Thanks Mirko, I was wondering that about the Ion tail but also thought it may have been an artifact created by the bright nucleus and the quirkiness of a mirror lens. I've tried to find an image of it on the internet taken on the same night and couldn't find any to verify whether this is what's happened.
Leo, thanks for your input and your cat has amazing keyboard skills! Was it warming up before it wrote the rest of your post?
Don't worry about finding it difficult to find the comet. It's dim from light polluted skies and definitely a binocular target, no chance with unaided eyes.
I'm north of 60 and struggle even with binoculars to see it, I have to use averted vision and my eyes aren't great either. It's a little higher in the sky now so from a dark sky it should be easier to locate. Try looking above and to the left of the star Rigel in Orion. Use an app like Stellarium to locate it with your mobile phone. Regarding the dew, maybe try making a dew shield for your camera lens. Good luck. P.S Maybe your cat can help you find it!