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| Light in the darkening sky. Sunset from the garden yesterday evening, no two are ever the same! |
I'm going back down to the syndicate fishery, this evening, for my last eel session for a while. I have enjoyed some good moments, yet don't feel that it's a venue worthy of continued effort. After all, I joined to further the split cane thirty challenge and that's something which retirement (redundancy) will see come back to the forefront of my angling effort. Got quite a bit of catching up to do, blog wise, and the Devon Wildlife Trust announcement about "wild Beavers" is certainly something which needs addressing from a Kent perspective.
Right, I'm off down the syndicate - toodle pip!
Yes Dyl, Beavers. Many people have an interest in wildlife so long as it's on television. However, unless they personally experience it, they have scant chance of understanding the wider issues of where it fits.
ReplyDeleteRic,
DeleteThe "wild" European Beaver population which resides in River Stour catchment of the East Kent marshes is present purely due to the incompetence of Kent Wildlife Trust management and staff. The pilot scheme, based at Ham Fen KWT Reserve, was a fiasco from day one. Within six weeks a beaver was discovered in a back garden in Deal; several miles away, and they have colonised the flatlands in spectacular fashion since this event. Beavers have certainly been present outside of the Ham Fen enclosure well before those, ear-tagged, individuals appeared beside the River Otter in Devon.
No one was consulted about the project and the local farming community now have to deal with the consequences of bank side erosion and accompanying damage to waterside trees because of these unwanted animals. Undeniably, a beaver is a magnificent creature and I recall the excitement when I spotted my first one swimming through my carp swim out on the marsh (July 2015) Since that time, beavers have become a familiar sight all across the "levels" and just another problem to deal with during the hours of darkness. Great for the armchair t/v addicts, not so special when they swim through your carefully placed lines - Dyl
Beavers!!!!! They're breeding like er...errr Beavers! I spotted 2 swim casually past me downstream of cut end on the river one evening last week, a good species tally that day Roach, Bream, perch, dace, chub, Rudd, eel, gudgeon, Beaver, kingfisher, and a large moth species unknown plus kingfisher flitting up and down river all evening. What a pleasant and peaceful day on the stour.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking with some carpers in Fordwich and they said the beavers swim past regularly on the lakes too! Someone give Chris Packham a shake, we have had wild beavers here for a few years now and numbers are increasing.
Blog on Dylan!!
Hi Phil,
DeleteIf beavers now have an increased level of protection, due to the efforts of Devon Wildlife Trust, our farming and fishery businesses might find it a bigger problem to deal with these unwanted escapees. I have no idea as to the numbers involved, yet do know how large the area they occupy is. One night in 2019 I had seven swim past my rods, five adults and two cubs (kits)? in little more than thirty minutes.
Chris Packham is a t/v celebrity, a very committed conservationist, yet only knows what he's told. Kent Wildlife Trust are probably liable for all the subsequent damage caused around East Kent by these creatures, which they failed to contain. It must be because of this fact that there is complete denial that they exist - but we know know different! Take care & tight lines - Dylan
ReplyDelete
We need to introduce Wild Boar and Moles to Packham's garden and Termites to his house. A couple of Giant Centipedes and Funnel Web spiders should top off the 'Challenge to Packham's Love of Wildlife' list.
ReplyDeleteRic,
DeleteWe have "Wild Boar" in King's Wood, just outside Canterbury. Maybe what we need is for Mr Packham to relocate to "The Garden of England" to recognise the errors of his ways? Re-introductions aren't always the result that was envisaged when first undertaken! - Dyl