Change of scenery

As my C&DAA membership expires at mid-night, tonight, I needed to get across to the HQ, in Sturry, in order to renew it for another year. It made sense, therefore, that Grove Ferry NR would be a sensible place for today's Bruno walk. Parking at the gateway, we walked to the Marsh Hide, and back again, in splendid sunshine. Three more additions to my year list were Sedge Warbler, Bearded Tit and Water Pipit, yet there is always something to see when wandering around this jewel of a reserve. Displaying Marsh Harriers were putting on quite a show in the skies above the reedbeds, whilst a dozen, or so, Cattle Egrets were associating with the herd of Galloway Cattle over by the Ox-bow.

This smart little male popped up, very briefly, beside the main track.
I'm once again indebted to the technology housed within the EOS 90d for obtaining a record shot. 

On our way to Sturry, by 10.45hrs, I was not the only member seeking to renew their ticket, so I spent a good half an hour chatting with the other guys also present in the waiting area. As is usual, Jo was on her own, but doing a sterling job of renewing tickets whilst also answering a barrage of phone calls. £120 later, we were on our way home, my C&DAA fishing secured for another twelve months.

Early morning Osprey

It doesn't matter how many times I've experienced the Spring & Autumn clock changes, they still cause me issues with sleep patterns which take several days to adapt to. So, despite the clock telling me it was 07.00 hrs, my body didn't agree but Bev needed some medication, so it wasn't up for discussion whether I got up, or not! Bev sorted and the first coffee of the day consumed, it made sense to get out with Bruno with the clock now approaching 08.00 hrs. I'd just got Bruno into the van when the local gulls erupted over the adjacent area and, on raising my binoculars, I was absolutely delighted to espy an Osprey, away to the south, being harassed by a local Carrion Crow. The EOS 90d did it's magic, allowing me to obtain a few useable images for the blog.

Buoyed by this sighting, I drove down to Minster Marshes for our daily meander around the threatened area of set-a-side fields. The wind was brisk, and from a WNW direction, ensuring it felt pretty chilly despite the glorious sunshine. I did manage to see a couple of noteworthy birds, but it was generally quiet. The only obvious new migrant was a singing male Blackcap, although there was no shortage of Chiffchaffs as we walked our usual route. A Red-legged Partridge provided my second "year tick" of the day and one of the local Common Buzzards seemed desperate to grab my attention as it flew low, and slow, over our position.

This area will dominate my birding, locally, as it allows me to let Bruno off the lead safe in the knowledge that I won't encounter any other dog walkers whilst we're out there. How long will it continue? Your guess is as good as mine!

Bruno's favourite entertainment whilst wandering the marsh.

Early morning stroll

As it is the weekend, Bruno and I can get out earlier than during manic rush-hour/school run period which dominates Monday to Friday. So it was before 08.00 hrs that I'd parked the van besides Jade Lake where we'd begin our walk around the marsh. I was hoping that there might be a few, newly arrived, migrants yet, Chiffchaffs apart, it was very disappointing. All was not lost, however, as I managed to grab a few images of a pair of Grey Partridges beside the Asparagus field at Sevenscore. Only the second pair I've recorded on the marsh this year.

Although the sun was shining brightly, the NW wind had an edge to it as it pushed across the open areas of the marsh, however, in sheltered spots there was considerable insect activity around any vegetation with blossom on display. This is something I'm hoping will provide scope for exploring the opportunities to play around my macro kit in order to add more species to the SMM database.

I want to end this offering with a sad "Farewell" to Steve Gale. As a fellow inhabitant of "Blogland" we have shared many experiences over these past fifteen years. I wish him all the best and thank him for his superb BWKm0 efforts which helped us cope during the pandemic lockdowns.

Shape of things to come?

Whenever Bruno and I are out, on a walk, my binoculars are around my neck and the EOS 90d & long lens hung over my shoulder. Under no circumstances could this be construed as serious birding yet, on the odd occassion, I have been fortunate to encounter birds worthy of note. My involvement with The Save Minster Marshes gang has meant that images which haven't been used on the blog are still shared with others via the various media platforms used by the group. With the situation as it is, currently, I feel sure that my Minster Marshes stuff will feature prominently in my blog offerings. 

A displaying male Skylark 

One of the local Buzzards eyeing up Bruno as a possible meal?

The garden Moth Trap (a 125w Robinson MV model) will also play a key role in providing content all the while Bev's health remains central to our daily routine. So, as to illustrate what I mean, a Dark Sword-grass was discovered on the egg trays, this morning. In itself, nothing particularly noteworthy, apart from the fact that it's still March! Is it a migrant? 

Dark Sword-grass

Then I have still got the garden feeding stations to fall back on if I'm really struggling for blog content. Last night there were two Foxes visiting the feeding bowl and, despite the double glazed window, allowed me to play around with the camera kit.

I'll end it with another sorry tale of a broken system. The cancer team had a meeting on Thursday, which resulted in a Friday morning consultation for us. The only problem being that no-one bothered to contact us with the info, thus it didn't happen. Dr. Podder phoned this afternoon, apologising for the error and explaining what he wants to happen next (very quickly!). As I said in the previous post, I will use the blog to tell my side of this story, as it unfolds, warts and all!.

Everything is on "hold"

 I've not posted anything since Sunday because of Bev's health issues. What was originally thought to be a trapped nerve in her back, is actually a cracked vertebrae and it's required two days in A&E, at QEQM Hospital, Margate, plus a parking fee of £17.60 for the privilege, before discovering that it might actually be bone cancer. This is still to be confirmed, but the doctors seemed sure that it was having reviewed the MRI scans of her back. Obviously, this is now top priority in our world and thoughts about Carp, or anything else for that matter, have to play second fiddle to this singular issue. I would guess that the garden will now feature highly in my natural history experiences, whilst my Bruno walks will have to be restricted to Minster Marshes, just because they are closest to home should Bev need my assistance at short notice?

Tufted Tortrix - Acleris cristana

I will continue to use the blog to tell my version of the story, as events unfold, purely because it helps me to cope with the situation. I don't expect everyone else to see things the way I do, but if by sharing our journey I can assist a single other individual experiencing the same type of trauma, then it is worth doing?

Sill regularly visiting the garden feeding station

Moth trapping and Save Minster Marshes recording might be all I have to offer over the coming weeks/months. I'll do my very best to remain positive, yet might have a few wobbles along the way?

I wasn't expecting this

 I've been running the garden moth trap, on and off, for the past couple of weeks and to be honest it has been a total waste of electricity for the most part. However, these past couple of nights have certainly seen an upturn in the numbers, and variety, of moths to be found on the egg trays each morning. Yesterday I discovered a Tufted Tortrix (Acleris cristana), which is the first garden record, then today it was a Rusty-dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis) which took centre stage. 

Perusing the Kent Moths website, it would appear that this is a very unusual date for the latter species. If only they'd cease using lethal id techniques, I'd happily support their data gathering. So it is a shame, but my moth record won't be appearing on any database - ever?

Awakening reptiles & Aldi?

 As I take Bruno for his morning walk out on the Minster Marshes, it makes perfect sense that I send any sightings worthy of merit into the team at Save Minster Marshes. Obviously the vast majority of what I report is bird related but, over the past couple of mornings, I have been fortunate to see (and photograph) both Common Lizard and a Slow Worm. In itself, not particularly noteworthy, but if it adds new species to the database, then so much the better. 

Common Lizard discovered under a sheet of corrugated tin

As a member of C&DAA I already have vehicular access to the area of marshland threatened by the plans of The National Grid to build the infrastructure for the import of electricity generated by the off-shore wind farms. I am fully aware of the urgent need to produce sustainable, green energy, but should that be at the cost of a National Nature Reserve (Pegwell Bay) and the associated SSSI areas? I'm confident that a compromise can be found and will continue to support the folk behind the SMM project with any records which I feel are worthy of note

This morning's Slow Worm

So where the bloody hell does Aldi fit into this post? Well, if you've been following my angling plans, you'll be aware of my Carp project which is now about to get started. As an angler, of a certain vintage, my total belief in the effectiveness of particle baits is not up for debate. Although I have seen the light, in respect of modern boilies and pellets for hook baits, the ability of a spread of particles to attract and hold feeding Carp remains as true today as it did when Jack Hilton was plying his craft back in the day. As I wrote, recently, my "party mix" is prepared at home, in a slow cooker, and is of a recipe which few others could be bothered to copy. One ingredient which I use, yet don't prepare myself, is sweetcorn. Is there a Carp swimming which will avoid this bait? And so, that's where Aldi comes into the mix. We have a local store less than a mile from our front door and, last year, I was buying 340grm tins for 72p each. No complaints, it worked a treat, so I needed to purchase a fresh supply for this season's endeavours. Not a shop I visit on a regular basis, I was completely blown away when I discovered that the same tin (although re-labelled) of sweetcorn was now 7p cheaper, than last year, at just 65p. I purchased a dozen cans and will probably repeat this in the next couple of weeks. I have already been out with the Carp gear, down at the local club Carp Puddle, landing two scamps for my efforts. I am experimenting with a new rig presentation, which I'd seen on a Korda YouTube offering. The "shot on the hook" rig has been about for twenty-odd years, yet it was only when Danny Fairbrass and the gang were able to show the effectiveness of this presentation, via an underwater offering, that it became something I needed to explore. To this end, I have got a couple of "Sundowner" sessions planned at Sandwich Coarse Fishery before embarking on that quest for a wild "thirty".

Just another day

For this morning's walk, Bruno and I headed down to Grove Ferry NR where I was hoping that a Garganey might be waiting for a place on the year list. How silly? It wasn't a wasted visit as there were a few birds to point the binoculars towards and we also bumped in Ben & Jayne Ring, which was a very pleasant surprise. The sighting of the day occurred as we were headed back towards the van. An adult male Hen Harrier, always distant, drifted past along the adjacent reedbed. The "Grey Ghost" certainly lived up to its' name.

Once back at home it was time for me to start the prep for my up-coming Carp campaign. Some particle mix into the slow cooker, to soak for 24 hrs before any heat is applied, was the first step. I am now getting my kit sorted, although the club rules don't allow me to use the braided mainline and leadcore leaders that will feature when the project gets serious. Once darkness fell, I got the feeding bowls out for the nocturnal garden visitors and it wasn't more than ten minutes later that the first Hedgehog appeared on the scene. However, it was whilst I was fannying around, getting the camera kit sorted that a Fox also appeared, allowing me to get the first images of 2025. 

The weather forecast is predicting the temperatures to rise, later in the week, and an end to this constant run of easterlies. If it comes to fruition I will, hopefully, be able to fire up the moth trap and also keep the back door open so as to allow me to get some better images of our mammalian visitors?

Time to start planning

Since landing that Pike, last Monday, angling hasn't featured in my daily routine beyond sitting at my laptop and smiling like a lunatic at the images I took on that magical occassion. But that's it; Pike season is finished and I now need to start thinking about what I'd like to do next. I need to focus on the future, instead of dribbling over the recent past. Although I've been angling for a very long time, Carp have never played a major part in the journey. The Stanborough campaign, of 1983/84, is probably as serious as it ever got. My modern Carp escapades have been very lax by comparison. Don't get me wrong, since returning to the hobby I have landed many Carp, hundreds of which have weighed in excess of ten pounds, with seventeen "twenties" amongst them. 

My current PB - from a commercial

I have never landed a "thirty", something many hard-core Carpers will find very amusing. My PB is a Mirror of 25 lbs 8 oz taken from the Sandwich Coarse Fishery, Victory Lake. (on a 1959 split cane!) So I am now hoping that 2025 will be the year when I rectify this situation? I have no intentions of becoming a, bivvy dwelling, time-bandit, nor do I want to catch such a fish from a commercial venue. My approach, therefore, must revolve around short sessions at venues where I am confident that my tactics are 100% up to scratch. Watercraft, fish location and rig presentation will be fundamental in everything I do and have a gut feeling that pre-baiting might play a major role if I'm to be successful?

An RMC "twenty" from 30th May 2016 - could this be the venue??

Now whilst there can be no getting away from the fact that my roots are firmly embedded in a bygone era when all species were treated as equals. I am not so stupid as to ignore the huge advances in terminal tackle and bait presentation which are, without doubt, light years away from what I was doing on Stanborough in the early 1980's.  Home prepared particle mixes will still play a fundamental part in my approach, yet I'm not too proud to concede that the use of a Nash "Bushwhacker" baiting pole will provide a massive edge in my ability to position a baited rig accurately with the minimum disturbance. I'd recently watched a Korda YouTube offering which was singing the praises of "a shot on the hook" presentation. As it's something I've never done before, I am going to have a play around with this set-up down on the C&DAA Minster venue because I am confident of some regular action, whatever the weather is doing. 

My very first "flatlands" twenty - is a thirty a realistic target out there?

I haven't finalized any plans, as to specific venues, etc.. but do feel sure that this is a realistic target to pursue before the next Pike season gets underway in October, thus prior to my seventieth birthday!

What's going on?

As surprised as I was when spotting those Rooks, in Mike & Leslie's garden, yesterday it was very unexpected when two turned up in our garden when I threw some stale bread onto the lawn for the local Herring Gulls, this morning. I have never needed to use the food recycling facility, which is part of the Thanet refuse collection system, as the gulls, corvids and foxes are more than grateful to utilise this supply. Things like potato peelings and similar, are just placed on the compost heap, so a refund on the Council Tax bill must be due - I don't think!

It is a situation which I am completely unable to explain, so will simply enjoy it whilst it lasts.

Both images were taken through the double glazed window of my study door, so not quite as sharp as they might have been if the door had been left open. 

Garden strangers and more owl encounters.

Yesterday morning, between 08.00 - 09.00 hrs, I witnessed something which I'd never previously seen. Mike and Leslie, our next door neighbours, have placed a couple of, suet filled, half coconut shells in their apple tree in the hope of attracting the Great Spotted Woodpecker (I presume?) The sight of three Rooks pecking away at these offerings was simply bizarre. Obviously I have recorded Rooks from the garden regularly over the past twenty-five years, but this is the first time I'd ever actually seen them in a Vine Close garden. I can't begin to guess why they had dropped in? The nearest rookery is in the Ebbsfleet/Stonelees GC area, so a good three miles away from Dumpton. I suppose it is possible that they were migrants, yet I'll never know and, to be honest, don't particularly care. It was just another crazy encounter which occurred completely out of the blue.

I took Bruno across to Worth Marshes RSPB Res. for his walk this morning, bumping into Chris Gillard as a direct consequence. He was on the look out for Little Ringed Plover, which he had heard yet not managed to find in either his scope or binos. We spent a very enjoyable forty-five minutes, or so, just chatting about the current Kent birding scene and some of the nonsense which is now "par for the course". We parted company, rather abruptly, when I saw another dog walker approaching. Bruno and I continued on our way, reaching the start of The Roaring Gutter before doing an about turn and heading back towards the van. I'd already seen a Barn Owl, whilst with Chris, so wasn't in the least surprised that it (?) reappeared as we walked back. Although I've already managed to capture some reasonable images of these birds, never look a gift horse in the mouth seemed to fit the bill and I spent a few minutes rattling off more shots as the bird hunted the adjacent marsh and actually perched up, briefly, which was a nice surprise.

It's the final day of the traditional coarse angling season, today, and I have no plans, as yet, for what to do during the close season. My C&DAA membership is due for renewal at the end of the month and I might resort to having a play around with the Carp in Brooke Lake, Minster, just to bend a split cane!

My retirement RMC Pike journey

It was back in the winter of 2011/12 that I first cast a dead bait into the Royal Military Canal. At this point in time Benno lived in Sandgate and the canal started just along the road at Seabrook. Over the next decade I, along with Benno and a couple of his mates, explored the Pike fishing along the banks from Seabrook in the east, all the way to Iden Lock (which is in East Sussex) in the west. That's around twenty miles of water, so there was plenty of scope for exploration and learning. Although we certainly caught some nice Pike during this period, including several twenties, I never felt that we'd come close to cracking the code.

Benno with his first RMC twenty - December 2016 near Iden Lock

It was 3rd December 2020, so during "Covid" that I finally stumbled upon an area which got me excited. On the day before my sixty-fifth birthday I managed to land two Pike, and at 22 lbs 6 oz and 19 lbs 5 oz they constituted the best brace I'd caught from the venue. Work within the Fujifilm digital ink department was off the scale, as we were manufacturing the medical grade ink used by Pfizer, Astra Zenika and Moderna for their vaccine labels and instruction leaflets. However, this was all about to come to an end for me when I had a major fall out with an egotistical half-wit, within middle management, that resulted in me opting to retire in April 2021. In hindsight, the best thing I've done, workwise and not too bad from an angling perspective either?

So without having to worry about work, or holiday entitlement, my ability to get out on the bank was virtually limitless. I obviously have family commitments not only to Bev, but also the grand-kids, so didn't morph into a time-bandit. Sessions remained relatively short; four or five hours being the norm, yet I could get three in per week if conditions suggested it would offer a decent chance of a result. In the run up to the 2021/22 Pike season I set myself the target of landing three twenties, something I'd hadn't managed since the 1986/87 season. On top of this, I also wanted to land twenty doubles, so it was quite a high bar I'd set myself. I got off to a flyer, landing five doubles, including a brace of eighteen pounders, before the end of October.

21 lbs 1 oz - the photo kindly taken by Kevin (a dog walker)
13th January 2022

This trend was to continue right through the winter and I ended the season with a ridiculous tally of twenty-one doubles and five twenties. I'd certainly never experienced anything like it in my entire life. One unexpected side effect of being down on this particular section of the canal was the friendships established with complete strangers who were also using the canal for their own reasons, be that walking the dog(s), jogging, cycling or simply having a stroll. You need to remember this is post lockdowns and folk were beginning to realise just how important the freedoms, we'd previously taken for granted, really were. If there is anything positive I can take from the pandemic then it was a willingness to talk with others about subjects which previously wouldn't have been discussed. Mental health being a particular area which had been avoided by "proper" blokes! Certainly within a factory environment. 

13th February 2023 and the best Pike of season two. 21 lbs 3 oz

I got a bit distracted at the start of the 2022/23 Pike season and didn't actually bother until mid-January. However, over the course of eight, and a bit, weeks I managed to land another eleven Pike over double figures, of which four were twenties. Happy days. One thing was becoming very clear by this time. The Pike in the canal appeared to have a glass ceiling of around twenty-two pounds and it was a very rare individual which managed to push through this barrier. This echoed something I'd been told, way back in the early 1980's by Lester Strudwick. He was a fellow member of the Tring Syndicate at the time and also a member of The Carpike Specimen Group. Even back then, a twenty was a big Pike, but for wild fish to attain weights in excess of twenty-two, or three, pounds required exceptional circumstances. So you can imagine my utter surprise when I crossed paths with a Romanian guy, who lives in Ashford, who was lure fishing the same stretch as I was on. During our conversation he told me that he'd taken a twenty-eight pounder from very close to where I was set up." Oh yeah, of course you did" was my immediate thought, but he then showed me some photos (and a set of scales) to confirm that, indeed, it was genuine. We've met several times since and it turns out that he is an exceptionally gifted lure angler with the same catch and release ethic as all other real Pike anglers.

The first twenty of the February brace - 20 lbs 8 oz

At the start of season three (2023/24) I now had the added drive of knowing that the chosen section was capable of turning up a very big fish, so I began in November determined to search for one of the elusive canal monsters. I was doing okay and by the end of January had landed fourteen doubles, but nothing bigger than eighteen pounds. It was around this period that Bev's cancer was to become the central focus of our lives, yet on 1st February 2024 I managed to land two "twenties" in a session for the first time in my life. 20 lbs 8 oz & 23 lbs 6 oz, this brace finally allowed me to replicate something my brother Sye had done on The Hampshire Avon way back in the 1980's. With the cancer treatment taking centre stage, my angling was little more than folly after this. I still ended the season with those two twenties and twenty other doubles, so not too bad plus the biggest fish was my new RMC PB!

At 23 lbs 6 oz - my new RMC PB by exactly a pound.
Cracking fish, but still not above that "glass ceiling"

So now it's the beginning of the 2024/25 season and things are very different at home. Although Bev's cancer treatment had been successful, the anxiety side effects were causing major issues with her mental and physical health. All of a sudden, under these circumstances, you get to realise just how unimportant Pike fishing really is? To be fair, I did get off to a decent start in October, landing a lovely fish of 17 lbs 10 oz on my very first visit, but my heart really wasn't in it. 

28th October 2024 - my first bite of the new campaign 17 lbs 10 oz

The weather impacted massively on the November/December period with EA flood prevention efforts ensuring that the canal was a filthy mess for the majority of the winter. I then got distracted by the syndicate lake, something I now regret. After input from Macmillan Cancer support, in Kent & Canterbury Hospital, we'd been registered to adopt a dog from the Canterbury Dogs Trust, in Chestfield. On 8th February Bev's companion, Bruno, came home and the whole world turned on it's head as a result. I've never owned a dog, so everything is new to me. But with Bev's anxiety levels back under control it was possible for me to start thinking about a return to the RMC. It was never going to be that simple, as Bev now has a trapped nerve in her back, thus reducing her mobility. Taking Bruno out for exercise has been my main priority recently, although I knew Bev's situation was on the mend and thought I might get one last session in on Thursday 6th March. I did and this produced a lovely Pike of eighteen pounds which I felt would be a fitting finale to the season if I were unable to get back again. Thankfully the angling gods were smiling down and, late on Sunday night, I realised that there would be an opportunity for one final visit on Monday. I am no great believer in "karma" or any such other nonsense, yet what occured on that fateful morning will stay etched in my memory for the rest of my days.

25 lbs 7 oz of angling heaven.
It's not the heaviest Pike I've ever caught but, it is certainly the best one, by a country mile.

The glass ceiling was well and truly smashed by the capture of that magnificent Pike. I've now landed fourteen "twenties" from the RMC, twelve of which have been since I retired. It is my desire to chase the unknown which will keep me enthused to return to this historic venue until my age and health says otherwise. So this might be the final chapter, of this particular saga, but it certainly ain't the end of the journey?

Save the best till last - Red Letter Monday

 Well I've only bloody gone and done it! It wasn't until late yesterday evening that I knew that I could get a final session, of the Pike season, down on the RMC. So it was a 04.00 hrs alarm call which set the morning off. Coffee drunk and the van loaded, I was on my way some thirty minutes later and had two baits in position by 06.25 hrs. It was a still, overcast but very mild, dawn and I had to remove a couple of layers because they weren't required. Just before 07.40 hrs, the left hand alarm sounded and the fun began. As soon as I set the hooks, I knew it was a decent fish, yet the fight was rather sluggish, although when it decided to pull, the ABU Carbon Specimen certainly took on an impressive curve. In under five minutes, probably closer to three?, I drew my prize over the net chord and that's when I started to shake. It was a proper unit and, straight away, I thought that it might be of a weight that I had targeted at the beginning of this year's campaign. Only one way to find out, so with unhooking mat, retainer and weigh sling all soaked in canal water, I lifted the Pike up onto the bank where it was quickly unhooked before being hoisted up on the scales. The needle span round to 25 lbs 7 oz and I was an emotional mess. I quickly got the fish into the retaining sling and back into the water before just starting to shake uncontrollably. I'm pretty sure that there was tear in my eye at some point, such was the intensity of the moment. 

I managed to get myself together and place a fresh bait in the swim before ringing Benno with my news. I just needed to speak with someone as I was in such a mess. Some minutes later, having calmed down (a bit) I could have happily packed up there and then but, knowing it would be my last session, of the 2024/25 season,  decided to stay put and see what else the day had in store? It was little more than an hour later when the right hand alarm rattled into action and, once again, I found myself attached to another feisty opponent.  This one had the right hump and actually "tail-walked" on a couple of occasions. Although not in the same class as my first fish, at 17 lbs 4 oz it was certainly a very welcome visitor to the unhooking mat.

So that was it, I hung on until 11.00 hrs, before deciding to call it a day. It's the Canterbury/Thanet PAC meeting tonight and I'll actually have something worth mentioning during the "Round Robin" for a change. A Red Letter Monday indeed!

Photography - a very individual slant

In his latest offering, Gavin Haig (NQS - click the link) states "I'm not a photographer, just a birder who carries a camera" It is a sentiment which I'm fully able to align myself behind. For as long as I can remember photographs have accompanied my journey. However, it is not about the quality of the image as opposed to the memories that they able to recall, when revisited, which is paramount from my perspective. As with all other aspects of life, things change with the passing of time and photography during my life has evolved from holiday snaps, printed on paper and stored in albums, via the various 35 mm SLRs and slide film, then onto digital image capture with all that the associated technology is capable of recording. 

An image which means absolutely nothing to the rest of the world.
Taken in the early/mid 1960's it is of my Uncle Joe, Nanny Rache(al) and Great-Aunt Em(ma),
thus, retains the ability to recall priceless memories for me and my two brothers!

Under no circumstances do I wish to cause offence to those folk who've chosen to push their skill levels beyond that of a "point & press" blogger! If photography (digital image capture) is what floats your boat then fill your boots! Whilst I admit to being completely bemused by the "toggers" who turn up at twitches with camera kit costing thousands, yet no binoculars, is my problem, not theirs. That they are able to find enjoyment from encounters with wildlife, however different from my own approach, has to be a positive and thus respected. To be brutally honest, I don't understand why anyone would want to spoil a nice walk by including a golf ball in the equation? Still, there are millions of folk, worldwide, who see things differently and, as an angler, I'm in no position to question how others derive pleasure from these leisure time choices. 

My first "twenty" Pike - November 1981
This is a copy of a print taken using a, cheap, Kodak 110 format camera
By today's standards it is poor, to say the least, but still evokes incredible memories

So, back to me obtaining photos and the role they play in my enjoyment of angling and general wildlife encounters. It was because of the prep work required for the recent presentation, which I did for the Canterbury/Thanet PAC region, that actually made me realise how powerful revisiting of old images can be within an emotional context. Image quality isn't as important as the subject itself. By definition, if it is the only image, then it has to be the best one and the memories are just as vivid despite any technical critique.

You'll never please everyone, so have to please yourself.
I captured this slide image, way back in the early 1980's, of "Cuddles" playing a Pike with Baz Adams
on net duty. Chuffed with the result, I took it up to the Technical Support Team, at Kodak, expecting 
some compliments, only to be told that, because of the light, they should have been fishing on the other bank?

I'll try my best to avoid a history lesson here, but the digital revolution has certainly impacted, in a dramatic fashion, since the start of the millenium. My entry level equipment revolved around "digi-scoping" starting with a 2 mega pixel Nikon "Coolpix" which very quickly changed to a 7.6 mega pixel model. From there I went to a Fuji "Finepix" bridge camera before, in 2006 (or 2007?) purchasing my first DSLR - a Canon EOS 400d, all 10 million pixels worth. A Sigma 150 - 500 mm lens accompanied  the purchase and this combo served me superbly for the next fifteen, plus, years. 

A Hoopoe, in protest at my close proximity, captured with the Canon EOS 400d and
Sigma 150 - 500mm lens. 6th May 2008, whilst on holiday on
mainland Greece. Perfectly acceptable as an accompaniment to a blog post?

It was after Bev and I returned from a holiday, on Corfu, in September 2023, that my old, Tring Syndicate, mate Ric F passed comment upon the image quality being obtained and suggested it was time to replace that "ancient" lens! At the time I wasn't convinced that I could justify any expense, purely to improve the images that accompany my blog ramblings. However, as time passed I became increasingly aware of the improvement in digital image capture technology and decided to explore the possibilities of an equipment upgrade. It is here that I have to say a massive thanks to the staff who work in the Burgess Hill branch of Park Cameras. Without their help and advice I'm not sure how I'd have got on?  I now own two cameras, an EOS 70d & 90d, which are paired with image stabilized lenses. The 70d has my 18 - 55mm version whilst the 90d is coupled with my 100 - 400mm USM EF Mk1 IS model. All of which has been purchased "pre-owned" thus, just a fraction of the price of the kit had it been brand new. I've only owned the 90d since mid-December 2024, purchasing it as a joint 69th birthday/Christmas present. If I was impressed by the original 70d image quality (all 20 million pixels worth) then the 90d (with 32.5 million pixels) just blew my mind. 

20 million pixels and an IS lens is more than adequate for my self-take trophy shots

The two set-ups are now part of the kit required whenever I am on the bank. The 70d is there to capture scenic images and my trophy self-takes, whilst the 90d is for all other, wildlife related, stuff. If there is anything I can offer other, non hobby photographers, then it is don't bother with the majority of sensationalised nonsense provided by "wannabe" photographers on YouTube. They are only interested in the number of views they receive and the content is, almost always, absolute OTT bo**ocks! The only way to hone your skill set is by trial and error. I take photos to provide me with memories, so don't care too much about what others think of the composition or image quality, it is all about pleasing myself. In an attempt at providing some evidence to support my investment in this new kit. I would like to demonstrate the incredible flexibility provided by this modern technology.

32.5 million pixels worth of a perched Common Buzzard

A perfectly useable crop, from the original, within
a blogging context

I've nothing much to say about being able to create such an image from that original.
This is all the evidence I require to know that the acquisition of the new kit
is perfectly justified. For those interested, this is a 100% crop according to my photoshop
program. As a blogger, what's to moan about?

Of course I still press and point at subjects which evade the technology purely because of a lack of ability on my part. I use the kit in manual mode, for the majority of my daytime efforts, with the ISO set to auto. It is only when I'm playing around with the Hedgehogs do I switch the mode dial to auto and allow the camera to do it's own thing without any interference from me. During my Kodak years it was a seven year apprenticeship if someone wished to become a qualified "pro" photographer. How time has changed this situation? Buying an expensive pen will never make you a better writer yet, given the advances in digital image capture, if you can afford it, then buying the most expensive, up to date, equipment certainly does nothing but enhance the results anyone is able to achieve. I decided to write this post purely because I'd seen a photo on Birdguides where the equipment used was valued around £18,000! I could buy a new van for that sort of money. The EOS 90d and 100 - 400mm lens cost less than £ 1,300, yet  more than capable of securing images which are worthy of sharing with visitors to the blog.

Spring is just around the corner

 After taking Bruno for a meander around Minster Marshes, I returned home and gave the lawn its' first trim of 2025. The sun shining brightly, it was a very pleasant day and there were lots of insects active around the garden. I've already spotted four species of butterfly, this year, so guess it might be prudent to dust down the Robinson MV moth trap for the start of another years dalliance with this brilliant group of invertebrates. For me, running the moth trap is all about enjoyment. I couldn't give a toss about specific id if it means killing the individual concerned. I don't keep lists and certainly won't lose a wink of sleep over any which are beyond my id experience and capabilities. 

The garden feeding stations, be that for the birds or nocturnal mammalian visitors, provide a constant source of interest. House Sparrow and Chaffinch numbers are starting to build whilst the (a ?) male Great Spotted Woodpecker is being seen on a regular basis. There is a pair of Blue Tits which appear very interested in the nest box, right outside my study window, and a Mistle Thrush can be heard singing from the mature trees around the horse paddocks over on Newlands Farm. Hedgehog activity is almost back to normal with five, possibly six, different animals visiting the garden. There has also been a couple of sightings of an absolutely magnificent dog Fox. I've not managed to get a photo, thus far, but hope that the light from the moth trap might assist my efforts?

An RMC Pike

Today, at last, I managed to get a morning session in down on the Royal Military Canal. With just eight days remaining of the English "Pike season" I knew it might be my final chance so, despite the filthy water, I gave it my best shot. Now in March, I knew exactly where I needed to be and because of this left home around 04.30 hrs. I had two baits in the water by 06.15 hrs and the waiting game commenced. Sunrise was 06.31 hrs and I'd already experienced two aborted takes before, at 08.10 hrs, I finally got the bite I wanted.

The set-up which did the trick included one of the ABU "Carbon Specimen" rods fitted with the John Wilson "Heritage" centrepin reel. It was a fantastic scrap and I was a trembling mess when I finally managed to coax my prize over the net chord. It seems crazy that even after all these years, landing a decent fish can still cause such adrenaline rushes. The scales revealed the fish to weigh 18 lbs (and a smidge) thus constituting the largest Pike I've landed this season. Even with a polarizing filter fitted to the kit, my self-takes weren't particularly good. This was not helped by bright sunshine and the fact that the canal has been a filthy mess for the entire winter and, as a result, the Pike appear pale and washed out, 

With a bit of luck, on my side, I might just be able to get another session in before 14th March? If I can't, then I have to admit that today was a very pleasing way to finish my campaign.

Merlin and a conundrum?

Yesterday I took Bruno across to East Blean Woods for our daily stroll and duly added Nuthatch and Treecreeper to my year list. It was pleasant enough, although there were far too many other dog walkers for me to be able to relax. So this morning, I decided that Worth Marshes RSPB would be a better option and after a crazy drive, somehow a lorry had turned on it's side at the roundabout where Richborough Power Station once was, we eventually parked at the stables and began our ramble. It was a beautiful morning, with the sun shining brightly from a cloudless sky. Common Buzzards, Reed Buntings, Skylarks, plus another bunch of usual suspects were seen as we wandered out along the main track. A distant bird, perched atop a Hawthorn bush was worthy of a second glance and turned out to be a very nice adult male Merlin. Great stuff and another addition to the year list!

As we reached the start of the Pinnock Wall I scanned the geese which were in the adjacent field. The bulk were, as to be expected, Greylags but there were also eight Barnacle Geese and another individual which I took to be some type of hybrid? I rattled off a few shots in the hope that I'd got something to use for the blog. We continued with our walk and ended up surveying the area of marsh where the Barn Owls have been hunting and, sure enough, at 10.30 hrs there was an individual quartering the marsh, harassed by a Carrion Crow as it did so. On our return journey we bumped into Neil D and had a brief exchange. I told him about the Merlin & Barn Owl, yet completely omitted the Barnacle Geese - it must be an age thing?

Barnacle Geese with a "Heinz 57" hybrid?

There was something about that hybrid bird which was staring to cause me a few issues. It certainly wasn't of  mixed parentage which I could envisage. Only when I arrived back home and was able to look at the images I'd taken did the penny drop. There's certainly a chance that the bird is actually a "dark morph" Snow Goose and, as such, a bloody good Kent sighting?

What do you think?

I've emailed Neil to let him know about the bird but, as yet, am not 100% confident with the id so will wait for other, more knowledgeable folk, to decide if it is a "dark morph" Snow Goose. Me? I'm just grateful that the camera kit was able to provide some evidence to support my sighting. How I wish that this technology had been available in September 1999 when that Booted Eagle flew in/off at Hope Point.

Just received a reply from Neil with the news that it's a hybrid "wrong'un" ! Just as well I didn't get too excited about the sighting.