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
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