The August "double" - in the bag!

Under no circumstances will I ever be perceived as a "Carp angler"purely because I refuse to embrace the tunnel visioned obsession of the modern day, myopic, crew who really think that the only species worthy of capture is an introduced alien! What it won't do, however, is prevent me from enjoying the time spent in their pursuit. Carp are superb, sporting, fish which now grow to weights that are off the scale. In the 1980's a set of Avons were perfectly suited, they went up, in 1oz divisions, to 32 lbs! In 2023, scales need to be able to register weights in excess of 60 lbs to be included in the kit of the keen Carper. I own a set of "Flyweight Mk II" Ruben Heatons which will max out at 40 lbs. I can't foresee a situation where 40 lbs isn't well within the limits of my angling endeavours inside the East Kent area. To be fair, thus far into 2023, a set of scales which topped out at 15 lbs would have been more than enough for the majority of the Carp I've landed. Today I went back down to Sandwich Coarse Fishery for another "sun-downer" session. Within an hour of getting my baits in the water I had been beaten up by a very powerful fish which actually snapped my 12 lbs mono, by bolting through a lily-pad right under the rod tip! Less than an hour and twenty minutes later, the same rod was away again, and this time I was able to maintain the upper hand and eventually guide a superb Mirror, of 22 lbs 4 oz, into my landing net. 

The couple who are in the background actually watched me land this fish.
They are on holiday at the Sandwich Coarse Fishery site, having driven their caravan down from
darkest Rochester! 

The August "double" and there's still another fortnight to go before I have to worry about a September version. There's certainly plenty more opportunities to exploit before the calendar says otherwise.

Garden Willow Warblers

Autumn migration is now well underway and the rear hedgerow, which borders the Newlands Farm fields, is being used by a succession of Willow Warblers (& lesser numbers of Chiffchaffs) as they embark upon their southward journeys. For whatever reason, be that weather and/or light conditions, I have struggled to get any images of these neat little birds. When Bev and I were in Deal, a couple of days ago, I purchased a copy of the 3rd Edition Collins Bird Guide. I did so for no other reason than to keep abreast of what's the current state of play with various splits in several areas of bird id which have evolved over the past twenty years. I didn't think that I'd require any of this latest thinking, to separate Chiffchaff from Willow Warbler, yet must admit to being very impressed by the detail of the illustrations, in this latest version, that aid the field id of these two species.

Primary projection?
Willow Warbler at the top, Chiffchaff on the bottom

My 2nd Edition is a hardback copy which I purchased as soon as it was published, had never been opened since placing it onto my bookshelf , until last year. I got images of a Cory's Shearwater from a yacht off the coast of Kefalonia which, after conversation with Andy L. transpired to be a Scopoli's and, as such, a lifer! A species which isn't mentioned in the 1st edition as it hadn't then been split. My original paperback copy, 1st edition, remains my first choice of field guide whenever we travel abroad, purely because it is so dog-eared that further wear and tear won't make any significant difference to it's condition. The information contained, within the tatty covers, remains perfectly applicable in 99% of situations I'm likely to encounter on my holiday jaunts. Anything which requires further research to clinch an id can wait until we get back home.

Having got today's supermarket visit done and dusted, well before 11.30 hrs, I had plenty of time to play around with the camera kit out in the garden. The steady stream of high clouds, drifting across the skies, didn't make conditions particularly brilliant for getting images of the garden visitors but, the camera being far more talented than the long-haired clown holding it, some reasonable shots were obtained.

All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable session, standing out there in the back garden. A couple of Common Buzzards drifted south but that was about the sum of it. 

Mixed bag - take two

 Autumn is getting closer by the day and the birds around the garden and Newlands Farm, beyond, are certainly pointing towards this inevitable passage of time. Over the past week I've seen Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and good numbers of Willow Warblers in the garden and yesterday managed to pick out a juv Yellow-legged Gull which was anting over the farmland. Weird thing was that I saw another one, this afternoon, on the beach at Deal where Bev & I had gone for a wander and a bite to eat. It seems crazy that they were only split from Herring Gulls twenty-odd years back. I usually get my fix of these smart gulls when I'm holidaying around the Mediterranean, but it does prove the worth of using these experiences to hone your id skills when the opportunity presents itself.

A "Med Head" - something I picked up from the gull watching crew at
Brogborough Lake, Bedfordshire.
Even before they were officially split, these hard-core Laridophiles had got it sorted.

I've not seen a Swift since August 1st, and a couple of Swallows passed over the garden, heading very deliberately southward yesterday whilst on Monday the first Grey Wagtail of the "autumn"? flew in a similar direction along the Vine Close gardens. 

So there I was, seeing a bunch of Willow Warblers dipping into the birdbath and thought that
it would be silly not to grab the camera and give it a bash. First bird which popped
up was a bloody Chiffchaff - the first of the autumn for the garden!

Mothing continues to provide first class entertainment and learning opportunities aplenty. Gavin Haig commented on my previous post, mentioning the fun provided by micro moth id challenges. All I can say is that I get more splinters, from scratching my head, than laughs! It is a slow process, that's for sure, but none the less rewarding because of the effort involved. Bottom line is no-one dies if you make a complete pig's ear of an id, so keep pushing the boundaries and see where it takes you.

Pebble Prominent

Gypsy Moth - proper moths these two. No head scratching over miniscule detail which
just might provide the clinching id feature. 

The Knot-horn gang are definitely becoming my favourite family of micros, just because they are at the top end, size wise, of this group. Last night provided a couple more which were new for the garden? The New Pine Knot-horn was massive and, as such, fairly straight forward to get id'd. The Marbled Knot-horn is less clear cut and I am very happy to be corrected if my conclusion is erroneous ? I haven't received any comments but now feel sure that the moth is actually a Grey Knot-horn and have amended the post accordingly.

New Pine Knot-horn - Dioryctria sylvestrella

Grey Knot-horn - Acrobasis advenella

The final moth is very much clutching at straws. It is a very well marked Tortrix, yet doesn't fit, exactly, any of the illustrations in my Micro Moth Field Guide. I've settled on Spruce-bud Moth but am perfectly happy to be corrected. Once again my fellow Blogger Stewart Sexton has come to my rescue. The correct id is Vagrant Piercer, an increasing regular migrant species here in East Kent

Vagrant Piercer - Cydia amplana

Nine Jersey Tigers, yet only a single Elephant Hawk-moth last night. The seasons are a changing and that isn't up for debate?

They're back

 It was a couple of weeks back when I dropped my pair of Duncan Kay Carp rods off, at Camo's, in order for Mark Plank to pick them up and give them an overhaul and new cork handles. Today I made the same journey in order to see the fruits of this exercise. Wow! What a magnificent job Mark has done. 

The original advert in the 1984 "Carp Catcher Book"
My choice being the very top of the list. 1lb 10oz t/c - why?

I'll start at the beginning, cos it's always the best place. Ian Crawley, then proprietor, of Leslie's of Luton (St. Alban's branch) built me a pair of these rods way back in summer 1983. I think it would be true to say that they've remained the mainstay of my rod choice ever since? I used them for Tench at Wilstone, Catfish at Claydon/Tiddenfoot, Zander in Fenland and Carp at Stanborough. Nothing to say which could be negative about these iconic rods in any of the scenarios.

Pike fishing out on the flatlands - 2011/12

A Duncan Kay in action at Stanborough - Sept 1983

Complete with "Duplon" handles and Shimano "Carbomatic GT 4000" reels on the 
banks of Wilstone Res. circa 1985

However, in 2023, they were certainly looking a bit battle weary and Mark has the skill-set to give them a bit of TLC.  Cork handles were always going to be the priority but! When Ian "Creepy" Crawley had built them for me, way back in 1983, the Fuji reel fittings had been upside down? Mark was unable to get original Fuji versions, so had to use "The Tacklebox" alternatives as replacements. The only, obvious, difference being that these new reel fittings are made, entirely, of black plastic, none of the steel/aluminium of the originals.

Brand new cork handles but with "Tackle Box" 
reel fittings because the Fuji option is no longer available.

I'm really looking forward to getting back on the bank and putting these wonderful rods through their paces. I actually own three of these rods due, entirely, to my brother Simon, giving me one of his pair, which were built at the same time as mine, because he'd broken the other one. The only time I ever use three rods is when I'm Pike fishing, so it isn't too sad that that the three Duncan Kay's aren't identical.  Duncan remains an iconic personality who was pivotal in the development of modern Carp angling. That photo of "The High Twenty" summarises everything he stood for during my "big fish" apprenticeship period. 

One of the most iconic images of the era.
Characters like Duncan Kay don't come round that often - he is an absolute legend

I do wonder how many of todays Carp anglers actually know who Duncan Kay was? Even more, I wonder how many of these rods are still in existence?

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Light Crimson Underwing

 For me, running the garden moth trap is just an enjoyable way of keeping tabs on what is going on during the hours of darkness. Although no longer a serious attempt at maintaining data sheets and associated lists, I have to admit that it is, very much, a fun part of my daily routine. Inspecting the moths, and other insects, attracted by the MV light always has the added excitement of "what's on the next egg tray?" about it. This morning was to provide just that "WTF" moment when, on the underside of the second to last tray I spotted a Light Crimson Underwing. Absolute rocking horse shit in East Kent, I've never seen one in the UK, although have caught several way back in the 1990's when on holiday in Brittany, just outside the town of Pontivy.

This moth was a bit tatty but does pose the question "Where did it come from?"

With this moth now on the garden list, I really do wonder how much longer I'll have to wait for a Striped Hawk-moth? Tree-lichen Beauties are now turning up nightly, with three yesterday and two today. Other nice bits have included Iron, Pale & Swallow Prominents, an Oak Eggar plus a very welcome Garden Tiger,

Pale Prominent

Oak Eggar

Garden Tiger

Micros continue to provide interest and learning opportunities on a daily basis. The sheer diversity of size and shape is mind numbing, but now, more than ever before, most welcome. I'll never be an expert, just happy to casually observe and hope that the pieces fall into place whilst I do so.

Tree-lichen Beauty

Long-horned Flat-body - straight off the cover of my
Micro Moths Field Guide

A Leafhopper and stuff

 As if the recent occurrences of a couple of Mirid Bug sp. in the Robinson MV Moth trap, wasn't crazy enough. Last night's catch was a bit sparse on the moth front, yet managed to turn up one of the most spectacular insects I've ever set eyes upon. I am indebted to Brian Harper for pointing me in the direction of Britishbugs.org.uk which is a superb website where complete dumb-arses (like me!) can research the id of various inverts which cross our paths. 

A Leafhopper - Acericerus heydenii
At no point, before the pandemic; did I ever think that I'd be fascinated by such creatures.

I was happy enough to have managed to place this individual into a family group, and certainly didn't expect to nail a specific id. That this, and umpteen other, website exists is one of the real positives about social media which allows us the freedom to explore the unknown. 

I deliberately stalled publishing this offering, purely because it was getting close to Bat 'O'clock. Conditions are quite calm and, having sorted out the moth trap, I knew that there would be an opportunity to point the camera in a batward direction. Closer, but no cigar, might be the best way of summarising the experience. As there is absolutely no cost involved in trying, beyond that of actually getting off my arse and stepping into the garden, I remain hopeful that the more I practice the better my images will become?

Some good'uns and that pesky bat

 It'll probably be easiest to start with my, ongoing, attempts to photograph the bat(s) that I see around the garden hedgerow at dusk. Having spent quite a while looking at various youtube offerings, it is blatantly clear that obtaining quality images of bats in flight isn't something that will happen by accident. I've picked up on a couple of tips which might assist my efforts moving forward but, can't see the day dawning when the desire to invest in infra red motion sensors and multiple flash set-ups, with all the associated hardware of tri-pods and independant flash mounts ever materialises. However, all the time there is a chance of improving upon my original effort, I am perfectly happy to keep pushing the boundaries of my own limited ability, and equipment, to produce something better than that first attempt I posted in the previous blog offering. The worst that can happen is that I fail, how bad is that? At least I will have tried.

And so on to the garden moths. The weather is all over the place, at present, with brisk winds and associated rainfall being the norm. No two ways about it, East Kent needs all the rain we can get so absolutely no point moaning. With overnight temperatures rarely falling below 14 C there is always going to be some moth activity around the MV light. On Saturday morning, the first Tree-lichen Beauty of the year was on the outside of the perspex dome, as I turned off the light, but got away before I could pot it up. Shame, because it was absolutely pristine! The July Hawk-moth totals were incredible?

Eyed Hawk-moth - 7

Elephant Hawk-moth - 123

Lime Hawk-moth - 2

Privet Hawk-moth - 21

Poplar Hawk-moth - 1

Humming-bird Hawk-moth - 8 (all seen feeding on the Red Valerian out the front of the bungalow)

This past couple of nights has produced quality, if not quantity, in terms of moths to be discovered on the egg tray. Monday morning revealed the presence of the first Radford's Flame Shoulder, of the year, and this morning produced a couple more star discoveries.

Radford's Flame Shoulder

A Bordered Straw was also the first of 2023, yet hardly an id challenge. The real show stopper was another member of the Knot-horn clan. Thankfully, my id efforts having been confirmed by Ian Roberts, this striking individual posed nicely for the camera thus allowing me to peruse the internet for a positive outcome. 

Bordered Straw

New Poplar Knot-horn (Sciota rhenella)

The fact that there are still new species turning up in our garden some twenty odd years after having started moth trapping, demonstrates (as if anyone needs telling) the impact of climate change on our natural world. My final image is of another Knot-horn species, one that is very common yet has remained overlooked by me purely because micros didn't matter. When seen up close, they are striking insects and certainly worthy of a second look, however common?

Twin-barred Knot-horn