A wander round

I had a walk from the house, along Kingsdown Road and then took the footpath just before Old Stairs Hill, over to Bockhill Farm, passing the edge of the Golf Course. The highest point here give a fine a round view. I took a few photos of some of the things that most appealed to me.

At the moment there are an enormous number of Crane Flies (Daddy Long-legs) around. This always gives rise to the most amazingly stupid and hysterical comments in the papers and on the TV and radio about the terrible menace they are. They do of course represent a good source of food for some of the birds that are now forming small feeding flocks. I noticed a good mixed group of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits, with a few Chiffchaffs moving along the hedge next to the Golf Course.

There's a lot of food available at the moment. Anyone who has rung (banded) Blackbirds at this time of year will quickly find out that Blackberries form a major part of their diet.

There are good numbers of Sloes around as well, these have other uses, although I'm not really a Gin drinker, a drop of sloe Gin a Christmas makes an interesting tipple.

Looking east the cliffs at Cape Gris Nez were clear today and the French Monument can just be seen.

Turning left the view across to Ramsgate Harbour was a bit hazy, but the white cliffs at Pegwell stand out.

I always enjoy the panorama from here, the Ripple Windmill prominent in the comparative foreground, with Manston Airport behind.

From up here it is easy to see how the hedges from the cliff top lead down to the small farm wood. The hedgerows are important as the road ways for both bird and small mammals, and far too many have been removed from the farm here.

While I was scanning the area one of the avian success stories of the last two decades, a Green Woodpecker, yaffled loudly and landed on a tree not far away.

Isolated in one of the fields here is another of the remnants of the war years. I'm not totally sure what it was, I presume it held a gun, it certainly has a good view across the Channel. Big Bruce, an earlier feature, is about 200 metres down the hill.

"New" England colours

Autumn, this year, has been different to many that I've seen. perhaps the cooler summer and wetter Autumn had something to do with it, but the trees seem to have been more colourful than in many years.

It took a walk round the Pines Garden this afternoon, after watching a great game of football on the box.

Some of the colours look more like New England, possibly celebrating the impending end of the disastrous eight years over the other side of the pond.

The pond was attractive but there was no sign of the Moorhen that had been seen in the gardens earlier, a comparatively scarce species for the area.

At the top of the gardens is this "shelter". It is an area for story telling and has a rather prehistoric feel to it.

The walls are decorated with some attractive "cave paintings". It was a good place to sit down and change the lens on my camera out of the drizzle.

Apart for six Magpies and a couple of Wood Pigeons I saw no birds at all in the gardens. Although it wasn't late the light faded quickly as the heavy clouds rolled over.

Lennox House

Situated on Granville Road Lennox House is one of the large Victorian Houses with a very colonial look. This house once belonged Sir John Guthhrie Ward, the British Ambassador to Italy from 1962-66. Sir John must have had connections in Argentina as the "Sir JOHN GUTHRIE WARD CUP" is awarded to the best Colt Cricketer of the Season in the Argentina Cricket Association. He also presented "Venice: The Doge's Palace and Grand Canal" by the Artist Salomon Corrodi, 1864, to the Government Art Collection, in 1982.

Lennox House has magnificent views across the English Channel and is set in a beautiful garden that was one of the gardens open during the village Garden Safari.

The current owner, well known local thespian, Sheena Isaacson, offers bed and breakfast in this unusual house, but doesn't normally greet the guests in Panto costume!

From David to Davina

Last year, on Nov 6th. Pam and I went along to Folkestone to see the Bottle-nosed Dolphin that had been in residence since the spring. I went along to Sandgate to see it this week.

Above are three views of the Dolphin, then named Dave. Such was "his" popularity that someone had take the opportunity to make some money selling "Dave the Dolphin" T-shirts. However, it has now been discovered that David is a she, so it is now Davina.

This year a somewhat disturbing trend has meant that people have not just been content to watch this beautiful animal, but they have felt compelled to go out in boats and canoes ( and even those hideous, antisocial and noisy Jet Ski things) to see her. Dolphins are highly intelligent and this one has become habituated to people and now gravitates to them when they are around. It has resulted in an injured fin from a propeller, but luckily this is now healed. While I can understand the fascination of swimming with a wild Dolphin, I can't help but think that it is both demeaning to treat it like a circus animal and very self indulgent. Now I believe it is unlikely that Davina will leave and take up a fulfilled existence with a pod of Dolphins, even if given the chance. This, as I say is my opinion, I'm sure others won't agree. While I was there I talked to a young lady who was doing research on the dolphin's interaction with people.

While I was watching the sea suddenly "boiled" with hundreds of small fish, White-bait I think, dashing about on the surface of the water. The reason for this frantic activity was the presence of Mackerel, which predate these small fish. The lone Razorbill above, was an early visitor from further north, and it was making full use of this surfeit of food. The Mackerel, on the other hand, were ideal prey for Davina. I was told that Davina had been mischievously chasing the Razorbill earlier and had previously been playing with a young Seal that wasn't too keen on the attention it was getting.

At one point the small fish were driven right up to the shingle and many were beached. A large number of gull were following then along and they were picking them up as quickly as they came ashore.

Telephone Exchange

Which ever way you look at it the Telephone Exchange at the top of Bay Hill is not an Architectural highlight of the village.

From this side it is positively forbidding, more like a prison than anything else. There is little information that I can find on the Internet about the Exchange or its history. It does get a mention when the GPO brought forward the date for broadband in the area, and from that point of view it is a major factor in the my ability to manage this blog.

The most recent information I can find is a planning application for three radio masts but I'm not clear if this is still a live issue. I can find nothing about the history, so if anyone reading this has information, or can point me to it I would be pleased. I'd like to know if there is any connection between this exchange and the early link across the channel. In the meantime I will keep checking the Gulls on the roof, hoping that a rarity takes up residence one day!

Bird News This evening I heard that a Wryneck had been seen at lunchtime near Hope Point, along with two Redstarts, a Spotted Flycatcher and seven Wheatears.

For whom the Bell Tolls.

This is Curfew Cottage, the name plaque, above and left of the door, and shown here as an inset, has the name and a picture of the Curfew Bell. The story of the bell is in the parish records. There is an account, dated 1696, of a shepherd who, being lost one night, fell over the cliff and was mortally injured, but he lived long enough to bequeath to the parish five roods of land to pay for the tolling of a curfew bell at 8 p.m. from Michaelmas to Lady Day in order to warn travellers if they walked too near the edge of the cliff. The Cottage was once three farm labourers cottages and dates back 350 years. This probably makes it the oldest occupied dwelling in the village.


Best moth of the Day - Garden Tiger

Once a quite common moth in most of Britain, it seems to have declined in many places in the last few years.It flies in July and August, and will regularly visit the light-trap.The caterpillars are the 'woolly bears' of many people's childhood, and feed on a number of herbaceous plants.

Other Wildlife

The paddock was quite active today with several spotty young Green Woodpeckers feeding on the grass, using their long tongues to pick up ants. There were at least six young Willow Warblers, and about the same number of young Whitethroats feeding in the scrub and a small influx of Meadow Pipits in the grass area at the top end. There were several fresh Common Blues amoungst the Gate Keepers and Meadow Browns.

The Lees at St Margaret's

The cliff top running from the Bluebirds Tea Rooms towards the Bay consists of a beautiful wildflower meadow, with some scrub and bushes. At the moment the dominant smell comes from the wild Marjoram is that is common on chalky areas.

Wild marjoram, Origanum vulgare, is the oregano used in cooking, and on warm still days its distinctive peppery scent carries a long way. It is very attractive to several butterfly and bee species.

There were quite a lot of butterflies around including a few common blues. The female above shows just a hint of blue coloration, without which it would look very similar to the Brown Argus.

Update I've looked at this again with Phil Chantler. The size of the top two orange spots and the wide white border probably means that my original thought of Brown Argos was right and the hint of blue is illusionary.

The Chalkhill Blue above is a bit of a strange specimen, being the colour of a male but having the pattern of a female.

As I was walking along the Lees the RAF rescue helicopter came by just above cliff height. I flew across the Bay and appeared to hover around for a while not far from the lighthouse. I don't know if it was on emergency business though.

Other Wildlife. A Reed Warbler was chuntering away (singing in a quiet sub-song way) in a scrubby area just below the Monument car park, presumably an early migrant, and there was a small trickle of Swallow going south. A Black Kite was reported from Whitfield at 2.15 pm, but if it came over me I did see it!

This small moth, wingspan 20mm was new to the garden. It goes by the name of Pemplia formosa, and although it's an insignificant beast I think it's eye-catching when magnified.

Walk to Bockhill- two Insects, two Houses

There's been a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly, Aeshna mixta, around my garden for a couple of days, but it's not settled for a picture, this one at Bockhill Farm was more obliging.

I've been waiting for the late summer influx of Commas but today's was the first and a bit of a disappointment. When fresh they can have a rich velvety texture and are very attractive, but this one seems a bit worn. It does show the unique ragged edge shape and, in the right hand picture, the comma on the under side that gives it its name.
On my way back I stopped to admire the two houses in Sea Street, just before the Droveway. The first is Smalldown, recently renovated and looking very much a traditional Kentish house.

The second is Queen Anne's Thimble an attractive house with an intriguing name. If you know its derivation please let me know.

Other Wildlife. I got confirmation that this Emerald is a Sussex Emerald, told from Common Emerald by two points on the hind wing. The only known Kent population is at Dungeness, so whether this is a migrant from France or one from up the coast is a guess. It is the second one I've caught here, the one last year was on July 12th. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth is still nectaring on the Red Valerian in the garden, there's been one everyday since June 8th.

A small flock of Linnets was feeding on the big field near the cliff top at Bockhill and a Sandwich Tern called loudly as it passed.

Nelson Park, Horses and my Imagination!

As you leave the village, travelling in a north-easterly direction, on Station Road, the Nelson Park "estate" in on your right.

After St Vincent Road comes Collingwood Road. This continues for almost a mile and joins with Norway Drove a footpath or bridle-way from Kingsdown Road. Looking across from this junction you can see the back of Hogs Bush. I've always thought that this was a great name for a house, although I don't know its derivation.

At the end of Nelson Park Road is the Braeside Equestrian Centre. This is one of several horse riding stables in the area. I liked the white blaze looking out of the stable door, I'm pleased that the protection on the door leaves him the space to watch the world go by.

In the next field these two were grazing. They did come to see me when I went to the gate, but quickly realised that I didn't have any treats for them and went back to the lush grass. Looking down the valley you can just see the sea in the distance.

I noticed that these Poppy seed heads seemed to be leading a secret life and are turning into cartoon characters. Grandad on the left is looking at the three youths. I do like their hats!

The Pines Pond

This evening I took a walk down to the Pond in the Pines Garden. The trees of different colours and form made a great background. The gardens are beautiful at this time of year.

By the pond, this Globe Artichoke looked a lot nicer than I think they taste. It must be one of the best thistles.

Reflections 1

Reflections 2

I was hoping for some dragonflies and Damselflies and this large Hawker type Dragonfly appeared after a few minutes. It is a female laying eggs. It wasn't until I look closely at the pictures that I realised how badly damaged its right wings were. It didn't seem to inhibit the way it flew.

From this angle you can see it laying eggs on the submerged vegetation, and how damaged it is.

Half hidden through the reeds it is easier to see that it is a female Emperor Dragonfly, Anax Imperator. Originally an African species it has expanded northwards through Europe over the last few decades. The male is bright blue with a central black line down the abdomen. They fly with a slight droop to their abdomen, other large dragonfly hold their bodies in a straight line.