The Holly and the Ivy

The past month, like most of the year, has been warm, with little rain but enough to keep the ground damp. Insect life has been abundant, the few frosts having had no effect and birds have taken full advantage of this along the river - most species are insectivorous and will prefer to feed on insects and spiders in preference to any other food whilst available, at any time of the year, not just during the nesting season.
As soon as frosts start and this source of food becomes scarce then fruits, berries and nuts will be consumed. Hopefully this winter there will be plenty for all, including migrants from the frozen north.

Ivy forms a valuable food source during the winter as flowers and then berries sustain wildlife and the evergreen leaves provide shelter for many species.

Song thrushes were singing loudly after overnight rain on 30th December 2011, three of them at least.

 It was great to hear from John R. before the year was out that he had seen a barn owl hunting at about 15.45 on Wednesday 28th December! A confirmation that our local wildlife is surviving.

Tuesday 27th December was a typical day for this winter, very dull and overcast but dry, with no wind and no sign of the cloud clearing. A glance at the riverside revealed a beautiful tiny goldcrest foraging for insects amongst the fine twigs on an old oak, easy to distinguish it from the numerous blue and great tits foraging in the same area by it's behavior and size rather than colouring in the very poor light. A male bullfinch, 4 chaffinch, 2 greenfinch, 5 robins, at least 5 goldfinch and 4 wrens were also foraging in nearby thickets close to the river, a green woodpecker 'jaffled' loudly and a great spotted woodpecker flew low overhead. Soft calls reavealed some fieldfare entering the blackthorn whilst two nuthatch were busy in another oak, probing the bark with their strong bills, in search of insects. Two probable treecreepers flew down to the roots of trees and were seen making their way swiftly upwards and around out of sight. At least 10 blackbirds were seen on the river banks searching amongst fallen leaves.

Sunday 18th December was the day of our conservation group meet on the river: 

A cold frosty start with song thrush singing loudly, many robins with some singing and about 10 wrens but only one or two trying out short songs. Blackbirds were active all along the riverside foraging silently amongst the fallen leaves with only an occasional alarm call. Redwing were the stars today - a group had arrived and spread out amongst the thickets along the riverside where Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Holly berries and fruits were the attraction. A fine close view of one redwing posing with a holly berry in its beak, a rare sight as they are wary birds. The thickets also held assorted finches, greenfinch, goldfinch and chaffinch. A small group of long-tailed tits, fluffed up against the cold, were seen amongst the numerous roving groups of great and blue tits. Sentinel woodpigeons sat high in the trees, ready for flight at the slightest disturbance below. Here and there they were accompanied by crows, starlings and a jay. A flash of orange then brilliant blue along the river - a kingfisher speeding around the corner. In a sheltered spot a dunnock was seen foraging low amongst the roots and a bright male bullfinch flew up from a bramble patch. A house sparrow colony was chattering in a hawthorn hedge whilst two treecreepers and then a nuthatch were seen searching for insects in the bark of mature trees.

On 9th December, a fine sunny day to start with the squirrels were foraging and seeking a varied diet:

This grey squirrel plucked a whole mushroom and carried it to a sunny spot on an old log where it enjoyed its meal. Obviously this was a delicacy as there were still plenty of nuts and acorns to be had.

     

On 6th December, several redwing were seen flying low along the river vegetation, no doubt marking the trees and thickets that held berries and fruits.

Monday 5th December was an unusually very cold clear day with early frost bringing out the foraging birds. Just a quick look along the river showed a male blackcap, 2 nuthatch, 2 bullfinch with a great view of the large vividly coloured male calling (rather loudly for a bullfinch) first before leaving the thicket to forage on the river bank. A female was seen close by. A jay called loudly and a 'charm' of about 25 goldfinches flew over to others occupying a thicket. 5 Blackbirds, 2 chaffinches, a dunnock, 2 songthrush were seen and 2 robins out of several more were singing. On the opposite side of a thicket at least 4 fieldfares were feeding with numerous great tits and blue tits foraging along the river. A colony of house sparrows was chattering as usual inside a hedge.

Holly berries on a young tree - one day they were there and the next day they had disappeared, eaten by hungry migrant redwings from the famine of  frozen Scandinavia, pausing for a while to feed and then move on. 

  

Slight signs of winter

On 30th November it still felt like October on the Riverside with hundreds of small gnats dancing in the sunshine - but here and there Hawthorn bushes were stripped of berries, indicating the fleeting passage of migrant birds halting for a while to replenish their energy supplies before moving on, unseen. Apart from the oaks, most trees and thickets were bare with plenty of deep damp leaf litter on the ground.

Spot the Roe deer browsing....close to the deer were a singing robin, a leaping grey squirrel, a song thrush singing, a green woodpecker jaffling (no partridge or pear tree however)

(click on the photo and scroll to the end to see a larger version).

 Along the river on 30th November were:

Robins, some singing full songs, in quite close proximity to each other, no fighting today (17);  large roaming flocks of blue tits along the thickets, feeding on the still abundant insects (60+) together with great tits, some calling, making full use of insects in the canopy and the understorey (31). A family group of long-tailed tits moved across from tree to tree independently  (6+) , not as part of the roaming flock which was following the course of the river. 

Blackbirds were foraging everywhere leaving no leaf unturned, in Holly, Ivy, Blackthorn, Hawthorn and the thick leaf litter under all the trees (23). Many sparrows added their chatter to the almost spring-like sounds, there were three colonies in different locations, two in Hawthorn hedges and one colony in a Blackthorn thicket (50+). The beautiful singing of a song thrush came from a dense mixed thicket - it has only started singing during the last few days. Another song thrush flew over the river whilst a third was also singing much further down the river. Wrens (7) and dunnock (2) were more easily visible but only two wrens were singing, softly. Chaffinches (3) were still quiet, mainly feeding amongst the leaves on the ground.

A beautiful treecreeper was making its way up a sunlit conifer trunk collecting insects emerging from the bark in the warmth - no shortage of early winter food this year.

Jays (4) and carrion crows (6) were noisily bickering, annoyed by the grey squirrels (5) now having to leap higher and higher into the oak canopy to collect fresh acorns then descend to the foot of the tree to sit and eat. A commotion in a holly tree revealed a large mistle thrush being chased by a blackbird from one holly to the next and back again, a dispute over a future source of food. Nuthatches (4) were calling from various old trees near dense undergrowth where a Roe deer was feeding, almost invisible in the dappled low sun. Another deer was sighted for a second, behind a thicket, before it bounded away, perhaps disturbed by the loud jaffle of a green woodpecker. High on a tree top a male greenfinch was perched as a lookout showing brilliant green whilst woodpigeons sat around on the lower branches but still high up. A slight shower of rain sent more woodpigeons  (10+) across into the trees from the field whilst a magpie flew up from the river, wet, to shake and dry off and three more magpies flew up from their feeding ground on the field. Just one starling was seen on its own, perched on a tree top.

Above the trees a charm of goldfinches flew across, a group of at least 17, chatter-singing and a single herring gull glided over joined suddenly by about 30 black-headed gulls.   

 The highlight of the day appeared low over the river as a flash of bright orange, making a rapid turn along the bend in the river and then away upstream - a brilliant view of the kingfisher, its blue back shining in the sun for an instant.

Fungi time on the Riverside

The mild wet autumn weather has at last produced some fungi springing up amongst the fallen leaves

These rather fragile-looking fungi are called Shaggy Ink Cap - Coprinus comatus to you and me.

Although common, I haven't seen them on the Riverside before. You can see the 'ink' at the base of the one on the right.

These are Amethyst Deceiver - Laccaria amethystina found under the trees, easy to overlook as are usually quite small - but are common here.

A huge tree trunk provides a seat for walkers and a home for millions of invertebrates, now surrounded by fallen ash leaves from the tree above, brightening the dullest day.

A Roe deer searching for a browsing site looked at me with interest but didn't run away - no dogs around, otherwise it would have bounded off.

Today in just a few minutes:

more than 35 pied wagtails took off together from the field and earth heaps where they had been insect catching together with a few meadow pipits. Plenty of goldfinches were there too, feeding on the thistles and grass seeds.

Yesterday, 9th November a longer walk:

Lots of activity in the Blackthorn thicket that forms a tall hedgerow along the river - many blue tits (about 20) and great tits (about 10) coming and going - all catching insects - not eating sloes, together with 2 nuthatch at least, also collecting insects, a bullfinch, calling softly as it flew off, 4 chaffinch, also calling, 1 greenfinch, 3 tiny goldcrests feasting on insects, never still, a singing robin, 3 wrens, 1 singing, low down in the thicket, near the water. long-tailed tits into the thicket then out again.

Further along, 2 more nuthatch, calling from an ash tree, 3 more long-tailed tits, 4 blackbirds, a great spotted woodpecker flying over the Blackthorn, 3 carrion crows feeding on the grass, more than 8 meadow pipits feeding again on the earth heaps together with at least 7 mad pied wagtails making making fantastic spinning, dropping flights off the earth heaps after flying insects, 3 goldfinch, one singing loudly from the top of a bush, uncountable house sparrows (around 15) in a hawthorn hedge, 3 noisy jays,  starlings (35) lined up on lights, about 30 herring gulls with 4 black-headed gulls overhead and low around earth heaps - and lastly the Roe deer.

Rain!

Early Tuesday 5mm rain then another 6mm overnight and more on Wednesday and Thursday, about 20mm so far according to my rain gauge, not enough to sink far into the dry clay;  still, it's a start and has enlivened the river and the birds!

Boldings Brook from shelter under an old oak tree.

Today just a quick look along the bank - a softly calling family group of 8 long-tailed tits were foraging in the tree tops amongst many blue tits and great tits, some of the latter calling. About 15 house sparrows were chattering quietly in their hedge whilst 5 robins, some singing and others 'chinking', are obviously preparing for fights over territory by the sound of it. Wrens were quiet but now more easily visible (4) as the leaves fall, as were blackbirds (5), most rooting under leaves close to the water where the earth has remained damp. In the oaks above, 2 nuthatch were calling and about 40 woodpigeons flew across the field into the trees. Chaffinches (4) and some hidden calling greenfinches were occupying a mixed thicket. Calls from a great spotted woodpecker came from a tree just across the river and there were some fine views of a second one listening in an old ash tree. A group of 6 pied wagtails flew across calling and a green woodpecker took a short flight from an oak into the open, silently for once.

In the background, noisy diggers worked on moving earth from one place to another, metal fencing protecting the trees, thickets, and riverside vegetation. 

Meadow pipit paradise

On 20th October, a fine sunny calm day - an unexpected visit to the development site by a flock of Meadow Pipits taking advantage of the creation of a large spoil heap yesterday by diggers clearing a wide path. The heap was of top soil, grasses and roots and no doubt contained many insects and seeds. The birds were well camouflaged, only visible when they moved around, at least 35 visible on one corner and probably lots more on the other side, together with a few pied wagtails. More pipits were feeding on the short dry grass, also well hidden. They were still around the following day.

  

Moving flocks of birds take advantage of whatever is going on under their flight-paths 

An ivy 'hedge' is covered in insects feeding on the flowers in the October sun - here's a wasp, just one of many species of insects present.

In the shade, the long grass still wet with dew is covered in spider webs

On Sunday 16th October,  a very cold early morning with mist clearing, the rivers flowing clear, acorns dropping from the oaks and a heavy dew (see photo above) - birds active on the Riverside (Boldings Brook and the River Arun and their confluence all at Hills Farm Lane were:

Green woodpecker (1), blue tit (60+),  great tit (20+), woodpigeon (24), carrion crow (12), robin (19), magpie (4), wren (7), blackbird (26) - now suddenly far more numerous, house sparrow (33), great spotted woodpecker (1), goldfinch (3), herring gull (15), pied wagtail (3), linnet (1), jay (4) - one burying acorns in the steep side of one of the spoil heaps,  jackdaw (1), nuthatch (6), chiffchaff (2), redwing in hawthorn thicket 1 clearly seen and lots more heard in back of thicket at confluence (est  10+), skylark singing over bare ground (1), bullfinch (4) two calling to each other, chaffinch (3), buzzard (2), dunnock (2), grey wagtail in running shallows of river

also grey squirrel (3) collecting plentiful acorns and signs of fox activity. Speckled Wood butterfly (1) and high-flying Red Admiral butterfly (3) 

                  

Activity on an Autumn day

Warmer today after two cold and windy days, kinder to wildlife trying to adjust after an exceptionally hot spell last week. Lots of leaves falling now with the grass covered in delicate ash leaves and the thud of acorns falling from the oaks, bouncing off branches to the ground, crunching underfoot before being collected by jays and squirrels.

Hazel tree on the Riverside - more are needed here to provide a food supply for Dormice.

If you hear tapping in a nearby tree at this time of year it is probably a nuthatch cracking open the shell of a hazelnut which it has wedged into a crevice or fork in a branch.

A 'wild' apple tree which has produced a bumper crop of apples overhanging the river bank this year. Passers-by have helped themselves to the more accessible apples but there will be plenty over for birds and other wildlife during the winter. Here again more fruit trees are needed to form a 'wild orchard'.

A grey squirrel (tail end to the left of the tree) was busy collecting acorns from a nearby oak.

The magpie was silently bouncing around low on the poplar, carefully keeping out of sight of the squirrel which proceeded to bury the acorns under the poplar. As soon as it was off again to collect another acorn, the magpie hopped down from the tree and scrambled to unearth the acorns. This could go on and on!

A quick look at birds along the river today:

A close view of a green woodpecker, brilliant green back visible in the sun as it flew low over the river, with a loud yaffle. A lot of singing from a dense thicket (blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, spindle etc.) came from a 'charm' of goldfinch (9+) with a few unseen greenfinch joining in. Several robins (6) and wrens (4) could also be heard singing and house sparrows chattering (7+). A number of long-tailed tits flew across from willow to oak (5+), calling softly. A buzzard suddenly came into view flying very low, gliding slowly over the trees, scattering dozing woodpigeons off their branches, then two more buzzards could be seen higher up gliding directly overhead over the river confluence. A jay, unaware, sat hidden at the centre of an old oak, carefully preening it's lustrous feathers before taking off from it's perch with a loud shriek.

High up amongst the falling leaves a few Red Admiral butterflies could be seen flying strongly above

some Speckled Wood butterflies and thousands of wasps and craneflies and even higher, in a line of conifers, blue tits, great tits and a coal tit were foraging.

Further north a kestrel flew out of an oak and went on its way hunting along the river margin.

These observations were made around 13.00, not usually an active time for birds especially on a balmy day.  

Our Rivers - Boldings Brook - tributary of the Arun

Boldings Brook is a fine example of a Wealden stream, with its sources to the north of Horsham, (West Sussex), in Surrey, where water from the Surrey Hills (subject to very heavy rainfall at times) drains into the valley and the stream, now in Sussex, meanders through meadows often flooded in winter and enters Warnham Millpond. Chennels Brook to the east enters the Millpond nearby. Boldings Brook leaves the Millpond via sluice gates to the south and flows, with steep-sided, wooded banks with some very fine old oaks and diverse thickets forming a rich wildlife corridor, to join the River Arun at a meandering confluence.

Boldings Brook in summer, clear running water with some muddy banks popular with birds and plenty of river bank vegetation to provide shelter.

A large Spindle tree full of fruits in a thicket with Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Hazel, Dog Rose, Ash and Oak at the confluence of Boldings Brook and the River Arun, a superb mixture of Riparian vegetation supporting a large number of species, some common and some scarce.

YESTERDAY 28th September 2011 on a walk along Boldings Brook and the Arun at Hills Farm Lane (our area) the following species were recorded:

robin (24), woodpigeon (20+),  carrion crow (3),  blue tit (33,  great tit (18),  nuthatch (6)  , song thrush (1),  willow warber (1),  chiffchaff (4),  greenfinch (12),  treecreeper (1),  jackdaw (2),  goldfinch (12),  blackbird (9),  chaffinch (4),  wren (9),  grey wagtail (1),  magpie (2),  linnet (1),  house sparrow (16),  herring gull (11),  great spotted woodpecker (1),  long-tailed tit (2+),  bullfinch (1),  green woodpecker (1),  jay (1),  kingfisher (1),  reed bunting (1),  buzzard (1). Butterflies: Red Admiral (4),  Speckled Wood (8),  Large White (3) and millions of spiders casting their long webs across trees, thousands fo Craneflies low over the river banks and grass.    

    

Autumn has arrived on the riverside

Yesterday, Sunday, started very overcast with clouds scudding fast through the sky predicting the tail-end of an Atlantic hurricane to come. The wind was tearing through the leaves on the poplars drowning out any  small sounds that might give away the presence of birds hiding under cover and the air was full of flying seeds - but there were many sheltered places along the bank, with thickets still in full leaf. 

Millions of insects were out over the river, with some impressive dragonflies: a Brown Hawker,  Migrant Hawkers (3) and Southern Hawker (2) all in the sheltered river confluence area. Large White butterflies (10+), Small White (2) ranged along the banks whilst Specked Woods (12+) chased in pairs high into the canopy and low

down on the river. When the sun shone briefly, a smart Small Copper butterfly appeared in the vegetation along a warm patch of thistles.

  Small Copper butterfly

At the base of a very old oak, plants forming a perfect feast for birds and insects alike were fruiting and flowering: Spindle loaded with fruits, Rosa canina, branches weighed down with rose hips, Blackthorn full of sloes and flowering ivy covered with feeding insects.

Old oak with Spindle, Dog rose, Blackthorn and ivy

Here are the birds and mammals recorded along our stretch of the river Arun and Boldings Brook - just a short walk on this cloudy and windy morning:

robin (9),  wren (2),  house sparrow (22),  blackbird (5),  song thrush (1),  magpie (6),  green woodpecker (4),  woodpigeon (30+),  goldfinch (10),  crow (3),   great tit (15),  blue tit (35), bullfinch calls (2),   dunnock (1),   chiffchaff (3),   chaffinch (5),   swallow (20+),   kingfisher (1),  house martin (15+),   herring gull (50+),   common gull (4),   nuthatch (3),   kestrel (1),  goldcrest (1),  blackcap alarm call (1), collared dove (1)  and mammals:

Roe deer, bank vole, grey squirrel

Our rivers - first, the Arun

The River Arun has its source not many miles away, rising from ghylls in St Leonards Forest, then flowing through Chesworth farm. Here on the Riverside at Hills Farm Lane the river for most of the year appears like a quiet stream but with steep high banks. It is ideal for wildlife as the banks provide shelter and a large variety of food plants for birds, mammals and insects.

Aquatic plants and river bank vegetation mean a healthy river

On a hot day most birds seek shade and water here. Looking up into trees and high thickets you will ask - where have all the birds gone? - it all looks deserted! This is where they are. During the late summer moult many birds will hide away whilst they lose their old feathers and grow fresh plumage - some may not even be able to fly far therefore they need a place to hide from predators and yet have a source of food nearby.

You may also ask - where have all the insects gone? They are concentrated in damp river beds with plenty of vegetation and provide a rich source of food both for birds and bats. The summer migrant warblers are feeding up ready to leave on the long journey south to overwinter, gathering the maximum food for the minimum amount of effort - our River provides all this.

For example on 30th August, an overcast day with dew on the grass, birds seen along a short stretch of the river Arun and its tributary Boldings Brook included:

bullfinch, acrobatic chiff-chaff, willow warbler, whitethroat, chaffinch, greenfinch, nuthatch, jay, house sparrow, blue and great tit, numerous robin, wren, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, dunnock, goldfinch, grey heron, blackcap, woodpigeon, collared dove....

Plentiful food for birds

A cloudy windy day threatening rain - and the 'moulting season' kept most birds hidden and quiet but there was plenty to eat  with ripe berries everywhere - no need for a frantic search.

                              

Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) loved by blackcaps

There have been more blackcaps here by the river this spring and summer than ever before so perhaps we will see more overwintering; they are still here at present but just a fine view of a young one today with a smart red/brown cap (female). In the same thicket of riverside willows and hawthorn there were four silent blackbirds looking very untidy in their moulting plumage. Overhead a kestrel flew low, not hunting, with plenty of feathers missing whilst a second kestrel was seen in the distance. Two young nuthatches broke the silence with their calls from an oak and a bullfinch called quietly but remained completely hidden in the hawthorn whilst numerous active blue tits and great tits flew back and forth. A small flock of house sparrows flew across to a large elder bush, not to feed on the berries much but to sit and preen. On and over the field about 50 woodpigeons were active whilst many others were very inactive dozing in the oaks, disturbed only by a jay flying up to join them. The only singing birds were several robins and a wren, easily heard even above the sound of reversing trucks on the construction site across the river. The reversing alarms on the trucks are 'muffled' and sound from a distance like a very angry magpie but the birds don't seem to care.

Moth - Yellow Shell (I think) (Camptogramma bilineata) on ivy leaves

Even the cloudy weather did not deter the unstoppable Gatekeeper butterflies from patrolling their territory along the river bank nettles. They are however now looking very tatty, unlike this moth. There were a few Large White butterflies flying strongly as well, and plenty of honeybees on the brambles.

                                                                           

Grasshoppers on a hot day

                              Very hot today with more grasshoppers than birds and butterflies. 28 C

Grasshopper - probably Field? made a huge jump from my arm on to this web covered leaf

It has small wings - just not fully grown?

Berries and fruits ripening far too early this year, there won't be any left by the time the redwings and fieldfares arrive

Hawthorn - haws are ripening and drying out already

Sloes on the Blackthorn looking like plums, ripening fast

Only a Meadow Brown - one out of hundreds on the grass before the sun became too hot

A Speckled Wood in the sun - it will seek others to chase around in the shady trees 

Day and Night - bats, butterflies and a mini moth

On Tuesday 19th July 2011 - a bat survey along a short section of the river at dusk, 21.15 to 21.40.

(using a bat detector and by sight)

First survey - a sudden emergence of numerous common pipistrelle bats probably from a nearby roost and a few soprano pipistrelles all along the trees (mainly old oaks). On the river itself - numerous Daubenton's bats flying very low over the surface of the water catching insects. Further along, in a gap between the trees, just before it started to rain, lots of Noctule activity - high flyers dashing down, possibly returning to a roost in a split dead oak to shelter from the deluge.

the bat flyway from the pond to the river at dusk (second survey area)

On Friday 22nd July 2011 - a second survey, this time in the area of the long bat flyway: 21.30 to 22.15.

Huge continuous activity of common pipistrelle bats, flying down the long hedge flyway to the old riverside oaks and then along the riverside trees and thickets and back, with some soprano pipistrelles. In a gap with visible sky, Noctules were detected, high level hunting, well above the pipistrelles. Down on the river Daubenton's were again insect hunting close to the surface. Other bats were also detected, possibly Natterers and Brown long-eared bats, not easy to detect amongst the pipistrelle crowds.

Today

A fine day becoming very warm. This has been a very good summer for Holly Blue butterflies.

Here is a second brood (early!) female Holly Blue showing dark borders to upper wings

The Holly Blue in characteristic perch with closed wings

and last but not least, a MINI MOTH, not yet identified but very small and beautiful:

Day flying MINI MOTH about 10mm wing tip to wing tip

Hover-flies

Today thistles and brambles were buzzing with bees and hover-flies in the sun. A huge variety of hover-flies were active - too active to photograph, except this large and beautiful one on a thistle. Unfortunately it has no common English name but deserves one - look at the patterned wings.

Hover-fly  VOLUCELLA  PELLUCENS

Meadowsweet is at its best now along the river banks - a wonderful mixture of scents

Seven-spot ladybird trying to hide on a thistle, one of many hundreds out today

.......together with many Speckled Woods under the trees and about 45 Gatekeeper

 butterflies patrolling along the bramble and thistle fence - out in numbers again after the rain.

There were also good numbers of Holly Blue butterflies chasing high and low amongst

the riverside trees and thickets.

A quick look at birds - lots of juvenile house sparrows in the rosa canina and brambles still 

being fed by adults performing their 'flycatcher' act along the fence, darting out to catch

insects on the wing. Overhead above the river a few swifts were feeding, together with

a small group of about 15 house martins

The bounty of brambles

In sunny intervals this morning, riverside brambles were instantly full of life, with numerous bees, flies and butterflies. These insects included a dangerous-looking Giant Wood Wasp (uraceras gigas) -  really quite harmless -  Speckled Wood, Skippers, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Large and Small White butterflies.

LARGE SKIPPER (male) butterfly on bramble flower today

Flowering and fruiting riverside BRAMBLE

Birds seen this morning: singing wrens, singing blackbirds, singing songthrush, with BRAMBLES full of silent blackcaps, more than I've every seen before, juveniles, adult males and females, all busy feeding on insects and trying out the ripening fruits which are early this year. Other silent warblers were also attracted to the brambles and insects in the willows and thickets - a great view of two garden warblers foraging, juvenile chiffchaffs and juvenile willow warblers. Only two whitethroats today, silent. Even the young house sparrows, fifteen or more, were almost silent as were blue tits, great tits and three juvenile robins feeding on the damp riverbank. Two goldcrests were busy in a conifer and five goldfinches were seen flying into a poplar. Skylarks could be heard singing strongly as usual whilst swifts fed on the wing and a slow, low-flying grey heron was seen several times close-up following the river downstream. 

Gatekeepers on guard

This morning along the river - a very warm, fine morning with wrens singing - each in its own territory - the only birds competing were goldfinches in a willow and two skylarks over the field, their songs carrying far in the breeze. A distant hobby was hunting over the river and a kestrel hovering overhead. Suddenly a grey wagtail appeared flying close and low over the river, down into its nest site under an overhanging tree. A beautiful view of the male bird in flight with strong yellow, grey and black plumage.

GATEKEEPER butterfly

Gatekeeper butterflies were out in force this morning for the first time - at least 40 along the field margin, feeding on flowering brambles and chasing, hardly ever still. Other butterflies about included Holly Blue,  Common Blue, Comma, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Small Copper, Green-veined White and Large White. Beautiful Demoiselle and Banded Demoiselle damselflies were out on the river bank nettles and brambles together with hundreds of hover flies and bees, including many honeybees.

Walk along the river to Warnham LNR

Another fine day - walked from our stretch of the river north to Warnham Local Nature Reserve. A good start with a fine view of a Hobby hunting directly above, within a group of seven or eight feeding swifts. The group very gradually disappeared to the south downstream along the river course.
At Warnham, the sun had brought out the butterflies along the ride where they clustered on the flowering brambles - large numbers of Ringlet, some Comma, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper, and the largest of all - Silver-Washed Fritillary.

                                                        RINGLET butterfly basking

RINGLET butterfly showing outer wing pattern

Birds included a good view of a family of blackcaps with adult male and female feeding fledged young with caterpillars and other insects, just above the butterfly brambles! A singing whitethroat and juveniles were seen in a willow and there was a fine view of a nesting reed warbler sliding down a reed to its hidden nest (brood patch indicated it was still nesting) where it remained, whilst another reed warbler was visible nearby. A chiffchaff was singing over the almost-dried out swamp and a reed bunting was seen briefly on the reeds close to the water where two great crested grebes were resting. Common terns were by far the most active birds on the Millpond. Leaving the Reserve I noticed a splendid grey wagtail carrying food, sitting on the sluice gates;  after posing for a while it flew off downstream.

Today along the river

A fine day with the river bank alive! Warbler fledgelings now fending for themselves with abundant insect food in the undergrowth and riverside trees - whilst the adults start second broods in ideal conditions. Blackcap, chiffchaff, willow warbler, reed warbler and whitethroat juveniles and adults all present with fledged juvenile blackcaps still being fed by attentive adults. Most are quiet today, apart from the bouncing whitethroats.

SMALL SKIPPER butterfly in the long grass

Damselflies - Beautiful Demoiselle and Banded Demoiselle, bees - honeybees, bumblebees - white-tailed, red-tailed, bombus terrestris, ladybirds - mainly 7 spot and butterflies all active along the river in the sunshine and dappled shade together with numerous spiders spinning webs across the river vegetation.
Butterflies present included Small Tortoiseshell, Small Skipper, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Large White, Small White, Holly Blue, Small Copper and Meadow Brown.

Website address for Hills Farm Conservation Group

HILLS FARM CONSERVATION GROUP website

This contains pages with page titles running at the top of each page. Click on TO DO LIST to find out the date of our next meet or NEWS to find out the latest on the Development. This blog will contain more day-to-day features on the Riverside.

News from Hills Farm Conservation Group

The present website for the Group may be replaced by this blog at some time in the future, meanwhile this will be an addition to it, so please look at both!

Latest news to hit West Horsham wildlife was not good - the serious incident of pollution of the river Arun somewhere downstream of the Broadbridge Heath Southern Water water-treatment works. For the latest on this - see the County Times website . There will be a report in this Thursday's edition (23rd June).
Fortunately 'our' stretch of the river was not affected.

                                            Peacock butterfly on sunny riverbank nettles