As birds hide, butterflies colour the Riverside

July 10th and still hot with a NE breeze - there are always sheltered areas to be found on the banks of the meandering rivers, varying with the wind direction. Butterflies and damselflies take advantage of this. Today was an excellent day for butterflies, some areas becoming so popular it appeared that species would collide. One sheltered sunny nettled and brambled bank held Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and very fresh Comma butterflies chasing, brilliant colours of the Commas visible high in the Hawthorns and low over the water with Speckled Wood butterflies spiralling up and down in the shade. 

This Comma butterfly was perched on one of the best plants for

many butterflies, the nettle, today. There were more Commas than

I have ever seen here in this wooded corner, they are usually seen in ones and twos.

Small Tortoiseshell butterflies however were the stars of today, mingling with the Commas and perching on the nettles, some laying eggs on the undersides of young nettle leaves, ensuring

another generation sees the light of day. These will seek out flowers and feed up before hibernating over the winter.

Several Gatekeeper butterflies were seen for the first time this summer, ranging along the verges and fences and there were several here over the riverbank today, together with Red Admirals, Large Skippers,  Meadow Browns and Large Whites over the rapidly drying grasses, and a Ringlet in damp grasses.

Over the river, male Banded Demoiselle damselflies chased each other, quite aggressive but beautiful creatures. Low down over the river they dance like dark shadows and suddenly transform when the sun hits them, showing their true colours - brilliant metallic blue males and green females with green translucent wings.

This female Banded Demoiselle damselfly today chose a warm sunlit 

bramble leaf on which to perch whilst watching out for insects, rapidly flying out to catch one, returning to the same leaf to perch and eat - then watch again and dart out for the catch.

There always appear to be more males than females but this is mainly due to the females having near perfect camouflage, perhaps just the white false wing spot gives her away.  

Birds will of course catch insects especially when feeding young, including butterflies, moths, damselflies and dragonflies but with such plentiful insect life of all kinds on the river, these are not endangered.

Today most birds were quiet - but with exceptions -  blackcaps and a whitethroat were singing, but most of the song came from wrens along the river. Robins and blackbirds were seen foraging low down on the river, carrying off food for their young. High above, three buzzards were again seen circling over with some swifts disappearing into the distance.