June 16th is approaching rapidly and I am really excited about what lies ahead. A serious attempt at Tench fishing hasn't been on the radar since 1993, so I've an awful lot to do if I'm to get up to speed with current tactics and techniques. Still, in reality, they are simply a fish species which only has so much capacity for learning, thus, knowing that I have been (very) successful in the past should put me on a decent footing as I embark on this latest venture?
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| My good mate, Ric F, suggested that I purchased some squirrel-proof feeders because of the nuisance Rose-ringed Parakeets. They had it sussed within a day but, I have to say that they aren't as wasteful with these feeders. |
However, I have no desire to wish my life away so, in the interim, quite happy to fill my days with other experiences with whatever wildlife comes into my space. Yesterday, whilst Bev and I were at Westward Cross (the major shopping complex on Thanet) where we had to visit Waterstones to pick up a book that Bev had ordered, a Red Kite flew right over the car park. The local gulls went absolutely berserk, yet we seemed to be the only two people watching the spectacle whilst the other shoppers were completely oblivious to this natural drama occurring directly overhead. A sign of the times? And I'm betting that at least one person complained about the noisy gulls, because they couldn't hear their phone properly!!
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| Cypress Carpet |
The moth trap continues to provide interest, even if nothing particularly unusual has turned up thus far in 2024. I was, therefore, rather surprised at the number of Yellow-spotted Tortrix (Pseudargyrotoza conwagana) which were discovered on the egg trays on Tuesday morning. Up until this moment, they were probably just about annually recorded in the garden so, to have in excess of thirty individuals was off the scale of what I'd expect and there were another eleven this morning!
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| Yellow-spotted Tortrix |
A Small Elephant constitutes my fifth Hawk-moth species, whilst another nice surprise was the first Cypress Carpet of the year. Garden birds have been very predictable around the feeding station, yet I was completely blown away by a displaying male Greenfinch which appeared over the bungalow this morning. An adult Black-headed Gull went south, whilst two adult Great Black-backed Gulls drifted westwards during the morning. I finished the day off with the discovery of a male Field Cuckoo Bee (Psithyrus campestris) nectaring on Red Valerian along the drive. I managed to obtain the id, via the use of a pot, yet the bee wasn't prepared to pose for the camera so was released without any fannying around.
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| Small Elephant Hawk-moth - a stunning little insect |
One major positive I am able to take from my time spent watching the comings and goings around the garden is that the local Hedgehog population is thriving. I regularly see three individuals visiting the feeding station, but last night there were at least five visitors before I headed for kip at 23.00 hrs. I'm hoping to get some decent images of these fabulous creatures over the coming few nights, as I've sought further instruction from YouTube. Watch this space!
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| This image was obtained, from my study doorway, with the camera hand held. |
Dyl, I found that to defeat the RNP's from reaching the food, all I needed was to put an extra piece of wire across the the gap through where they were poking their necks. The addition of cable tied garden canes acting as perches for the other birds didn't help them.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair Ric, your suggestion was a good one. Although it hasn't stopped the parakeets from using the feeders, it has prevented them from aggression against smaller species due to the simple fact that they have their heads stuck in-between a restricted wire frame, thus are unable to react when another bird turns up.
DeleteHoping all is well at your end? Take care - Dyl