A De Bradliegh afternoon

I was going to post this stuff yesterday but, I got side tracked and, ended up going to The Racing Greyhound for a meal instead! Bev and I went down to Dover yesterday afternoon, so that she could have a wander around the De Bradliegh Warf shopping complex and I could take a look in at Channel Angling. Great plan, but found to be sadly wanting due to half day closing on Wednesdays! Not that it made too much difference, I had my camera and binoculars in the boot as "back-up".

The shoal contained upwards of 200 individuals, the biggest being 5lbs+ - in my estimation.
They are certainly a nice distraction from the shopping!

So with Bev perusing the delights of the designer outlets, I took a stroll around the harbour - well the marina and The Prince of Wale's Pier. The sun was shining, through a hazy cloud, and it was very pleasant just being outside. There was a large shoal of Thick-lipped Grey Mullet (Chelon labrosus) in the shallow dock, right outside the De Bradliegh entrance door, so I stopped for while to watch them as they fed in the gin clear water. My attempts with the camera providing me with some distorted images due to the ripple on the surface.

I constantly scanned the local Herring Gulls, looking for C-R's, before I ventured out onto the pier for a short stroll. There were seven Great Crested Grebes feeding out in the basin, two of which ventured very close to the pier. I grabbed several shots, although when the birds were almost underneath me  the images are not particularly pleasing, some do justice to the wonderful plumage. A Rock Pipit and a couple of Sandwich Terns added to my enjoyment before it was time to collect Bev and pick up the tab!



My walk across to Pyson's Road, this morning at 05.35hrs, was made in the growing light of the early dawn, allowing me to discover a group of 5 (decked) Wheatear and an unknown number of Yellow Wagtails that were "tseeep-ing" away out on the fields/or overhead? There were a pair of Grey Partridge, in the vicinity of The Old Rose Garden" the female of which has an injured wing and is unable to fly. Will she survive to breed?  There is a vicious SW wind blowing this afternoon, knocking over our dustbins and rattling the windows yet, out of the breeze, the sun has some warmth and insects are very conspicuous - Spring has finally sprung!

My brain doesn't have the capacity to understand

The news of the bomb attacks, along the run in to the finishing line, at The Boston Marathon, was flashed up on my BT Yahoo homepage at around 21.40hrs, yesterday evening rapidly followed by fragmented reports and video footage quickly assembled for a "newsflash" by Sky news. Horrific scenes of unbelievable carnage in a peace-time setting. I went to bed with my head full of questions - just as it was when I walked across to work in the semi-darkness of the Thanet dawn.
The daily scandal rags were full of half-cocked stories, none of which could agree on a death toll, let alone a motive! Many of my colleagues have fancy i-phones, and the unfolding story was followed during the shift - I don't think many could find an explanation for such an outrage - even within their, collective, extreme cynicism. My afternoon was taken up with my grand-daughter - Emily being the best distraction from reality - her world rules whilst I am in her company; long may it continue!
We arrived back home to the stories of FBI leads and Obama quotes - no-one has any idea as to a motive for this "cowardly" attack.
In 2000, 2001 & 2002; I was very fortunate be be able to take part in The London Marathon - as a Unilever employee I had a guaranteed place (Flora were the sponsor). All I remember about the day is of incredible crowd support and an individual sense of achievement. I am in no doubt that all the money in the world couldn't buy that feeling of completing the marathon. It is nothing to do with winning - it is all about you and your individual battle. I have incredible memories about my three marathon adventures - I caused quite a stir on Unilever T/V. Company t/v was all the rage at the time and one of my managers had suggested that the (hapless) girl doing the interviews should intercept me as I entered The Sports Cafe - Haymarket, where our corporate post-event celebrations were taking place.
I cannot recall the complete conversation, but do know that it went along these lines!

"Hi Dylan, how does it feel having completed The London Marathon?"

"F**king wonderful - that crowd is amazing, I couldn't have stopped if I wanted to" - "What a day and what a fantastic advert for Flora/ Unilever; the company should be really proud of their association with such a global event!" (I knew that this sort of jive was what they were after)

Q. "Did you run in fancy dress?"

A. "Yeah; I looked like an athlete!"

Q. "Are you going in for a massage and a warm down?"

A. "Are you completely mad? Do you think I've done a lap of London for a glass of orange juice? There's free piss up them stairs and I'm getting 26miles worth - nice talking with you"

I proudly ran (shuffled) around the 2002 London Marathon course wearing this vest.
Like the medals that are dished out on the finish line - this is a treasured memento of a fantastic event.
There is no way that ordinary people should allow extremists to stop such events from continuing. 

These are my memories of the greatest mass participation event in the UK; the Boston version being no less worthy. As a competitor, I have a great deal of empathy with those who have just undergone this arduous challenge only to have their day ruined/overshadowed by the act of a (group) terrorist.
Why make this attack on the "fun runners"? The elite athletes had finish and it was the "ordinary guys" who were completing their own personal challenges that fell victim to this crime, and those decent folk who were hanging on to support them. The sums of money that are raised for various charities is in the "scrillions" - all by ordinary folk facing up to this fantastic challenge. To become embroiled in some crazy, politically motivated, attack is way beyond my comprehension.
During my three efforts, I managed to raise over £2,000 for pre-school groups, a youth club and the Margate Pilgrim's Hospice. Is the loss of funding what this malcontent group is hoping for, with this action? God only knows - but please don't allow these maniacs stop these global celebrations from being a stage where an ordinary guy can partake in an extraordinary event.

North Foreland afternoon

Quite an enjoyable morning at work, strange as it may seem to some, working with a young guy who has just been called back - he's a temp who had worked with me in the run up to Christmas. He tells of a harsh world, out there on the dole, there is just no work around Thanet. I would like to think that FSIS can continue to grow their digital ink business and create a future for Shane and others like him.

The wonders of digital technology - the ring code is readable from a photo!
I had absolutely no chance using my binoculars - the bird was over 50m away.

Bev finished work and arrived home around 15.00hrs - telling me she "fancied a trip to Westward Cross!" I saw the possibilities of a "Brownie Points bonus" and some birding - so offered to drive her over there and then continue across to North Foreland for a Wheatear hunt. Worked like a charm; "I'll ring you when I'm leaving Joss Bay" being my final words as I dropped her off in the car park. I then had the luxury of a couple of hours to wander the cliff-top and search for my, thus far, elusive quarry.
I parked the sleek Italian roadster by the Pumping Station and immediately started my session by scanning the gull flock that was roosting out on the ploughed field behind me. A smart adult Lesser Black-back and a C-R 3rd/4th summer Herring Gull being the best I could muster. I had no chance of the ring code, using my binoculars, so grabbed a few shots with the EOS 400d in the hope that digital technology might get a result - it has! The ring is a North Thames Gull Group orange/black code HT7T - not one that I can recall seeing previously. As with all my C-R sightings, I will post the results as soon as Paul Roper and his team are able to respond to my report.

Not such a poor result, considering the blustery, dull, conditions.
The numbers of Small Tortoiseshells is rather encouraging, at a local level.

I hadn't finished walking around the perimeter of the pumping station when I saw my first 2013 Wheatear - its' white rump flashing as it flew, low, across the ploughed field. There was another, and another etc, etc .. until I had at least six birds in view at various points around the field. However, with the sun hidden behind some rather ominous clouds and the birds showing absolutely no signs of cooperating with my photographic attempts, I mad my way up the cycle path towards Kingsgate Castle and The Captain Digby beyond. At least three Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were seen along the edge of North Foreland golf course and there were odd Chiffchaffs calling from the thickest areas of vegetaion. The first, of many , Swallow was noted as it sounded the alarm at a passing Sparrowhawk and I enjoyed some time watching the antics of the local Fulmars as they patrolled the cliff-top. Out at sea there were a few Gannets moving slowly north, but little else to bother with. I slowly made my way back towards the car, finding a group of nine Wheatears (the same birds?) feeding around the beach huts in the Joss Bay car park. Flighty as before, I did manage to grab a few shots, as the sun broke from behind a thick bank of clouds. The result is rather pleasing - if I do say so myself.

I would have much preferred a spanking male!
Still, as a first sighting/photo goes - I'll settle for this

The rondezvous plans worked a treat; so everyone's a winner? Back home in time to get our evening meal prepared - well happy! All that's require to do now is contact NTGG with my latest sighting - something I'll do after we've eaten.

It doesn't make a Spring - but it certainly helps!

I saw my first Swallow of 2013 today, as I walked home from work (Saturday overtime - now that speaks volumes about the FSIS business during these tough times). It was flying over the school playing field, adjacent to the traditional nest site in the Newland's Farm barn. I realise that it was only one, but the sighting lifted my spirits and gave new hope for the coming year. There are still Redwings and Fieldfares around the area, in large numbers and Woodpigeons are still very evident on the cauliflower stubble - all signs that winter has yet to release its' grip.

Not an image taken today - just a photo to remind myself what they look like; a Swallow

A female Grey Wagtail became trapped inside our solvent dispensing hut, on Friday afternoon, attracting the attention of several members of staff before it was released. Another very scarce bird around Thanet, even in winter, our records are generally flyover migrants during the autumn and spring. With Waxwings still being recorded in the county, it looks like Kent is set to have an unusual year. When the bulk of our summer visitors do arrive, there could be some spectacular counts from around the various coastal watch-points, let's hope that the success of FSIS and the lure of that holiday spending money doesn't distract my attention! The weather looks to be improving from now on - I might yet record a Newland's Farm Wheatear before I depart for Scotland.

Canterbury & Thanet PAC - A night with Ken Crow

I will have trouble explaining just how glad I am that I made the effort to attend last night's PAC gathering. I had never met Ken Crow until then, although I knew of him via the Jim Gibbinson "masterpiece" - Modern Specimen Hunting (Beekay Publishing 1983) and through conversation with several of the Bough Beech Syndicate members.

I do hope that Jim Gibbinson won't be offended? I took this image from his book.
I had taken a camera with me but had used an un-formatted SD card - so bloody useless.

Ken's talk was about "Running a Successful Pike Fishery" - something that he's done for over twenty years. A quietly spoken man, he takes immense pride in his achievements at turning Bough Beech Reservoir from a trout water into a coarse fishery, yet maintaining the numbers and quality of the Pike. He runs the water as a dictator - it's either his way or the highway; your choice if you wish to fish at his water. His passion for the welfare of the fish stocks within his custody is immediately apparent - his rules concerning every aspect of fish capture, bite indication and handling are designed with the health of "his" fish taking priority over any requirement of the angler.
He used two quotes to explain some of his thinking. Firstly he used a Jim Gibbinson phrase "Pike don't get wise, they get dead!" A fact that he supported with a series of anecdotes and photos, explaining that the actions of a few idiots can seriously affect the pike stock of any fishery. He, as I, still seeing 20lbs+ pike as rare animals and in need of very careful treatment. He even went as far as to state that 90 seconds was the maximum time that a pike should be out of the water - so photography doesn't feature particularly highly in his list of angling priorities. His second quote, therefore, reflected this and was attributed to our very own John Roberts (who was unable to attend due to becoming a Grand-parent again). "What a shame that we have so little time to admire them"

Ken's training in fishery management and other aspects of water matters allowed him to give quite an in depth explanation of the trials and tribulations of the day to day running of a successful fishery. He had strongly held opinions on the effects of temperature on the feeding patterns of pike and the problems caused by climate change on the waters of southern England and their continued ability to sustain healthy pike stocks. He touched upon the problem of Cormorant predation, not feeling that the pike were particularly at risk, but instead seeing these birds were in direct competition for the same food source; certainly something I'd not previously considered.

This is a 1962 copy of the 2nd Edition - the very first version appeared in 1953

The evening sped by and was enjoyed by all those present (I think?). I was given a very pleasant surprise by Brian (a member from Romney) who had remembered that I'd been after a copy of Still-Water Angling by Richard Walker. He'd found one in a bookshop, somewhere, and brought it along. How thoughtful, how kind - many thanks mate. It is the book where the "luck" element of big fish capture is finally dispelled; the single most import angling book since Izaak Walton's "The Compleat Angler" 1653. Exactly 300 years later this classic work was to set the bench mark for all future angling writers. It will be my bedtime reading for the next few weeks, I'm sure.

Dick Walker might be the founder of the modern "big fish" scene, it was however,
Izaak Walton that set the seeds of angling way back in 1653.
This window, to his memory, is in Winchester Cathedral.

Beautiful Noise

I awoke early this morning to the sound of a male Blackbird, in full flow, singing from the T/V aerial - so much more melodic than the raucous calls of "Johnathan" (my tame Herring Gull) and his mates. Looking out, into the back garden, was to reveal a drab scene; thick, damp, fog meant that I couldn't see the back hedgerow - visibility was less than 20m! A Greenfinch "wheezed" somewhere within the buddlieas and a Song Thrush could be heard singing in the distance. The birds sensing that the approach of Spring is ever closer. I walked to our local shop, just after 08.30hrs - Collared Doves were announcing their territorial claims from all directions, Great Tit, Dunnock, Wren and Robin  demanding attention from their various song posts. Best of all was a singing male Mistle Thrush, a scarce Thanet bird these days, belting out his melancholy lament from the mature trees along West Dumpton Lane - superb!
In just three weeks we (Benno, Tom, Sye, Phil and I) head back to Loch Awe for our 3rd Scottish sojourn. I have still got loads of bits to get sorted out, but am now really getting in the groove - I have a plan for this trip; a single bite is all it will take! The final Canterbury & Thanet PAC regional meeting takes place tonight, before we take our summer break, I still don't know if I'll be able to make it - such is the workload at Fujifilm SIS at present.
So with nothing better to do I am going to post a series of images, from previous Springs and other places, where the sun shone brightly and the birds sang loudly; as Niel Diamond once sang - what a "Beautiful Noise".

Garden Warbler at Stodmarsh NNR - might not be much to look at but what a voice.
The structure of its magnificent song is, to my ears, like running water.

Moustached Warbler - June 2007 Mallorca

Nightingale - Pefkohorri, NE Greece.
Why are they so shy in the woodland habitats of the UK?
In Greece they are garden birds; completely at home on the power cables where they
can belt out their incredibly powerful song - wonderful noise!

Ruppell's Warbler - Icmeler, Turkey (May 2010)

Sardinian Warbler - Pefkohorri, NE Greece (May 2009)

Serin - Mallorca June 2007
So much excitement - its jingle, jangle mix of notes delivered at express pace.
A sunshine sound that conjours memories of The Mediterranean.

Tring times - more nostalgia whilst I await Spring!

Like so many others, I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the continued cold conditions. I no longer have the need, or enthusiasm, to leave the comfort of my warm bed to head off in search of non-existent spring migrants - I'll leave that to the keener members of a younger generation. It's not that I don't want to get out; I just don't want to suffer for my art. So with the promise of warmer weather being imminent, I once again find myself looking at old photos - recalling memories of some mad times.


June Tench fishing along Cyanide Strait  (Wilstone)- an original "Brolly Camp" set-up.
Early in the 1980's  - probably 1983 -  this photo shows the level
of creature comforts (those bedchairs were hopeless - I've still got it!) and tackle sophistication.
They are Les Bamford converted Optonics on a Kodak-made dam-stand. ABU Cardinal 44X reels and
custom built Tring Tench Special rods -made by Ian Crawley of Leslie's of Luton (St. Alban's branch)

The reservoirs of the Tring complex have played a major part in my enjoyment and discovery of the natural wonders of the UK. I still regularly visit the Herts Bird Club website in order to see what's been recorded around my "adopted" home county - the sighting from Wilstone, Startop's End, Marsworth and Tringford being particularly of interest. I would like to think that I'll cast a line again, in these fantastic reservoirs - my brother Simon lives within 10 minutes of Wilstone; so it's not beyond possibility.



A modified set-up, with a new "light weight" bivvy and weighted "swinger - type" bite indicators attached to the
base of the Optonic bite alarms. Don't think that the carping fraternity came up with this method of
bite indication - at this stage they were still using monkey climbers on needles - this was 1986!

A cracking Wilstone Tench of 7lbs+ The farm and horse paddocks beyond are where a Red-footed Falcon took up
temporary residence and was the first experience I had of  "twitching" - the Herts faithful present, en mass, to pay
their respects to that particular avian visitor.

A brace of 7lbs+ female tench taken using very mobile tactics in  the summer of 1990

At 7lbs 6oz, this male Tench was the "Tring record" for a short while.


 

It wasn't all about the Tench, as spectacular as they were at the time, these reservoirs also held specimen fish of other species. Although I took a few Bream, Roach and Rudd from the complex, it is the Pike fishing that really sticks in my memory. Eddie Turner, Bill Hancock and Vic Gibson were doing their thing on Startops as "our gang" were tackling the vastness of Wilstone - happy days!

Simon with a low double from Wilstone - in the background is his "two-toned" Ford Capri - those were the days!

 

A Wilstone 19lbs 2oz pike - taken from the famous "Wilstone Pier"
Look at the bedchair - a vast improvement; it now has "Preston Innovation" adjustable legs!

 



Benno (aged 6) displays a brace of pike taken from Startop's End.
The ET Pike-tubes still very serviceable nearly 25 years later.


 



A Startop's End pike of 13lbs 11oz - January 1990




 

The final double (15lbs 2oz) from Tring - taken on a livebait in Marsworth Res. - this photo is on the Startop's End side of the causeway - Marsworth being some 10m to the left, as you look at the image!
December 1992 - I now look forward to adding further to my tally of "Tring doubles" - Benno and Simon as keen as I.