Out of the river and flying!

31st May 2013, after a warm night a fine warm morning with Orange Tip butterflies ranging along the river banks and the first sighting of a Red Admiral butterfly this year, brilliant in the sunshine, plenty of activity amongst the birds, four swifts, a blackcap singing loudly in a river thicket and the persistent call of two chiffchaffs, one singing chiffchaffchiff, an embellishment on the usual call and a whitethroat busy collecting insects and darting down into a well hidden nest with its catch.

It was around midday, the sun had warmed up the river as well as the banks and - for the first time this year a great sight - damselflies. Not just one or two but many more, in several sunny spots along the river, freshly emerged, not yet in their full colouring, warming up on the nettle leaves and actively flying along the river bank, exploring their new world above water for the first time after spending a year or two years in larvae form as vicious predators under water on the river bed - what a transformation!

A Beautiful Demoiselle male damselfly warming up on
fresh nettle leaves after emerging from the river bed.

Usually the Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly species is the first to emerge here in the spring but this year it was clear that conditions have been too cool in the water and three species at least have emerged together - lots of Beautiful Demoiselles and with them, drying off on nearby nettle leaves were some Banded Demoiselles, with Large Red damselflies flying amongst them. I'll have to wait until these immature damselflies mature to see them in their true colours.

Good news today for riverside birds and bats - millions of small flies and midges circling in swarms low over the river which is still flowing quite swiftly after recent rains, but with quiet and sunny regions  where the river turns or slows down around roots and branches.