Goldie M

[David M]

...I'm staying safe, I want to be fit for further adventures.

Makes sense, Goldie, especially so close to your trip to Kent. Hope you travel safe and enjoy your time down there.

[Wurzel]

At least you've got your garden to help with the self-imposed quarantine/stay out of trouble Goldie It'll be worth it though when you finally clap eyes on the tiny Grizzled Skipper

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Many thanks for your posts David and Wurzel, I'm looking forward to my trip ,I'm packing already

I saw lots of Butterflies again yesterday but none stayed long enough for a shot, but it was great seeing them enjoying the fine weather, although yesterday was cooler than usual and we'd a hard frost once again, It was a perfect night though, the Moon was so bright , it was worth seeing , I just had to take some shots of it, I was surprised to see the craters so clear, I think it's supposed to be at it's best next week , hope fully we'll still get clear weather. I also hope to get some Grizzled Skipper shots Goldie

[Wurzel]

Those craters really do show up well Goldie Sending you lots of positive Grizzlie vibes

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Will do Wurzel, Goldie Fingers crossed,

[trevor]

Lovely Moon shot Goldie. It's remarkable that the craters can be clearly seen
from a distance of nearly 240,000 miles, using some zoom. Good luck in Kent!.

Stay safe and well,
Trevor.

[dave brown]

Hi Goldie. Beaware that one or two changes have taken place in Kent recently. Not for the better, but considering the large number of people visiting some of the reserves, and the recent cuts in grant funding, Kent Wildlife Trust have introduced Charges in most of their car parks. This is enforced by Automatic Number Plate cameras with a £100 fine for those who don't pay that day (by 23.59hrs). The car parks are now run by the well known Euro Car Parks company, but no improvements appear to have been made so you still disappear down pot holes. You could partly understand it if members were free and the charges applied to the general public, who make no contribution to the reserves themselves, but the charges apply to everybody. A number of Wildlife Trust members on Twitter and various forums have indicated that they will not be renewing their membership this year to offset the cost. The KWT may have lost grants and need to make up an income stream but many members are also struggling financially during Covid and can't afford the charge of £3.50 per day at weekends. Any penalty notices issued mean Euro Car Parks keeps all that £100, although it is reduced to £60 if paid promptly.
I have heard people say don't even go into the car park to turn around as apparently you can set the cameras off.
The upside is it could reduce anti social behaviour as they now have the car registration details.
From a Butterfly point of view the Reserves currently affected include Oare Marshes, East Blean Woods and Queendown Warren. It looks like others may be added. It also looks like many people are avoiding these charges by parking on the road near to the entrances, so congestion at some places.
Now the good news. Orange Tip, Brimstone and Peacocks are in good numbers and Green Hairstreaks are now on the wing.
Hope you enjoy your next visit. Dave

[Allan.W.]

Hello Goldie ,
I,ve sent you a PM. Allan.W.

[Goldie M]

Hi! Allan, I can't find a PM from you any where, hope it's about Grizzlies when I do

Hi! Dave, we found that out today, we went to East Blean Woods which turned out to be a waste of time anyway, my Daughter tried to Download on her phone the app it gives you, her phone wouldn't down load the app, so she took the phone number and when we got back to the house got through to them, she had to put down the time she was at then, it wouldn't take the previous time we'd been at the wood, she paid, so we're hoping things will be okay, but what a lot of fuss, there were loads of car's parked at the side of the road so they're really going to miss out in the long run, I know if we go again the car will be parked on the road side. I missed reading your message until today I was getting ready to travel and I'd put my computer a way, wish I'd read your message sooner we'd have parked on the road.

Hi! Trevor, it's to be a full moon tonight I think, so I may be out to catch the Sunset also the Super Moon I thought of you today, I know you like the Wall Butterfly, we went to Reculver and I saw quite a few but they were mostly sheltering in the stones, not one landed on the stones , if they did it was closed wings so they were awkward to take photos of and took off from the stones right a way before you could get a decent shot, at least I got some thing

We had an out-side lunch at Reculver, ( Sausage Sandwich ) it tasted great and it was lovely sitting in the Sun afterwards we went to look at the Roman Wall and that's when I spotted the wall Butterfly, I was pleased to see it because the last time I was at Reculver they'd chopped all the vegetation from off the Wall and I thought this would arm them, the vegetation was not very high but hope fully they'll be okay.

I also spotted Orange Tips which wouldn't settle so I'll definitely be going back there weather permitting. I also saw this Bird and I don't have my bird book with me I thought it might be a Black Cap but I'm not sure. Goldie

[Allan.W.]

Goldie ,
Don,t know ,what went wrong there ,i,ve tried again ! Allan.W.

[Allan.W.]

You,re birds a Male House Sparrow Goldie Allan.W.

[trevor]

Well done spotting those Wall Browns Goldie.
They are among the trickiest butterflies to photograph.
Good luck with tonight's moon shot.

Enjoy your stay in Kent,
Trevor.

[Wurzel]

Great that you got the Wall - you're ahead of me on that one They used to say that the size of the black 'bib' of a Sparrow showed it's dominance/social ranking - I don't know if that is still an accepted theory but if it is then the one in your shot is possibly a Colonel

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

House Sparrow!! I should know better my excuse like Wurzel says Allan,( the black bib )

Yes!,I got a nice surprise when I saw the Wall's, Trevor, I'll definitely be going back there, I may get some better shots next time

I'm glad I got the Wall too and that I know where to find it Wurzel , it would have meant me going to Southport which is a good Hour a way when I got home, the Sausage sandwich is great also at Reculver.

Last night I was out with my camera in my Daughters garden, first I took shots pf the Sunset, when I saw the moon Orange in it's early stage it was awesome , but, my shots couldn't bring it out some how, so I waited a while and when it went brighter I turned the dial to the flash point and was pleased to get some shots. Goldie

[Neil Freeman]

Lovely sunset there Goldie and cracking shots of the moon

Nothing like that up here, wall to wall cloud last night and finally some much needed rain.

Cheers,

Neil.

[David M]

Glad you got there safely, Goldie, and it looks like you've wasted no time settling in.

So pleased you saw the Wall Brown. You definitely got off to a good start there.

[MikeOxon]

It fascinates me to think that for thousands of years no-one knew anything about craters on the moon and then Galileo turned his telescope onto it!

I'm amazed that Kent WT even charge their own members for parking - it seems very short-sighted if they want to gain support. These automatic payment schemes are a nightmare - I got done for £100 once, even though I'd paid and, even then, my appeal failed - apparently I was 2 minutes late in paying! Many of the parking firms are very over-zealous!

Mike

[millerd]

Well done on finding that Wall at Reculver, Goldie. It can be very windswept there at the best of times and with the near-constant northeasterlies we've had, it's amazing they are out at all!

Those parking schemes are a nightmare - I had a ludicrous battle once over a "fine" for non-payment of a charge of zero (the first half hour was free and I stayed 20 minutes - they tried to say I'd stayed longer, but their own CCTV shots clearly showed otherwise). They did give in eventually...

Cheers,

Dave

[Goldie M]

Thanks David, The journey down was good all the way, not as many car's and Sunday is always the best to travel I think. I was lucky seeing the Wall's , it was the best day so far, hope fully the weather will be alright again, it was also great to see the family again

Hi! Neil, it was a really lovely evening, I do hope we had rain where I live, when we left my home, it was 19c the day before and 14c the morning we left, there was plenty of Butterflies but none were stopping When I arrived here it was to a real North Easterly, and it's back again today UGH! I did see Small White's in the garden also a Holly Blue yesterday, I managed a shot of a Small White but not so lucky with the HB

Hi! Mike, just got your message, I hope we got sorted in time with the payment, my Daughter was really annoyed, she tried for ages to down load the app while we were still in the car park, if we'd known in advance she said we could have done it by phone from the house before we set off, it was only £2 for the day ,even when she rang you were talking to a machine. I also hate those machines, if your money is going towards the up keep of places that's good but not to lining the pocket of Euro car parks.

Hi! Dave, we were lucky with the weather yesterday, it was lovely and Sunny, there was still a cold breeze, but it was light and the best about Reculver is the Roman Wall which runs alongside the cycle path and shelters you from the sea breezes.
I'm hoping they don't try and make us pay more for the car park, my Daughter did get through in the end and said she'd paid but we were at home then It sounds like a money making scheme to me, glad we've been warned now we'll be on our guard Goldie (Just hope they've not done the same at Temple Ewell )

[Allan.W.]

Goldie,
First two Grizzles of the season reported yesterday at Dungeness ,in the trapping area ,on the obs ;website .
You asked about Grizzles at TE/L , i,ve not heard of them ,as being recorded there ,and i,ve never seen any in 35+ years there ,but as you know its a very large area ,and could possibly go un-detected,although it does get a lot of visiting butterfly people ,and i feel sure that someone would have seen some by now.
I,m going to try my local sites again (weather permitting !) over the weekend ,and if i find some flying ,i,ll let you know ,with grid refs ,directions etc . Well done with the Walls .......................did you try along the lower path below the beach ashphalt path ,good for Coppers
and Blues (and later Clouded Yellows )
Good hunting !
By the way ,theres lots of records appearing on various threads here of Grizzles ,particularly in parts of Sussex (Mill Hill ,Shoreham ) and in Surrey ,
Just in case you fancy a trip a bit farther affield !
Regards Allan.W.