

Sprawk take two

It was only a week, or so, ago when I posted an image of the, regular, male Sparrowhawk perched on the framework of my old aviary flight. I was very happy with the images captured through the double glazing of my back door and actually received a comment complimenting the photo on the blog. This morning saw a repeat performance but, this time around, the back door was wide open due to the tumble drier being in use. Almost in exactly the same position, although facing away from me, the bird allowed me to grab just four shots before departing the scene. 

Bev and I then took a drive, via the scenic route, across to The Elham Valley Garden Centre to pick up a supply of logs which should see us through the festive period? It is an amazing place and home to The Fifth Trust charity. They exist to help adults with learning difficulties and/or mental health issues. Coffee and cake (the menu is far more extensive) in the cafe facility is a very rewarding experience for any visitor, thus, highly recommended if ever you're in the vicinity. Plus you will also be supporting a very worthy cause.

Our drive back home followed the scenic option and we managed to count ten egrets alongside the cattle where I'd spotted them yesterday. I made no attempt to get better views, thus am unable to say if they were all Cattle Egrets or not? 

Struggling on

My quest for a still water Pike continues and, this morning, I opted to try another venue where I'd seen quite a lot of Cormorant activity last Friday. Still part of the same complex, this particular lake has far more features and much more depth in certain areas. Being situated in The Stour Valley, it is a stunningly beautiful fishery with everything I seek from my angling at this stage of my journey. The scenery is absolutely stunning, whilst the diversity of the birdlife does nothing but add to the experience of being there. 

I had two baits out in the fishery, for nearly four hours, yet the bite alarms remained silent once again! I did get a chance to have a chat with a few fellow club members, three of whom were lure fishing for Pike. Like me, they were also struggling, yet did provide me with some info which should assist my efforts going forward. I was back at the van by 11.30 hrs and decided to take the scenic route back to Thanet. It proved to be a good decision as I stumbled upon a group of egrets out with a herd of cattle beside a very quiet lane. I was able to park up, grab the camera kit, and take a walk back along the lane to grab a few shots. There were eight birds in total, four of which spooked as I got closer, but I'd obviously guessed that they were Cattle Egrets and it wasn't so. At least one of the group was a Little Egret which, thankfully, stayed put and allowed me to get a record shot. 

There were certainly several Cattle Egrets present and, given the situation and light levels, I am happy enough with the results obtained. I might just try to get back for another attempt, if the weather allows later in the week.

As Christmas fast approaches, there are loads of "last minute" things which need tending to, but I am hopeful that I'll manage to get a couple more sessions down at the still waters before Santa calls?

First impressions

 I had my first session down on the still water that Benno and Luke had recommended. What an absolutely beautiful place. Peace and quiet, I only saw three other people all the time I was there, none of them doing anything to detract from the experience. It will come as no surprise, to those regular blog visitors, that I blanked. Not a single bleep from an alarm in three and a half hours! To be fair, what did I expect? It's Friday 13th, after all.

It's not a big venue, I'd guess four or five acres at the max. Today was about getting a feel for the place and looking for signs. The only fish activity I noted was that of Carp. A couple "boshed" out and several patches of bubbles suggested unseen fish feeding on baited spots?  The birdlife kept me well entertained and it was very interesting to note that no Cormorants were hunting the lake, although they were present on the two others within the complex. Way too soon to start making assumptions, but knowing that Cormorants preferred prey size range is similar to that of Pike, I will keep an eye on this activity. Absolutely no shortage of Great Crested Grebes, Coots and Tufted Ducks, so the signs are positive that there is a healthy population of prey fish, but are they of a stamp which can sustain "big" Pike?

I suppose that the highlight of this first visit was the number of egrets active around the complex. I saw two Great White and five Little Egrets whilst in my chosen swim. Odd Grey Herons were also present along with a pair of Egyptian Geese, so there was always something to point the binos at. The most unexpected event was when one of the Great White Egrets flew over, calling as it did so. I've never previously heard these birds make a sound. I find it difficult to use the written word to describe noise but, to my ears, it was a rattling chatter of short, sharp, grunting notes. 

I will get back down there, after the weekend, and am hopeful that I can tweak my tactics to encourage a feeding reaction from my target fish? 

Mordor murk, memories and mirth (plus Hedgehog up-date)

 Another gloomy morning of thick cloud cover and subsequent low light levels did nothing to suggest that anything exciting was going to happen. I'd made the first coffee and topped up the garden bird feeders prior to getting a load of washing into the tumble drier. A quick look outside revealed a male Blackcap on the fat ball feeder and I quickly grabbed the camera kit to get some record images. This individual has been hanging around the neighbouring gardens for a couple of weeks, yet this was my first chance at pointing the long lens at it. 

As the tumble drier is situated in my study, the back door was kept wide open to avoid the condensation build up on the windows. I'd just downloaded the Blackcap efforts when I was drawn to some movement above the same feeder and was totally "gob smacked" to see a Song Thrush perched in the Buddleia. This species is proper "rocking horse manure" around Dumpton, I see more Greenfinches which is a very sad summary of the population crashes experienced by both. I did manage to grab a quick shot, as it perched, but was absolutely delighted when it flew down onto the lawn in search of some food. It probably stayed no longer than a couple of minutes, yet I was made up by this unexpected encounter.

Garden gold dust 

The rest of my day has been spent sorting through several hundred slide images that I have just transferred into digital format via a very old device. Obviously, the quality of the copy is directly linked to that of the original slide, so let's just say that they're not all perfect and leave it there. I have just over a month before I make the presentation, so time is on my side. One thing that I had overlooked was the number of images, from this crazy period, which are in printed format and stored within a couple of photo albums (remember them?) and I will actually have to make copies using my digital camera if they are to be used in the final offering.  Whilst searching through these images I found myself revisiting so many crazy times, spent in the company of some wonderful characters. Many a wry smile as I gazed upon pictures from a time when selfish obsession ruled my world and that of the others involved!

The above images are not required for the presentation, therefore I am happy to upload them on the blog, just to accompany the written stuff. I chose Wels Catfish as they were catalyst to me, and the gang, crossing swords with a certain Kevin Maddocks - happy days indeed (for us!)

Up-date

Man Utd have just drawn level with Victoria Plzen as I post this image. I am seeing this particular individual every night, so am duty bound to keep the food bowl on offer as it might be helping this hoglet build fat reserves?

Out of the gloom

 Storm Darragh might well have passed, yet there remains a blasting NE wind which despite the thermometer registering 8C, with the wind chill factored in, ensures it feels bloody freezing! Grey skies and intermittent, heavy, showers quickly put pay to  any thoughts of walking around that new still water, this morning, and a trip to Tesco proved to be a far better option. It's not often you'll hear me say that! The garden continues to provide me with my daily wildlife fix as the feeding stations do their thing. Hedgehogs remain very active, although it does appear that they are not over enamoured by the high winds. There have also been a couple of sightings of a Fox, which is very encouraging. The bird feeders remain a great source of entertainment and it was a very pleasant surprise to spot an adult male Great Spotted Woodpecker on the fat-ball feeder. My first garden sighting in six weeks.

House Sparrows, Blue & Great Tits dominate the seed feeders, although there have been occasions when double figure counts of Rose-ringed Parakeets have taken over the scene. A couple of Robins seem happy to squabble over the territorial rites and there are a regular group of four female Chaffinches that search for scraps beneath the sunflower heart feeders. With all this activity it is no surprise that the local Sparrowhawks make regular visits and I was really happy to grab a few images of an adult male perched on the framework of the derelict aviary yesterday morning.

Really looking forward to tonight's PAC social, confident that there will be some top class banter whilst consuming our Christmas meals. Quite a bit to talk about, in relation to the John Roberts Memorial event, which takes place in early January, so I am hopeful that the evening will be a very productive, yet entertaining, gathering.

Time to move on

With the, very obvious, exception of Loch Awe. Since my return to angling I haven't targeted Pike in any situation away from the intimacy of the drains of the East Kent marshes or the Royal Military Canal. Nothing to complain about, as the results have been way beyond my wildest expectations. What I do need to say, however, is that these venues are not particularly challenging from a bait presentation perspective. An under arm flick is as about as difficult as it gets when placing a baited rig three rod lengths out into a fishery! The key to success, under these circumstances, revolves around fish location and the application of watercraft. All pretty straightforward when you've been Pike fishing as long as I have?

15 lbs 15 oz - Linch Hill 1988

This is now my fourth Pike season since retiring and I have found myself really struggling for consistency due to the crazy weather patterns we've been experiencing. Storm Bert, very quickly followed by Storm Darragh, has led to the realisation that I need to spread my focus and seek venues which are better able to cope with influxes of rainwater without complete loss of water clarity. I need a still water and, thanks to Benno & Luke, have been pointed in the direction of one such fishery which might just provide the answer? We've got our Canterbury/Thanet PAC Region "Christmas Meal" tomorrow evening and I am hoping to get a wander around the lake prior to this annual highlight. 

18 lbs 4 oz - Grebe Lake at Emberton Park (Northamptonshire)
5th March 1989

To be totally honest, because it's been so long since since I fished such a venue, I'm not sure what to expect or how I will approach the challenges once I've taken a look? Still water Pike angling is where I "cut my teeth" way back in the 1970's. It is because I am currently reviewing so many old, slide, images of my early adventures that this thought process has been re-ignited and, all of a sudden, I'm quite excited by the prospect of somewhere new. I also need to give Brian (The Pike Blog) a mention, as it was his idea that a "double" from a new venue is a worthy target for the start of each fresh season.

16 lbs 6 oz - Colney Heath (A British Aerospace fishery)
23rd November 1989

These type of situations are exactly why keeping diaries provides such a brilliant resource  For me the ability to scan through notes, made in my distant past, is a priceless edge which can offer an insight into thought processes which have been long forgotten. Already I find myself exploring ideas which have lain dormant for decades. This new fishery is never going to come close to the challenges posed by Wilstone Res. Tring, yet is certainly worthy of effort purely because it's been such a long time since I sought Pike in this type of venue. 

23 lbs 4 oz - Linch Hill 
26th January 1989

Until I actually visit the fishery, I can make no plans for how to approach this challenge beyond acknowledging the fact that three rod lengths won't be a viable option if I'm to exploit the full potential of this venue. The photos that accompany this post are of Pike that have been captured from still waters during my "speccy hunting" days and have only been revisited due to the prep work involved with getting my PAC presentation put together. 

RMC fun

 It was around 05.15 hrs when I headed off towards the RMC for my first Pike session of December. On arrival, at my chosen section, it was fairly obvious that there was still a lot of colour in the water. However, the head torch revealed that there was probably around six inches of clarity, so certainly worth a go? Two, very heavily flavoured, baits were in the water before 07.00 hrs and the waiting game commenced. Sunrise was at 07.41 hrs, yet completely non-descript due to the thick grey clouds. It was a very slow morning, even with the camera and binoculars for company, there was little worth mentioning. It wasn't until 09.00 hrs that a bite alarm actually made a sound, I was on the rod within seconds and, after going through the time honoured ritual, found myself attached to a spirited opponent. In the net within a couple of minutes. My prize was a nice Pike of 13 lbs 14 oz and turned out to be the only action of the session, despite me remaining on the bank until 13.00 hrs!

A bent rod and a December "double" - what's to moan about?

I seen the odd Chiffchaff and Little Egret, whilst tending my rods, but it really was very quiet out there this morning. A couple of Ravens got into a noisy dispute, way out over the marsh and several, perched,  Common Buzzards could be picked out when scanning the area with my bins. It wasn't, however, until I was making my way back to the van when the highlight of the day occurred. I was almost back to the van when I espied what I first thought was a, very pale, Grey Squirrel drinking from the canal on the opposite bank. A closer inspection revealed it to be a rather spectacular-looking Mink.. Now whilst I am no fan of these American vermin, even I had to admit that this individual was worthy of a second glance. I quickly grabbed the camera kit from the barrow and managed to record a few shots which do the encounter justice.

A very striking individual.

I won't be back on the bank again until Saturday, at the earliest. The Christmas decorations need some attention before everything surplus is returned to the loft. To be fair, the weather forecast isn't that brilliant, so I probably wouldn't have gone fishing anyway?

December starts well - up-dated

Well the Christmas decs are down from the loft, along with the massive collection of 35mm slides which require my attention over the next few days. The bungalow, however, now looks like a car boot sale, with boxes and plastic containers scattered around the lounge and conservatory. We expect the chaos to be over before the end of the week, so will do a little bit every day opposed to having to undertake a massive effort within a condensed time slot. Once I'd got the loft stuff sorted out, it was time to take it easy, enjoy a cuppa whilst sat at my desk looking out into the back garden. A 1st yr male Blackbird quickly appeared and was quite a character with a number of white feathers on it's head. The 1.4x converter was fitted to the 100 - 400 mm lens and I grabbed a few shots of this individual whilst it shared the bird bath with a female House Sparrow which also had a white covert feather on display.

The Radio 5 football commentaries were well underway, in the 13.30 hrs Premier League games, when I spotted a Brambling at the feeders. It was away before I managed to grab the camera kit yet returned a few minutes later and allowed me to grab an image, or two, as it drank from the bird bath. 

The garden Hedgehogs continue to remain very active around the food bowl and I got a really nice image of one of the hoglets a couple of nights ago. Obviously, I am having a great time watching these animals, at extremely close quarters, visiting my feeding station yet am fully understanding that other folk will have reservations about my observations? In an attempt to add clarity to my sightings, I am planning to place the food bowl upon a sheet of cardboard, on which I will write the result of a football match that has been played recently.

Just to demonstrate what I'm wanting to achieve, I'll get the Liverpool v's Man City score displayed tonight and use an image, tomorrow, just to counter those sceptics who think I'm making this Hedgehog stuff up! 

Why wait?

The game hasn't ended more than an hour ago and there were two Hedgehogs at the feeding bowls!

A December Hedgehog!

Straight off the back of the camera!

Enjoyment not endurance

In keeping with tradition, on Dec 1st, the Christmas decs will be brought down from the loft so as to allow Bev the opportunity to select her items, of choice, for this year's festive season celebration. Me? I'd rather go Pike fishing but, as this is Bev's favourite time of the year, I willingly go along with it so to get it done and dusted as quickly as possible! However, this Sunday will also see me bring down a large plastic container in which is a huge number of very old Kodak slides, the images taken during those crazy angling adventures of the 1980's - early 90's. I need to do this in order to start the prep work on the presentation I will be doing for the PAC gang in January(?). I do have quite an extensive collection of old images already stored on an external hard drive, yet they are not particularly good copies of the originals, thus I'm hoping that current technology will allow me to obtain superior results.

A Wilstone Res. dawn from around the mid-80's

Thanks to input from Nick, our R/O, and Andy (a senior member of the crew) I have come up with an idea for how I'd like this presentation to evolve. Without going into too much detail, I want to explore the angling journey from those mad times as a full-on "speccy hunter" to where I now find myself. There will certainly be a few tales of mischief and skulduggery included, as that was a fundamental part of the adventure during those earlier times. 

18th January 1988 - Wilstone Res.
22 lbs 2 oz of pure joy

My post title now sums up my feelings about what I require from the angling experience, as I fast approach seventy years on this planet. My time on the bank is precious, yet actually catching fish isn't the only reason I derive pleasure from the effort involved. An ability to allow so many other aspects to enhance the experience, be they obtained from the natural history, a simple joy of being outdoors or the completely random interaction with other folk encountered whilst sat behind the rods all adds up to produce a unique combination of factors which keep me enthused to continue my angling  adventure. It will only finish if enjoyment is removed from the experience, and I ain't expecting that to happen any time soon

If ever I cease being amazed by simply watching the dawn skies then I'll
know it's time to pack it in.

Filling in the gaps

 I have to admit that, even as Storm Bert was wreaking havoc across large swathes of the UK, here on Thanet we got away relatively unscathed. Odd fence panels and dead trees did succumb to the powerful gusts, yet overall, it was carry on as normal. It was very interesting, from a personal perspective, to see the impact that strong winds had upon the feeding activity of the local hedgehogs. They seemed far more cautious, around the feeding bowl, whilst the winds created movement in the vegetation and garden furniture covers, yet continue to remain active as the temperatures return to seasonal norms? It seemed, somewhat, ironic that The Hedgehog Trust sent me an email stating that Hedgehogs (within the UK) were now listed as "near threatened". Maybe someone linked to this organisation needs to spend some time down here to see what lessons might be learned?

Two images of the same, immature, Turnstone taken in Ramsgate Harbour
using the 1.4x converter with the 100 - 400 mm EF lens.

Pike fishing has been a complete waste of effort. Two trips resulting in one, very small, Jack throwing the bait as I attempted to set the hooks. Thankfully, it was on the surface, thus in full view, when it shook it's head and the barbless hooks did the rest. Fortunately, birding has provided me with some, much needed, entertainment during this period of crazy weather. I haven't been far, just out on the flatlands, a stroll around Ramsgate Harbour and time spent watching the garden feeding station. This morning I was able to spend a bit of time with my mate Neil D. out on the flatlands and we both (being of similar vintage) seem to be getting more enjoyment from our birding experiences without feeling a need to fit in. We see what we see and really couldn't give a toss about what others think. Old age - you've gotta love it?

Back out with the rods tomorrow, for a morning session on the side drain. Although it is no longer the primary drive, behind why I go angling, it would certainly be nice to bend a rod again before December arrives.

Immature male Marsh Harrier - image obtained whilst chatting with another couple of 
birders out on Worth RSPB Res.

They just keep on coming

Whilst I readily acknowledge that the weather, here on Thanet, isn't anything like as extreme as that being experienced by folk living further north. The past few nights have been pretty chilly, resulting in ground frosts on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings; that's not something we're used to as Thanet "softies" Now it is the impending arrival of "Storm Bert" (who makes these names up?) which is gripping the headlines of the various weather forecasting bodies around the t/v companies and mainstream press. If they are to be believed, then tomorrow looks like it might be rather lively, to say the least, and travel prove to be  hazardous in many areas. Why am I writing all this stuff? Well my garden Hedgehogs don't seem to have access to, or take any notice of, the weather forecasts and remain as active as they've been all throughout the year.

An adult which has rather strange feeding habits.
It will pick out a single "meaty meal" and carry it away to eat before returning for another morsel.

I have spent the past three evenings/nights watching the feeding bowl activity from within the relative comfort of my study. All the images taken have been through the double glazing of my back door, thus not as good as they could be if I had the door open, but it was too bloody windy and cold. I illuminate the area, around the bowl, with my Core "Work Lite" and have the camera set in auto mode. There are at least six different Hedgehogs using the feeding bowl and this includes two (possibly three) "hoglets". Knowing that Pike fishing is a non-starter for the foreseeable future, I am going to concentrate on the activity around the feeding bowl during this period of crazy weather, just to provide further evidence to support my "don't need to hibernate" theory concerning the population which is local to me. 

In an attempt at providing some scale to my images. This is the bowl I use.

There is no scientific methodology behind my observations, opposed to a feeling of being very privileged to spend time watching this activity at such close quarters. So until my next offering - "Batten down the Hatches" - here comes Storm Bert. 

Evening up-date

Well the lull before the storm, or so it would appear? The wind has dropped away with temperatures around 3C and rising. The Hedgehogs have been active since 18.00 hrs and it is now 21.30 hrs. Watford are 2 - 1 up at Plymouth and I've taken 84 images of the Hedgehogs tonight, with the back door wide open - result! I can confirm that there are, at least, three hoglets visiting the feeding bowl plus four adults. It's not that often I see three animals together at the bowl during the warmer months so I was more than happy when I got this opportunity tonight!

The images are so much better when the double glazing is removed from the equation.