The finishing line is in sight

 Bev's cancer ordeal seems to have been going on for an eternity, although the reality is just over seven months have elapsed since the original diagnosis. We now have a course of five Raidio Therapy sessions before we can draw a line under this particular chapter in our lives. The Oncology Dept, at Kent & Canterbury Hospital have confirmed that the treatment will commence on 22nd August , thus will have ended by the 27th!  With this out of the way, we are hopeful that a holiday will be possible, most likely destination being Corfu? 

I had been hopeful that the rods would see some action but, due to the "Engine Management" light making a rude appearance, last Friday, my van has been out of action. I got it back from Dumpton Park Nissan, today. Apparently it required a new pressure sensor, so £263 lighter, they have fixed it for me. I always moan about the financial side of using this garage but, there is no getting away from the outstanding level of customer service they provide. End of advert!

Benno and I are back down the RMC, on Friday evening, for another Eel session. Hopefully we are going to be joined by Mark? However, Benno has hatched a plan which should see us gain exclusive access to a venue much closer to home. Absolutely no idea of the fish stocks, but it will be good fun pitting our wits against an unknown foe.

And finally, onto some natural history encounters. Three Common Swifts (birds, not moths) were spotted this afternoon, high over Newlands Farm. They might just prove to be the last I see this year? The garden moth trap continues to provide much entertainment and, this morning, came up trumps with my first Garden Tiger Moth of 2024. That there were eleven Jersey Tigers, in and around the trap, is an indication of how quickly insect population dynamics can/do change. 

A Scarce Silver-lines was my first of the year, but the real show stopper, for me, was an absolutely pristine example of Gold Spot. Loads of micros to ponder over but, the more I look, the sillier it becomes. I am almost at a point where I think it might be possible to sue Bloomsbury publishers under the trade descriptions act? Almost all of the micro moths that I have trouble id-ing, are, according to Kent Moths, only identifiable via dissection? So how can they be illustrated in a "Field Guide" which costs £35 a copy only to be, at best, unreliable?

Scarce Silver-lines

Hawthorn Ermine - Paraswammerdamia nebulella (or not?)

Gold Spot

Still, there's much to be positive about in my little world, so the soap-box can go away again for a while. Moths and me - it's a love-hate fascination.

A female Oak Eggar from a few nights previous. 
The first of the year for me.

A proper bit of angling history

 It is purely due to the crazy events of 30th December 2023 that I now have regular contact with "Dick" Walker's son, Simon. Our initial contact was in relation to an exhibition, celebrating the life and achievements of "Hitchin's Angling Legend". Today, now having actually met, with much in common the exchange of emails remains. So it was a wonderful surprise to receive Simon's latest offering. Apparently he'd been sorting through some old, long forgotten, paperwork when he stumbled upon an envelope containing a page from the Daily Mirror, dated April 10th 1953. Way back then, as were all newspapers of the period, the format was in broadsheet, not today's tabloid scandal rag layout. .On this particular piece of newsprint was the results of the 1952/53 Daily Mirror angling completion, completely dominated by the impact that Richard Walker had made with the capture of "Clarissa". What, for me, makes it even more precious is that the actual piece is written by Bernard Venables, the one and only "Mr Crabtree". The accompanying image has been slightly tweaked, from the original photo sent by Simon, in the hope that visitors will be able to actually read the article and accompanying fish results directly from the picture. It will enlarge if you click on it.

I don't know how much this type of history will mean to the modern generation of Carp anglers yet, without Dick Walker and Bernard Venables, none of what has happened in the evolution of Carp fishing would have done so if not for these two huge, pioneering, characters, within the sport. They were at the forefront of modern angling thinking as they sought to demonstrate that catching bigger fish was a matter of application not just down to luck.

Pegwell Little Egrets

I took a drive down to Pegwell Bay NNR this afternoon to coincide with high tide. I actually stayed longer than I'd anticipated due to a belt of rain which had me confined within the dry, yet worst hide, from an optic users perspective, I've ever sat in. The steel container which has been converted into a hide has, for security reasons, had the viewing windows completely compromised by the heavy metal bars which are positioned half way up the opening to prevent lowlife, drug taking, alcohol fueled, scum-bags from using the facility as a squat! Oh, the joys of living by the seaside. Still, the hide does allow a reasonable view across the bay and Stour estuary, although not particularly suited for the use of telescope or camera with a long lens. Fortunately, none of this was a concern today, as the majority of what I saw was around the "Garage Pool". A Greenshank and four juv Ringed Plovers were the only waders around the muddy margins with a large number of Black-headed Gulls present on the far margin of the pool. Careful scanning allowed me to pick out a lone adult Mediterranean Gull but, it was the presence of thirty-nine Little Egrets which really surprised me. I actually added another seven when I reached the hide, so the minimum total was forty-six!

From the hide, itself, I was able to see good numbers of Sandwich Terns (100+), a few Common Tern, another ten adult & two juv Mediterranean Gulls, lots of Dunlin, seven Shelduck and a smattering of Redshank, Curlew and Whimbrel. There were a few hirundines moving south over the saltmarsh, the majority were Swallows, but I did pick out two Sand Martins for my efforts. Bird of the session was a smart juvenile Yellow-legged Gull which dropped in on Shellness Point briefly. A big adult Grey Seal was seen a few times out in the bay, whilst the more familiar Common Seals were bobbing about in the mouth of The Stour. No great shakes, but nice to get out of the garden for a change of scenery.

More questions than answers

 In my previous offering I had mentioned I had another post, in prep, which I hoped would allow me to explain my personal viewpoint about the killing of specimens in order to obtain positive id. Although I had no desire to upset any group, or individual, I am afraid that had I posted my thoughts it might not have gone smoothly. I guess a diplomat is not something I'll ever aspire to be. "Say it as it is" being far more in tune with my factory floor background, hence that particular piece was trashed before it caused any ripples around the cyber network. I haven't changed my opinions and remain opposed to the use of any lethal id techniques for such trivia as garden/county/life moth (invertebrate) listing and because of this will not align myself with, or submit any of my records into, this system. 

To change tack entirely. It was almost a year ago when I pointed my long lense in the direction of a Bat sp. which was flying around the back garden at dusk. The result wasn't about to elevate me within any photographic echelons, but it was something I felt would be worth further effort if chances arose. Over the past three, or four, evenings there has been quite a noticeable increase in bat activity so I decided to have another bash. As with my recent foray into macro photography, the only way I'll learn anything is by giving it a bash and learning from the mistakes as they occur. My Magenta 5 Bat Detector suggests that the species involved is one of the Common Pipistrelle group, so not particularly large subjects to get onto the image finder. 

As you can see from the resultant images, there is certainly a number of positives to be gleaned yet, also much room for improvement and experimentation. I was using the long lense at 135mm f5.6, with a shutter speed of 1/320th sec in manual mode with auto ISO setting. I feel sure that this last option is why the images are so washed out and grainy. When I checked the file details for these images, the camera had defaulted to ISO 6400. Time for plan B (there could well be plans C,D,E & F if required?) If I am able to get out again this evening, I am going to set the ISO at 800, but keep all the other settings as before.

You know that things are on the up when Diamond-backs start appearing on the egg trays.

In the same vein, my macro efforts have certainly provided evidence that my techniques are headed in the right direction, although certainly nowhere close to a level of consistency I would like. The garden moth trapping has seen a real upturn in recent days with some very nice moths being attracted by the 125w MV bulb.so I am not struggling to find subjects on which to practice. By modern standards, the kit I use is very "old hat" yet more than capable of providing images which are suitable for use on this blog. What follow are a selection of images that I've taken recently with my EOS 70D, a 20 mm extension tube and 18 - 55 mm EFS image stabilized lens.

One of the Caloptilia "minefield" to quote Francis Solly

Fig Leaf Skeletonizer

A (Light?) Grey Tortrix 

To be fair, the only way is up and, by recognising my faults, it should be a very enjoyable adventure as I seek to push the boundaries of my photographic skill base. Finally, please don't think that I've given up fishing. Benno and I are back down the RMC on Friday and, following today's very positive meeting with Bev's cancer consultant, angling should once again return to my weekly routine, thus blogging, now that the grandchildren have ended school for the Summer period. The final image is of the best moth I've caught, thus far, in 2024. A Light Crimson Underwing was discovered on the egg trays this morning - result!

A decent result

The garden MV trap has, once again, provided some very nice moths for me to look at when I perused the egg trays this morning. The realisation of just how pathetic my id skill-base really is has been highlighted by this recent run of warm weather and the resultant increase in micro moths to be examined. Fortunately, this has coincided with my acquisition of the new extension tubes and all that they allow me to do with my camera and lenses. 

An absolutely pristine Cloaked Minor

Bloxworth Snout - very smart

I'll keep this post short because I've got another offering, in prep, that I hope will expand upon where my mind-set is currently at in relation to where involvement with the natural world seems to be headed. Don't get too excited - I'm not wishing to start a war, just explain my own perception of where we're at.

Small China-mark

I've tentatively id'd this as Scabious Longhorn (Nemophora metallica)

No wonder I couldn't get a positive id - it's a bloody Caddis Fly.
As always I am indebted to Francis Solly for his input. 

Reed Fanner (Orthotelia sparganella) a very irregular visitor to Thanet

Garden mothing

Benno and I had another evening/into dark session Eel fishing on the RMC. I couldn't catch a cold, Ben had a smart little male Tench for his efforts. That we were kept company by Mark, the Carp angler, ensured it was a very enjoyable experience and something which we hope to replicate soon.

On our drive home we spotted two Barn Owls perched on roadside telegraph poles close to West Hythe, but that was as exciting as it got! So it is clear that my angling efforts are woeful, at present, thus I am very glad that the Robinson 125w MV moth trap is performing its' magic in the back garden. I am always happy to be corrected if my id's are erroneous, yet this recent spell of warm weather has certainly added something to the excitement when examining the egg trays. A very tatty Pine Hawk-moth, this morning, is only the third garden record in twenty-five years, so most welcome none the less!  

It is, as always, the micro moths which provide the bulk of the challenges, thus require me to attempt to get record images in order to be in with a shout of a correct outcome. I have absolutely no issues with being corrected over an erroneous id. My ego is well capable of accepting the advice of other, far more gifted, observers with experience within this, or any other, sphere of natural history observation which is beyond my comfort zone. What I am really struggling with is the fact that moth recording is conducted under the banner of Butterfly Conservation?  Under no circumstances would a butterfly record be requiring a specimen. It is 2024, Queen Victoria has long passed away, yet the mind-set of the mainstream crowd remains entrenched in history. Could you imagine the outcry if someone failed to id a bird, so shot it in order to get the record accepted? Got it in one! 

Pale Red Slender (Caloptilia elongella)

Marbled Green

Jersey Tiger Moths - not one of them was inside the trap!

Fen Wainscot

Dusky Pearl (Udea prunalis)

Dark-streaked Button (Acleris umbrana)

Until the day dawns when modern technology is embraced by the moronic goons within the entomological ranks, not a single record will be submitted  by me. I am well aware that anything I post on this blog is free to be viewed, thus available for inclusion if warranted, by any group/individual who feel the need. All I know is that it is without my blessing or consent and under no circumstances do I want my initials beside the record entry. Another soap box to get down from - just enjoy looking without a need to fit in.

Wainscot Neb (Monochroa palustrellus)

Long-horn Beetle sp. - don't know, or care, what it's called.
It was enjoyable, none the less, to set eyes upon this insect

Garden gull spectating

 It was around 11.00 hrs,  today, that I noticed several groups of gulls swirling about at various points around West Dumpton. As there was no accompanying noise, it quickly became clear that these birds were feeding upon newly emerging flying ants. Over the following three hours, or so, the activity became more frenzied as the numbers of birds rapidly increased. Another feature was that they were feeding at a much higher altitude as the temperatures rose steadily during the post noon period. At one point I guestimated there to be in excess of five thousand individuals visible from our back garden. The vast majority of the birds that were identifiable were, quite obviously, Herring Gulls but, there were also good numbers of Black-headed and  Lesser Black-backed Gulls involved. Prolonged, and careful, scanning finally resulted in (two) adult Mediterranean Gull being added to the garden year list. There was also a very good candidate for a juv Yellow-legged Gull, yet I didn't clinch it 100%, so one that got away this time?

The majority of the Black-headed Gulls involved were feeding at a lower level than
their larger cousins.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, probably from
the Pyson's Road colony?

Just an image attempting to convey the scene during the early afternoon frenzy

It was also rather interesting to see several Carrion Crows and the local male Kestrel exploiting this food source. As I was scanning the skies for such a prolonged period it was inevitable, I guess, that I spotted a few Common Swifts taking advantage of the situation. Really good fun and a garden year tick to boot! 

Much to think about

 As most of my regular visitors will have already guessed, last Friday's Eel fishing didn't go as we had planned. I did actually land a small Eel, but it certainly didn't warrant further mention as "bootlace" would be pushing the boundaries of reality. I don't think it weighed enough  to qualify as a decent Dace! Benno's rods saw plenty of action, which he failed to convert into fish on the bank. Quite possibly the Eels responsible were of a similar size to the one I landed? However, he did hook and lose a better specimen just as the light was fading. 

Fortunately, Benno has a mate who is part of the Carp crew down on the RMC and he has been able to point us in the direction of another section of the canal where he, and his friends, have taken quite a few decent sized Eels on their Carp gear. We're planning a return visit this coming Friday and have a few ideas to play with in terms of rig mechanics and bait choice. Not too much else happening at present due, in part, to Bev's continuing medical issues. My gut feeling is much of the problem is related to anxiety caused by the waiting in between appointments. Stress isn't something I handle well and I am sure that is a major factor in how Bev is being affected?

I'm not sure how much longer Common Swifts will be seen around Newlands Farm, but there does seem to be a few birds present around the area, as opposed to moving directly through. Late, local, breeders being my hunch about those I am seeing feeding over the adjacent farmland. Garden mothing continues to provide a roller coaster ride with a few more signs of migration in the form of Pearly Underwing and Dark Swordgrass in addition to regular Silver Y, Diamond-backs and The Delicate. So far in July I have recorded sixty-two Elephant, six Privet and two Eyed Hawk-moths but only three Jersey, and a single Ruby, Tigers.

Last Friday, as I was driving across to pick up Benno, I had spotted a group/flock of Cattle Egrets out with the herd grazing on Monks Wall NR, directly below the flyover. I guessed around a dozen individuals, but as I was driving in rather heavy traffic, couldn't get an accurate figure. Being aware that there  have been good numbers of these birds seen locally, it is conceivable that a single mobile flock is responsible for the reports from Worth Marshes RSPB Res, Minster Marshes, The Ash Levels and Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry NNR. I decided to have a look down at Monks Wall on Sunday, with no joy, but returned again this afternoon and was delighted to spot a single bird out with the grazing herd on the main reserve area. Good numbers of butterflies were nice to see around the peripheral footpath and I grabbed the opportunity to get an image of a smart Marbled White which posed nicely beside me.

A few moths at last

 Thus far into 2024, garden mothing has been very a underwhelming experience. Obviously there have been a few exceptions, but generally my results have been very poor. It is not a situation unique to my own mothing as I am able to keep tabs, via blogland, on many other Kent (and further afield) "moffa's" who are undergoing the same struggles as me. This week, however, things certainly seem to be improving and I've had a double figure count of Silver Y's plus the first Langmaid's Yellow Underwing and Jersey Tiger of the year. Micro moth numbers also show signs of improvement as well as an increased diversity.

Rosy Knot-horn

Jersey Tiger Moth

I am certainly having a good time playing around with the macro kit and have come to the conclusion that I will learn more from my mistakes, as opposed to copying the techniques of others. One positive from this approach is that I am finding myself looking at invertebrates which I would ignore under normal circumstances.

Superb Ant-hill Hoverfly (Xanthogramma pedissequum)

Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata)

Benno and I are off down the RMC this evening for a spot of Eel fishing so, hopefully, I'll have some angling related content to share tomorrow?

Info overdose

The desire to improve my camera skills means that YouTube is a regular site I visit; always looking  for help,and it has certainly provided me with plenty of very useful advice. However, because of the riduculous number of contributors involved, the more I seek to learn about any specific topic, the more contradictory are the hints and tips offered by various individual sources. Hence my macro photography lessons will be, very much, a journey of discovery as I seek to improve my own results.

Garden Grass Veneer

Barred Marble

Late afternoon, the skies cleared, and there was a very obvious movement of Swifts over Newlands Farm. In little more than twenty minutes, I had watched circa one hundred Common Swifts moving S-SW. This is more than I've seen during the whole of 2024, thus far, from the back garden.

This should be fun!

 It was yesterday afternoon that I finally got around to placing an order, with Amazon, for some Canon-fit extension tubes. The ancient versions I purchased, in 2012, had served me well considering their complete lack of autofocus technology. These new models would allow me to use image stabilized lenses, with the autofocus enabled, thus simply point and press in the direction of whatever subject I choose. I also ordered a JJC Macro Arm Light, both items being in stock and delivered on Wednesday. Excellent! I spent yesterday evening playing around with the camera kit as Hedgehog activity round my feeding station was fairly hectic. Can't be exactly sure how many individuals were involved but, there were occasions when four animals were present in the garden simultaneously.

Hedgehogs are really aggressive little creatures and very unwilling to share a 
food bowl with any unrelated individuals.

Moth trapping, overnight, proved to be a unrewarded exercise, the odd Silver Y, Diamond-back and Delicate might have been evidence of migration, yet only two Elephant and a single Eyed Hawk-moth being the best of the rest. I pottered around in the garden, dead heading the Petunias in the hanging baskets and generally pulling weeds from the various planters. It seemed to be a day of little excitement. A Jackdaw perched on top of my Mum's old garden arbour, thus allowing me to grab a few shots from my study doorway. 

The clock was ticking down towards the time when I needed to drive across Ramsgate to pick Harry up from school when there was a knock at the door. Bloody hell! It was an Amazon delivery driver with my order. What a result?  Obviously I've not has too long to play around with these new toys, yet early indications are that my macro images, particularly the micro moth efforts, should improve by some margin given time for practice. 

I just pointed the lens at whatever inverts were prepared to pose for me. I have no idea of the id, nor desire to find out, yet am very pleased with what I have recorded under today's gloomy conditions.