Counting down the hours

 Bev and I fly off to the, sun-soaked, island of Corfu on Wednesday afternoon. Gatwick isn't a particularly pleasant airport from which to start our latest adventure, yet is certainly better than the Luton alternative when having to drive from Ramsgate. Because of this tonight will be the final time that the garden moth trap will be operated before we return. To be fair, the recent run of blustery winds and cool overnight temps has ensured that very little has been attracted to the light, although I did have another Convolvulus Hawk-moth on the egg trays on Sunday morning. Rusty-dot Pearls are the only migrant species which are now recorded on a daily basis, with singles of Silver Y and Dark Sword-grass this morning plus a Scarce Bordered Straw watched nectaring on Red Valerian yesterday.

Garden birding has been similarly effected by the conditions with very little evidence of autumn migration being noted. Chiffchaffs are, however, now being seen on a daily basis, whilst yesterday morning there was a small, but steady, movement of Swallows headed southwards. The two stand out birds have been a Wheatear, which perched on a neighbour's garage roof on Friday, and a Lesser Whitethroat (another garden year tick) which steadfastly refused to pose for the camera yesterday afternoon. The only other sighting, worthy of mention, was that of two Common Darters which were seen sun-bathing on the metal garden benches, 

Roll on Gatwick - roll on Corfu!

The bird bath does it again!

Bev's not feeling too sparkling, at present, as the after effects of radiotherapy kick in. Nothing that we hadn't been warned about by the Macmillan nurse, yet still not very pleasant. Our holiday can't get here quick enough. Whilst it is Bev who has to endure the physical issues, I am not (as a responsible husband) in a position to head off in search of entertainment, be that angling or ornithological, whilst these symptoms remain. My only, sensible, option, therefore, is to spend time in my study knowing that I can be immediately on hand should Bev need me. So there I was, just after 13.00 hrs, looking at the images I'd captured during our last Corfu holiday, when I glanced out into the garden only to see an imm male Common Redstart in the bird bath. Fortunately the camera was right besides me and I rattled off a few shots, through the double glazing, of only the fourth garden record of this species in twenty-four years!

What with Ring Ouzel and Pied Flycatcher already in the bag, 2024 garden listing seems to be a bit special.

Holiday prep and practice

Our Corfu holiday booking was only confirmed on Monday, thus we've got quite a few bits to sort out before we head off for this, much needed, break. We've been to our local medical practice to ensure that Bev's got enough medication to last for the period we're away. The only other, major, item which now needs to be addressed is that of airport parking, which should get sorted out on Friday? After that it's get the luggage packed and sunshine here we come! 

A holiday for Bev is nothing more complex than sunshine, a sun-bed with towels, a nice pool, a decent book or crossword and being in close proximity to a source of snacks, coffee and/or flavoured "G & T" - whichever takes her fancy. For my part, I just require some open spaces to wander around, looking at whatever nature decides to show me. Having been to this same location on several previous holidays, I am pretty confident that there will be plenty to enjoy. Honey Buzzard migration should be in full flow plus assorted hirundine and passerines will also be moving south through the area at this time of year. My hope is that my newly acquired camera kit will produce far superior images to anything previously obtained but, I am also looking to push the boundaries of my photography by deliberately attempting some macro stuff whilst we're away. Grasshoppers, mantis, dragonflies and lizards  are fairly standard fare on Corfu, yet there are a myriad  of smaller "blue" species and equally diverse numbers of skipper butterflies to explore. On top of this, surely I'll encounter many other invertebrates which have been previously overlooked, or simply ignored?

An Ichneumon sp. - only identifiable by dissection apparently?  

With this desire to explore new photographic opportunities I have been playing around in the garden with an old Sigma 55 - 200 mm lens, in combination with a 30 mm extension tube. Obviously, the lens doesn't have image stabilisation, nor can it be used in autofocus mode because of the lack of technology. All that said, I am well pleased with how it performed today and am now committed to including it in the kit being taken.

Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae)

I am hopeful that I'll be able to update the blog on a regular basis, whilst we're away, but am aware of the pitiful internet provision at the resort, so fingers crossed.  If I am able to take my laptop, then any posts I make should be accompanied by images, however, if I am restricted to using Bev's I-pad, then it will be written content only until we return. 

I'm not too sure how I overlooked this image obtained yesterday night. Inspecting the egg trays this morning was a complete wasted effort. Overnight temperatures had plummeted and with them went the moth activity. Probably no more than forty moths to peruse, the vast majority being Large Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Characters and Angle-shades. Thanet is currently being pummelled by blasting westerly winds with impending rainfall cum darkness. I'm not sure that I'll even bother to run the trap tonight given these adverse conditions. The only positive being that I get an extended kip due to not having to get up to switch the trap off in the early morning.

Three's a crowd? (with an up-date!)

 My mention of Porter's Rustic, at the end of yesterday's offering proved to be a major "faux pas". I'd potted it directly off the perspex dome of the trap because it "looked" like the individual which Paul Howe had displayed on Folkestone Birds. In the cold light of day, my moth was nothing more than a very worn and pale example of the Common Rustic clan. Hey-ho! Not the end of my world, I make similar mistakes on an almost daily basis, especially with the bloody micro moths. However, all was not lost as there were three Convolvulus Hawk-moths present on the egg trays when I examined last night's catch. This is almost certainly a direct consequence of me planting Nicotiana in my garden planters.

Three Rush Veneer, five Rusty-dot Pearl and a single Dark Sword-grass were the only other obvious migrant species plus I did have another Old Lady within the trap, whilst two others were resting on the nearby fence panels. Bev and I are headed off to Corfu in little over a week's time, so these next few nights might just prove to be the end of my mothing for 2024? It will all depend upon the weather conditions when we return.

The Old Lady - quite a characterful moth

Rush Veneer

A couple of Chiffchaffs were splashing around in the bird-bath as I was examining the moth trap contents and it is really encouraging to see good numbers of juvenile Gold Finches visiting the garden feeders recently. Hedgehog numbers remain very buoyant, locally, and I guess that six individuals visit our garden feeding station on a regular basis. Although I am seeing the occasional Fox within the garden, I haven't actually seen one at the feeding bowl for several months now.

I hope that the day never dawns when I have seen enough of these wonderful creatures!

The evening up-date 

So, much as I was doing yesterday night, I'm sat in the study, listening to the England v's Finland game and watching the feeding bowls. Almost a case of "de-ja-vu"  there were two Convolvulus Hawk-moths nectaring on the Nicotiana flowers right outside the doorway. This time, however, I had the camera kit readied and close to hand, thus managed to get a few, much improved, images of the moths. I'm fairly confident that these moths were not those seen/caught yesterday as the trap contents were released nearly 400m away from the garden trap.

Saddo - I am that man!

So another night sat, at my laptop, watching the Hedgehog & Fox feeding bowls from my study doorway. All I can say is that it works for Bev and I, yet have no doubts that others will have completely different opinions. The moth trap sorted, the two bowls placed onto the patio, it was just after 20.00 hrs that my attention was drawn towards two Convolvulus Hawk-moths which were nectaring on the Nicotiana flowers in the planter right outside my door.The camera was in auto mode, with the 100 - 400 mm lense fitted, so I had to try my best to grab a record shot, or two.

I've got a candidate for Porter's Rustic in the fridge awaiting some record imagery and I need to add the news that I had fourteen Old Lady on Saturday morning. There were nine on the egg trays and another five resting on the adjacent fence panels when I switched the trap off around 05.45 hrs. I only mention this because Sandwich Obs have only recorded one thus far in 2024. It's a very strange caper, this mothing malarkey, and there's no getting away from it.

Just some stuff

 At around 15.00 hrs, yesterday afternoon, a gang of kids thought it would be a right laugh to set the stubble field, which is directly beyond the garden hedge, ablaze. Fortunately the wind was a brisk north-easterly and the flames swept across the field, getting further away from the boundary as a result. I would guess that four, or five, acres were burned before three fire engines arrived on scene. 

Thankfully, no property or livestock were involved and Mr Nash, the farmer, got out on the field with a plough after the firemen had done their work. This morning, having turned off the moth trap, I took a drive across to Seaton GPs, for a stroll along the Little Stour. Very much a need to know reason, yet it proved to be a rather enjoyable outing. Three Spotted Flycatchers were seen and a Raven croaked somewhere out in the gloom, over towards Wingham. The highlight, for me, was discovering a lone Hornet beside the river. I haven't seen one in over a decade, so a most enjoyable encounter. It was a gloomy, dull, morning and the camera was set to 1/400 th sec exposure because of the conditions. I only had the 100 - 400 mm lens with me so had to make the best of it. 

I have tried to search the internet to discover the current status of these impressive insects within the Kent boundaries, yet all I seem to get is "tabloid style" warnings about the dire threat to bee-keepers posed by the invasive Asian Hornet. Not too much to report from the garden, of late, but there does seem to be a definite reduction in Willow Warbler numbers and a subsequent increase in Chiffchaffs being seen. 

A Chiffchaff in our neighbour's garden

Moths continue to provide daily amusement, yet nothing particularly noteworthy since the Portland Moth.

Nocturnal butterfly migration?

If I wasn't sat here, in my study, watching the Hedgehog & Fox feeding bowls, I wouldn't have witnessed this crazy situation. It's now just after 22.30 hrs and I've seen something which I'd only read about previously. Red Admiral butterflies are being attracted to the moth trap, I've counted fourteen thus far, and I'm certainly wondering if it's because I still run a MV (mercury vapour) light as opposed to the modern attinic alternative?

There are good numbers of moths being attracted and I'm pretty confident that there'll be something of note tomorrow morning when I examine the egg trays. Just in case anyone is interested, I did catch a few Carp yesterday topped off by a nice Common of 12 lbs 10 oz. Certainly nothing to get excited about, yet it was a bent fishing rod, so most enjoyable..

Portland Moth - nice!

 Another examination of the contents of the garden moth trap, this morning, revealed three Olive-tree Pearls, seventeen Delicates, five Rusty-dot Pearls and a Clancy's Rustic to be the only obvious candidates for moth migration. However, it was on the second to last egg tray that the star of the show was discovered. A Portland Moth was a new species for me and, as such, the garden list. A quick scan of the Kent Moths website revealed just how unusual this sighting is. Only one previous record for Thanet,  inevitably at one of Francis Solly's constant effort sites, and around ten Kent records since 2000; so a very good moth indeed?

A very pleasant way to start the day

With a bit of luck I am off down to the Carp Puddle, this afternoon, for a few hours so this post might get an up-date on my return. It will depend upon how successful my angling foray turns out to be. Either way, with a rare moth taking centre stage, today has been quite rewarding whatever else occurs.

Variety - "the spice of life"?

   Bev and I were back at The Kent & Canterbury Hospital, on Monday, for a consultation with a neurological doctor. This was purely a result of the anxiety issues which Bev had experienced during the cancer treatment. I won't bother getting into a rant about our broken NHS system, instead, I would rather praise all those medical staff who provided such wonderful care during this saga. However, the outcome of our latest visit was the best result we could have hoped for. No issues with Bev's mental health that can't be attributed to the stresses of uncertainty caused by the length of time which had elapsed from the original diagnosis to that final radiotherapy session. The signal to move on and book that holiday!!!

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer - probably the most numerous species attracted to the MV trap
during this past week?

The melanistic form of Box-tree Moth. 
Double figures on most nights recently

Quite obviously my angling efforts have been severely curtailed by this situation and rightly so. Bev's health and wellbeing are far more important than me placing another wet fish on an unhooking mat. Fortunately, the garden moth trap has provided much for me to enjoy whilst unable to cast a baited hook. Although aware that I've not been setting the world alight with my garden captures, it's certainly been good fun, of late, with a definite increase in migrants species being present on the egg trays. Rusty-dot and Olive-tree Pearls are daily visitors, in varying numbers, whilst The Delicate, Clancy's Rustic, Dark Sword-grass, Scarce Bordered Straw and Silver Y's are also regularly encountered. I've now recorded three Golden Twin-spots, yet it is the resident species which are providing the bulk of my decent records. Three Hoary Footman, are my first since June, whilst Old Lady, a male Four-spotted Footman, Large Thorn and Centre-barred Sallow have all been new for the year over these past few days.

Scarce Bordered Straw

Hoary Footman

Four-spotted Footman - male

Still, it wouldn't be garden mothing if I didn't have issues with my micro-moth id's. I'm fairly confident that Fleabane (aka Ochreous) Pearl is correct, yet would have no issues if my Rufous Marble conclusion was in need of correction?

Fleabane (aka Ochreous) Pearl -  above
Rufous Marble - below

Hopefully Bev and I have turned the corner and will now be able to get back into some type of normal routine? I don't expect my angling to get any more serious than casting floaters to the Carp in the local club fishery? A holiday break, then Bev's sons wedding after we return, after which it will be Pike fishing here I come - or at least I hope so !

Another new toy

I am never wishing that my photography is anything better than a method of getting visual accompaniment for my blogging efforts. That said, I am aware that modern digital image capture is light years away from those days when I was employed by Kodak Ltd, using a SLR camera and Kodachrome slide film for my angling trophy shots. In all honesty, modern DSLR technology is far more capable of correct decision making than me pointing the lens at whatever subject is prepared to pose  The internet is home to an infinite amount of .help for souls, such as myself, who are completely out of their depth with this, rapidly evolving, modern technology.  My current equipment is all, pre-owned, Canon kit purchased from the superb Park Cameras facility in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. It comprises of an EOS 70d body, with IS 18 - 55mm and IS 100 - 400, EF Mk I, lenses plus a set of Viltrox extension tubes for macro image capture. 

So, in the knowledge that Bev and I are likely to be spending time out on Corfu, within the next three weeks, I wanted to ensure that my long lens had the benefit of a 1.4X  III extender in order to enable me to obtain record images of subjects beyond the scope of a 400mm limit. Saturday saw us make the journey around the A299, 249, M20, 26, 25 & 23 en route to Park Cameras, again, to purchase said item. With the EOS 70d having  twenty million pixels recording ability, it allows extraordinary scope to crop an image yet retain a superb level of subject clarity. 

Immature House Sparrows in the garden hedge.This image captured using the new 1.4x extender
 and my 100 - 400 mm EF lens. All I wanted to do was  discover how effective the new acquisition might be prior to getting  back into the Corfu sunshine. 

Holidays are now the only time when birding assumes top priority in my outdoor time. Knowing that there might be plenty of opportunities to add species to my year list, I want all the technology available, in order to record these holiday encounters.. Over the passed two decades, Bev and I have holidayed regularly around the Mediterranean which has resulted in me discovering some amazing birds during these trips. I certainly don't book locations because of a birding track record, instead require sunshine and a pool for Bev, whilst having open countryside, nearby, allowing me the chance to wander around and see what I can find?  

Ruppell's Warbler - Icmeler, TURKEY

Olive-tree Warbler - Pefkohori, GREECE

Olivaceous Warbler - Pefkohori, GREECE

Kruper's Nuthatch - Icmeler, TURKEY

Fan-tailed Warbler - Menorca

Cretzschmar's Bunting - Icmeler, TURKEY

These accompanying photos are from previous holiday adventures and are capable of recalling some fantastic memories of places (and people encountered along the way) whilst simply enjoying the experience of exploring new places.