The Lyons Share

I wish I had started blogging ten years ago. So, to make up for this and to find things to blog about in the winter or when I have a stinking hangover (like today) and have not done any natural history, I am gonna post a regular feature reminiscing about natural history conquests of yesteryear. I don't know if it's the way I tell 'em or if I really do seem to have a lot of strange things happen to me...

So, rewind nine years and I'm living in the volunteer accommodation at Dungeness RSPB reserve in Kent. I'd gone back to Brighton for a weekend and was amazed to find a Death's-head Hawk-moth had turned up in one of the moth traps! Only about six months prior to that I had a tattoo of one on my arm (by my exceptionally talented friend Gerry Carnelly) so I jumped at the opportunity to have a photo of it taken next to the tattoo. Thanks to David Burrows for taking the photo, who, many years later I would meet again as a member of Sussex Moth Group. The Dungeness moth traps were pretty rad, lots of rare residents and scarce migrants. We used to get Great Crested Newts, Lesser Cockroaches, Great Silver Water Beetles and once even a Black Redstart on or in the traps too. I got  a huge list of birds as well, although the ibis incident  is perhaps another story. I think I'll be making a visit tomorrow if the Red-flanked Bluetail is there, those four and a half months I spent as a residential volunteer are very close to my heart indeed!