Today, at last, a summer's day - warm, dry, with sunshine and a slight breeze. It would be a good time to have a quick look in the afternoon for butterflies, before the clouds moved in.
Sure enough, there was plenty of activity on the river banks with butterflies and dragonflies patrolling their territories without having to fly low to shelter from the wind or hang up under a leaf to shelter from the rain, or in the case of dragonflies, not bother to emerge at all.
Banded Demoiselle Damselfly male, resting on a favourite perch
overlooking the river - a nettle leaf
Concentrating on the river bank damselflies and butterflies, looking down in all directions at the patrolling colours, brilliant orange, red, blue, green and more subtle shades of camouflage brown and buff, I became aware of soft calls from the direction of a river bank willow and - there being no wind to blow the leaves, slight movements in the branches must indicate the presence of birds. These proved to be a family party of long-tailed tits, mainly juveniles, busy collecting insects. They never stay to feed in one place for long and soon followed their leader to another, larger willow leaving me watching the first tree. A very smart adult willow warbler appeared and proceeded to feed on aphids on the undersides of the leaves with meticulous precision. It was finding plenty on each leaf, especially near the base stems, finishing with each leaf then moving on to the next, aphids still on its beak. Another movement, another willow warbler foraging, then some short 'hwit' calls indicated the presence of chiffchaffs nearby... and a glimpse of a whitethroat in the thicket, it may still have a nest with young down in the brambles below.
Still watching the same tree when suddenly more birds started to arrive, flying out of the oak and ash trees, not together but singly, one after the other all landing in the willows on the bank. More and more, the total must have been around fifty, mainly blue and great tits and more long-tailed tits, intent on a share of the insects. They moved off again, leaving the willow warblers and chiffchaffs. Blackbirds and wrens were seen but not heard low down on the river banks.
Looking up, a common buzzard in moult leisurely glided on the thermals, with depleted feathers, it wouldn't fly so easily in bad weather.
Butterflies seen on the riverbank today were: numerous Gatekeepers patrolling, keeping others away, Meadow Browns, Red Admirals, Commas - more that usual, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Small Heath, Speckled Wood in the shade, Large and Small Skippers in the sun, Red Admiral and Large White.
Damselflies on the river and bank nettles were: Banded Demoiselle, males still chasing low over the surface of the water, females on the bank vegetation and over the water, Emerald Damselflies and some freshly emerged quite colourless damselflies perching on leaves whilst they gain strength and colour, a fast flying Brown Hawker dragonfly and a Migrant Hawker dragonfly perched on the tip of a nettle in the sun, making sorties over the river, frightening off butterflies and hoverflies, returning to the same high perch then flying off high into the trees.
A summary of the days since the previous record on 11th July and before the record on 9th August above:
Blackcaps were still singing during the second half of July but with songs reduced to short snatches and swifts were seen most days flying high over the river course catching insects carried up in the thermals with house martins flying at lower levels.
During sunny intervals butterflies, especially Red Admirals were seen flying strongly over the river bank vegetation, together with Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Small Copper, Holly Blue, Comma and Ringlet, 6 spot Burnet moths and Gatekeepers, the latter becoming more numerous. Certainly, when the sun shone, butterflies have been more numerous than last year along the river banks and Damselflies far more numerous. This in a summer where butterflies in general throughout the country have been scarce, due to the bad weather. Large numbers of Damselflies emerged on fine days, Banded Demoiselles especially numerous and a rare surprise on 20th July (see special report on Insects to come soon). The protection of the River bank vegetation here this summer has made a big difference.
Still watching the same tree when suddenly more birds started to arrive, flying out of the oak and ash trees, not together but singly, one after the other all landing in the willows on the bank. More and more, the total must have been around fifty, mainly blue and great tits and more long-tailed tits, intent on a share of the insects. They moved off again, leaving the willow warblers and chiffchaffs. Blackbirds and wrens were seen but not heard low down on the river banks.
Looking up, a common buzzard in moult leisurely glided on the thermals, with depleted feathers, it wouldn't fly so easily in bad weather.
Butterflies seen on the riverbank today were: numerous Gatekeepers patrolling, keeping others away, Meadow Browns, Red Admirals, Commas - more that usual, Holly Blue, Common Blue, Small Heath, Speckled Wood in the shade, Large and Small Skippers in the sun, Red Admiral and Large White.
Damselflies on the river and bank nettles were: Banded Demoiselle, males still chasing low over the surface of the water, females on the bank vegetation and over the water, Emerald Damselflies and some freshly emerged quite colourless damselflies perching on leaves whilst they gain strength and colour, a fast flying Brown Hawker dragonfly and a Migrant Hawker dragonfly perched on the tip of a nettle in the sun, making sorties over the river, frightening off butterflies and hoverflies, returning to the same high perch then flying off high into the trees.
A summary of the days since the previous record on 11th July and before the record on 9th August above:
Blackcaps were still singing during the second half of July but with songs reduced to short snatches and swifts were seen most days flying high over the river course catching insects carried up in the thermals with house martins flying at lower levels.
During sunny intervals butterflies, especially Red Admirals were seen flying strongly over the river bank vegetation, together with Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Small Copper, Holly Blue, Comma and Ringlet, 6 spot Burnet moths and Gatekeepers, the latter becoming more numerous. Certainly, when the sun shone, butterflies have been more numerous than last year along the river banks and Damselflies far more numerous. This in a summer where butterflies in general throughout the country have been scarce, due to the bad weather. Large numbers of Damselflies emerged on fine days, Banded Demoiselles especially numerous and a rare surprise on 20th July (see special report on Insects to come soon). The protection of the River bank vegetation here this summer has made a big difference.
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