Saturday 5th June 2021

I would have added this to yesterday's post, but seeing as that is nearly a day old, best put here as it explains some of the goings on.

Work had been a busy as I've known it on Friday, and it seems I forgot the drink extra to keep the gout devil at bay. And on top of that, as I had made tacos for dinner, I had a beer. Only a small one, but a tripel.

I gave it little thought, as the gout had apparently been under control for several weeks, so I thought i was back to normal.

I woke up at three in the morning with a pain in my toe, I knew that it was gout. But was already too late to do anything. Anyway, I was pinned to the bed by Cleo. I did doze, but by the time I got up, it was painful, not as bad as it could have been, but bad enough. And I had a full day out doing stuff planned, would I be able to cope.

We shall see.

I had two coffees and a pint of squash with the croissants for breakfast, and I hoped that would be enough to fix things. But as I was going to Westbere on a gragonfly hunt, I knew it would be wet and probably muddy, so I put on my big boots, which would prove to be a mistake.

I was out of the house on time, to drive to Westbere, via Preston, past the butchers to be at the meeting point in time.

I arrived and there already a guy there, from Gloucestershire, who just happened to be best friends with Duncan who I met recently. We talked dragonflies and butterflies until my friend Gary arrived, and one by one the others did, and our leader for the day, Marc.

Marc is the dragonfly county recorder for Kent, so there was no one better to lead us. Our target really for the day were some rarities: Variable damsels, Scarce Chasers, Hairy Dragonflies and Norfolk Hawkers. Only problem was the weather; cool and damp, meaning there would be few dragons or damsels on the wing.

But Marc knew were to look and hunt, and soon we had seen som Common and Azure Damsels, and soon enough, another male that looked little different from the first two was revealed to be a Variable.

Tick.

I won't lie, my foot, or my big toe, ached like billyo. But I soldiered on.

We turned round and walked down to the river. I say walked, it was an amble, as we looked at almost every tree, every bush every flower to see if there were dragons or damsels hiding. It took a long time. Which meant, for me, I wasn't holding any people up.

Once we reached the river, we stop and look round, as this was an open area, clear of trees, we hoped to see dragons hawking. We did, in the end.

A few Banded Demoiselle​s were flitting about, I snap what I could, and just above the water a few Hairy Dragonflies were, indeed, hawking, that is searching for food on the wing. One never settled, so went unphotographed.

But Marc did find a Scarce Chaser, a female, freshly emerged, drying her wings on a bush at the perfect height to photograph, so we were all able to get shots.

We were walking back to the meeting point for lunch, but I could hardly walk, and then once lunch was done, we would go to Grove Ferry for more dragons. I couldn't go on, so I bailed, saying that I was sorry and all that.

Back at the car I take off the boots and put on my walking shoes. I felt better already. I could have gone back, but I had orchids on my mind.

First call was to be Woolage, a drive of about 20 minutes, but that was before I knew the main road at Aylsham was closed, and after going round and almost into Canterbury, I cut along the Little Stour valley through Bekesbourne, Patrixbourne before getting to Bridge and getting back on the A2.

It wasn't an unpleasant drive, but I was looking at the gathering clouds and imagining the losing the light for shots.

I park up and ct across the field to the wood, and inside I find six spikes, up from four the previous time I was there, and one spike was fully in flower, which got snapped. A lot.

Back to the car and I head through Barham and down the Elham Valley to PGD, where I had Monkeys on my mind, and Musks.

The busy part of the day had passed, pretty much, and I was able to park in the layby, then walk into the resrve, up the down to where I knew the most mature spikes would be. And I was rewarded with three robust spikes, all at their best, looking magnificent.

I snap each three, then walk down to the gate into the second paddick, counting the spikes as I went, in the end I counted seventy seven, some I must have missed, but that is an impressive count.

Into the ast paddick and up onto the third path, and inching along, I search for Musks, but see no sign. I am detirmed, so go to check on the Fly spikes and the Greater Butterfly at the end before returning for another hour of searching.

I was even joined by Ian and Anna who had called in to check on the Musks too, and even with three pairs of eyes, we failed.

At half four, I give up, and walk, well, limp, back to the car, the walking had taken its toll.

I drove back home via the A2, little traffic and little drama, I affive home dead on five, just in time for Jools to go out for a Chinese once she had made a brew.

The banquet for two leaves enough for Jools to have for dinner one night next week, as I am away! More news of that in the next post.

But for the evening, I take it easy, watch the Spain v Portugal game, with my foot up, the pain eases.