Perfect summer weather now with sun, clouds, rain showers. On Tuesday 6th August 2013, a fine morning, a very slight breeze, dry after intermittent heavy showers the day before. Excellent conditions for insects on the river banks.
Starting with one of the smaller species - but fascinating in its unique mode of flying -
a hover-fly. This one is the beautifully patterned Episyrphus balteatus, enjoying the
nectar rich Calystegia sepium.
The Bramble provides food for wildlife all through the summer and well into
the autumn and perfect shelter during the winter for many species. Some plants
growing in more shady areas flower late and many plants still have blossom buds
together with ripe blackberries.
This bumblebee is White-tailed bumblebee Bombus lucorum.
Bramble blackberries will soon be ripe enough for birds to eat
Sloes are plentiful this year on the Blackthorn where there were none
at all last year. In late winter they will provide our winter migrants
- the Redwing and Fieldfare, with a welcome source of food, encouraging them
to pause and gather strength to continue their journey.
Guelder-rose (Vibernum opulus) berries ripening on our
2 and a half year old plants along the River bank, another
excellent source of food for birds during the winter
Ringlet Butterflies are numerous this year along the river - they
prefer damp secluded habitats and unlike most butterflies can be
seen flying on overcast days, even in the rain. They do feed on the nectar
of 'butterfly plants' such as this Senecio jacobaea and bramble.
This Ringlet is a female which has easily visible upper-wing 'rings'.
The male is darker and the rings on the upperwings are almost
invisible.
Today, 6th August - a fine, still day after intermittent heavy showers yesterday. The 'budding' wild flower area of sub soil on the river bank was proving popular with bees, foraging amongst a few unexpected poppies and cornflowers. The river was flowing well with clear water. Blackberries, sloes, Hawthorn and Elder berries, Hazel nuts and forming acorns all numerous this year. In the sun, the ground was very dry with the ground clay cracking.
The conditions were good for butterflies, with at least 23 Speckled Wood butterflies keeping to the shady trees, some low over the river, some spiralling high, chasing. Large White butterflies were numerous too, more than 20 over the grass, in the sun but the most numerous were the Gatekeepers, small restless butterflies, ranging erratically along the base of the bank side vegetation, chasing other butterflies or basking for a moment. (27). There were fewer Meadow Brown butterflies (4) around thistles where the heat of the sun was intense. Here Bumblebees were very numerous, White-tailed, Buff-tailed, Red-tailed and Carder bees, together with some Honeybees and many hoverflies and tiny wasps of various species. A single Brimstone butterfly was seen, and 3 Large Skippers on the sunny bank with just one Ringlet (they prefer cooler, damp conditions). Strong-flying Peacock butterflies were enjoying the wild flowers (7), together with brilliant orange Commas (6) and some fast flying 7-spot Ladybirds. Whilst admiring the abundance of sloes on the Blackthorn, a Red Admiral butterfly perched briefly on my shoulder, the only one seen today.
The first butterfly I saw earlier this morning, however, was the best - having never seen one here before - A fine Purple Emperor, flying high into the top of one of the old river bank oaks from an adjacent field maple. Looking up its markings and colour against the light - and its large size and shape - were unmistakable - brilliant. I was looking up for a chiffchaff as had heard its 'hweeet' call.
One of the last butterflies seen today, to make it even more special, was a White Admiral in a thicket not far away.
Dragonflies were about today as well - a Southern Hawker, 3 Common Darters, a Ruddy Darter and 4 banded Demoiselle Damselflies.
Now the birds - at this time of the year juveniles are busy fending for themselves whilst adults may be keeping out of sight, moulting, unless raising another brood.
It was very quiet all along the river with woodpigeons cooling off in the river or foraging in the fields (27) and only 3 starlings were seen flying across. The blue tits (34) and great tits
(11) seen were mainly juveniles learning to glean aphids and small spiders from under leaves on the oaks, hawthorns and willows. House sparrows were also cooling off in the river then flying up to perch on the dead hawthorn branches - soaking wet juveniles mostly, there's nothing they like more than communal bathing! Drying off in the early sunshine, well fed, what could be better. (30). Blackbirds were mostly enjoying the shady, muddy riverbanks but one was seen sunning itself, wings outstretched, beak open, balancing in the forked branch of an oak. Chaffinches too were down on the riverbank bathing (7) - silent at this time of the year. A song thrush was foraging in the shade where the ground was still very damp and above it a glimpse of a silent bullfinch as it flew into the thicket. A loud yaffle from a green woodpecker, higher pitched, rang out - probably a juvenile.
Looking up again to the tree canopy for that very elusive butterfly, a great spotted woodpecker flew over and I came across another further along the river, calling, probably warning its young ones. (2)
A very short snatch of song from a blackcap alerted me to small movements in a Hazel thicket, the male flew up then back down to catch an insect then a juvenile, with a red cap appeared. More leaves moving on a windless day gave away the presence of 3 more juvenile blackcaps in a Spindle tree (5 in all). Only 4 wrens were seen, just one singing. There are many more down there, hiding. A high 'hweeet' contact call revealed a chiffchaff restlessly moving amongst the insect-laden leaves and a silent willow warbler was seen nearby. Another, louder and more persistent 'hweet' call came from across the river - a nuthatch, again probably a juvenile and its call was answered by a second nuthatch which then flew across to join its sibling. A speckled juvenile robin was busy in an old apple tree and 3 others, adults, were seen in various shaded areas amongst tangles of blackberries and sloes.
Above the trees 3 black- headed gulls, a single magpie, and a single crow were seen but later, on my way home, 5 swifts appeared from nowhere, flying high and amongst them, for an instant, a hobby.
