Nursery Time

Now is the time that young birds start to become obvious in the garden. This young Blackbird (above) has been a bit of a nuisance. Twice, when I've had the greenhouse door open it's managed to get trapped in there and had me crawling round the pots to rescue and release it.

Robins are also just out of the nest, you can see the gape on this young bird, they have large mouths, with a bright yellow gape. This apparently stimulates the adults to keeps feeding the birds. The pale feather tips and spotting on both these birds is typical of young fledglings of many species. The main threat to these young birds in gardens in cats. So please keep your cat inside in the daytime, or at least give it a large bell round its neck.

I can't let today go by without mentioning the earthquake in Kent. Strangely, I was out side and completely unaware of it. Pam was in the bath and shouted out to find out what had happened. I said that it must have been me closing the door. Later I met two friends who had also been outside and not felt it, while their better halves indoors had been quite shocked by the motion and shaking. It seems that it was about 4.3 on the Richter scale and the epicentre was about 7.5 miles off the Folkestone coast. The earthquake had no effect on international travel services with Eurotunnel, which runs cross-channel rail links to France from its terminal near Folkestone on the English coast, running normally. Mind you, I wouldn't like to be down there if it happened again! I don't think there was any damage in the village, but in Folkestone some homes suffered cracks and damaged chimneys and quite a lot of homes have had to be evacuated. One lady was hospitalised with neck injuries.

Brown-tail menance

A walk along the cliff top just south of the Lighthouse reminded me just how much the cliffs have eroded. This shows part of cliff where some of the war time defences have disappeared into the sea.

A couple of years ago the coastal footpath was closed after a large cliff fall, now it's been move inland, but the edge of the cliff is still close and there seem to be deep cracks which will

sometime produce further falls. The first Swift that I have seen this year sped north as I looked out to sea.

While I was walking, I noticed the very large number of Brown-tail Moth caterpillar "nests". These are a bit worrying because they have very irritating hairs and can cause skin rashes on anyone who touches them.

In previous years they have almost became plague proportions. The moth itself is totally inoffensive, but it is best to steer clear of the caterpillars.

Pebble Prominent and friends

One of the families of moths that I find most attractive are the Prominents. This is the first of the year and is one of the smallest, with a wing span of about 45mm (just about one and a half inches). This is the earliest date that I've caught this species, in previous years the earliest was May 11th. This theme of the earliest record for me continues with the nest two moths.


This is a Lunar Marbled Brown (lunar because of the mark on the forewing). Since we've lived here my earliest record was May 6th, although I know that it often does emerge in April. This is about the same size as the pebble Prominent.

This Broad-barred White is the earliest I've caught by nearly four weeks.While none of this is by itself significant, it is following a trend of early dates many naturalists have noted for butterflies, migrating birds and flowering plants.

The Queen and the Arachnid

At this time of year Queen Common Wasps are out and about looking for somewhere to start their colony. They are often quite slow in the cold mornings and they pose well for photographs. They are not everybody's favourite insect but they do have a certain beauty. Unlike Bees when a Wasp stings it can withdraw it and carry on about its business, once a bee has stung it dies.

Woodlouse spider - Dysdera crocata. I found this interesting looking spider in a damp corner of the garage that I was clearing out. In general it lives under stones, in rockeries, in compost heaps and logs in warm places. It has a chestnut red thorax and an almost salmon pink abdomen. It has massive jaws, able easily to pierce the hard, chalky exteriors of woodlice and millipedes and consequently has quite a painful bite. A big one can pierce the skin and draw blood of the very soft-skinned. I must admit I quite like spiders, but, given this ones reputation, I didn't pick it up in case it managed to get those jaws attached to my finger!

Fashion Show at the Monument

It's not often that I get the opportunity to take photo's of a "fashion show", so this afternoon was a bit of a surprise. Nigel and I were quietly watching the sea, counting the Sandwich Terns passing by, hoping for something special, when it arrived in the form of four young ladies, three in rather interesting costumes and one with a camera, (plus mum and dad).

Naturally, being nosey, we asked what was going on. Sara Rigden was the one with the camera. She is a student at Laban, a college in Deptford, South-east London that is one of Europe’s leading institutions for contemporary dance training, research and professional development. Recently is has merged with Trinity College of Music.

Here are Loni, Alex and Claire, wearing Sara's costumes.

The costumes are designed by Sara as part of her degree course work on Dance Costumes. The project is called "Second Skin" and is linked with re-cycled materials. Sara is here with her models. She lives in Littlebourne, but obviously has good taste in choosing St Margaret's for the back drop to her exhibition photos.

Male Northern Wheatear

Cock Wheatears are one of the most attractive of the migrants that pass through on their way to breed. When they fly they show a bright white rump but on the ground their contrasting blue-grey back, black wings and mask and buffish underparts are striking. This was one of two on the short grass of the paddock this morning.

This Brimstone moth, (above) a common species, was the first I've caught this year. as was the Flame Shoulder (below).

A258 shut by Duck and Ducklings

Steve Coates from Kingsdown sent me this picture and the story of the Duck and Ducklings on the A258, Dover to Deal road. Evidently, yesterday, Mrs Duck took her eleven ducklings on to the road and traffic was stopped while they were rescued. The picture shows the ducklings in a recycling box,that Steve had in the boot of his car. They, and mum, were released in an appropriately safe place, although personally my dealing with ducks and ducklings here gives me little confidence in her ability to keep them that way!

I do like to be beside the Sea-side

It was great to see so many people enjoying the fine spring weather and the calm sea today. I've always envied people who can windsurf as expertly as this exponent.

The two young ladies in the plastic canoes were having a chat and a rest, but obviously enjoying the paddle.

Two regular swimmers, it's too cold for me, were enjoying a good long splash and a second type of paddle craft, a kayak was being paddled round the bay. I was pleased to watch all these activities and not have my ears assaulted by such horrors as jet skis, surely the most anti-social boys' toy going.