Autumn leaves - where's winter?

After a very wet day and a very windy night, Sunday 25th November started out in sunshine with robins singing strongly, the river high, flowing swiftly, herring gulls sailing overhead, a nuthatch climbing upside down along a branch and another calling close by, heading for the first bird.

Blue tits and great tits operating low down, just above the water, skimming off insects amongst the floating debris - the river alive with birds, soaking wet house sparrows preening amongst the twigs after bathing in the river. Millions of midges dancing over the sunlit water.

No place to hide? Fly to the Holly and Ivy

 A third nuthatch flying across and a goldfinch feeding on seeds on a tree and eight more flying into a riverside tree, their soft calls drowned out by the loud chattering of house sparrows deep in a dense hedge. Blackbirds foraging amongst more open Hawthorns and Blackthorns with occasional soft calls and alarms, with more feeding along the base of the hedges where piles of leaves are caught up in the roots. A grey squirrel climbing high up in the Blackthorn settling itself in characteristic pose with tail curved over its back in a fork in a branch, eating a large sloe.

Layers of fallen leaves - and now twigs

The ground is covered in small twigs and branches after the overnight gales, forming a fresh carpet over the now dark carpet of old fallen leaves. The colour of the landscape changes day by day. 

Formerly dense thickets of deciduous Hazel, Willow, Hawthorn and Maple now offer no hiding place amongst their branches, today the only hiding places are in Hollies and Ivy and undergrowth close to the ground where piles of leaves provide shelter. A Jay flying across in search of acorns, usually plentiful at this time of the year but very rare after a lean year. Another nuthatch arrives in one of the oaks almost falling down the trunk head first in its eagerness to collect insects it has spotted. Smart silent chaffinches are easily seen in trees now but very well camouflaged when foraging amongst the fallen leaves. Black-headed gulls keep their distance from groups of woodpigeons feeding on the grass.

Dark now, threatening heavy rain, in turning back, a fine close-up view of a kestrel as it flies over to the river and hovers over the bank in front of me, low down, then drops like a stone. It's caught its prey, probably a bank vole scurrying for shelter.

As with the sparrowhawk, predators such as these take advantage of the general confusion a sudden change in the weather can generate - master opportunists. 

November after more rain

Early November brought more rain onto saturated earth, no problem for most inhabitants of the Riverside at this time of the year - with abundant insect life in the still mild temperatures. 

The river overflowed its defined channel and banks to fill its ancient river bed, spreading out where once it ran as several channels wherever it wished.

The river showing its true nature as it spreads out over its ancient course

Oak leaves are still clinging to trees whilst new leaf buds form. Sharp frosts will change the scene and snow complete the process if it comes.

A quick look on the morning of 7th November - the river had burst its banks on 4th November, shown in the above photo - but the water had receded, leaving river bank vegetation flattened by the floodwater and huge piles of leaves driven downstream were left on the riverside banks - perfect hiding places for small creatures when the weather turns frosty. There was a chilly southerly wind but the sun offered some warmth when it appeared.

Blackbirds were foraging very close to the river (5) and robins were singing or 'chinking' (4). Blue tits (36) and great tits (13) were performing acrobatics on the willows overhanging the fast-flowing river, catching insects whilst a few fast-moving long-tailed tits could be seen on top of a Hawthorn hedge, feeding amongst the twigs (3). Many woodpigeons were busy on the field and grasses, with others close to the water (35). Chaffinches were more visible now, very smart in new plumage (6) but still quiet unlike the house sparrows which were chattering loudly in the brambles and hedgerow (16).

The river, sought out by birds, sustaining life.

A fine view of a goldfinch preening in the sun - it had obviously been bathing in the river - and looking down, a glimpse of more on a branch just above the water level bathing and preening and even more goldfinches flying down to join them (17). They appear to be more numerous this year, joining forces to search for wild plant seeds. Wrens were calling loudly (4) but not a full song, and a dunnock flew up to have a good look around , perched at the top of a Hawthorn before dropping back down into the undergrowth at the sight of magpies (3) flying across. A loud alarm call gave away a nuthatch in an old oak.

Even after all the rain and floodwater, birds are always seeking out the river, its water for bathing, its riverine undergrowth for insects, its trees for berries and nuts, its banks for warmth and shelter.