The summer draws to a close with prime weather conditions for the rarest local butterfly.
On Friday 27th September 2013 - a mild day with a light northerly breeze and hazy sunshine - it appeared on the river bank, just pausing long enough for a photo.
A BROWN HAIRSTREAK butterfly (female), rather worn after it's
egg-laying (oviposting) in the Blackthorn, pausing now to warm up
in the hazy sunshine.
There was plenty of activity on the Riverside with summer still in evidence, the only signs of autumn being hazel leaves turning yellow, poplars losing their leaves and a few acorns falling. The day started cool after overnight dew, the river quite high but clear of mud and flowing well. Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Brambles, Elder, Dog Rose and Guelder Rose heavily laden with fruits and berries, Fleabane seeds dispersing in the breeze.
Chiffchaffs (12) were very busy feeding, characteristically tumbling down inside bushes and foliage to catch insects, fattening up for long journeys south where they will enliven warmer countries, largely unseen.
A few will stay as our winters warm up year on year. Their Hweeeet contact calls were audible today amongst the leaves on the river banks. Some Robins were singing, probably youngsters trying out their voices whilst remaining hidden, whilst others foraged down amongst the undergrowth. (19)
Out on the grass, Blackbirds (6) and chaffinches (5) were foraging silently when a loud outburst from a nuthatch (2) was heard, perhaps an adult sending off a juvenile from it's nesting territory as a second bird called out close by. A very high thin call came from a treecreeper. I have never seen a dispute between the two species although they frequently forage on the same trees for insects. The specialist treecreeper is picking out such tiny insects from inside the bark with a fine curved beak, it would not be in competition.
House sparrows (46) were also concentrating on insects today, choosing sunlit thickets of bramble and hedgerows, leaving the seeds of fruits for winter when insects will be scarce. Amongst them, a dunnock crept around independently.
Wrens (12) were singing but mostly hidden under the bank undergrowth but a few were more visible when disturbed, jumping out, uttering alarm calls whilst perched on a root or twig - the shadow of a larger bird flying over often causes alarm. Woodpigeons are easily startled and can warn smaller birds of unseen danger. Today however, some were flapping around in the ivy where ivy flowers were appearing , tangled with blackberries. Other woodpigeons were cooing loudly - they will still be nesting well into the winter (20). Overhead under the high bright cloud, crows (5), magpies (3) and starlings (12) were flying across in the light breeze in the company of a single herring gull. A jay, preening silently high up in the sun on an oak suddenly took off with a loud shout, perhaps annoyed by grey squirrels, growing fit on a prolific diet of acorns, berries, nuts and fungi - or perhaps it had spotted the sparrowhawk far below, which had just made a startling move up from it's hide-away on the river. A blackcap uttered an alarm call from an overhanging willow, the leaves now turning yellow and falling one by one.
Bickering blue tits (34) and calling great tits (17) were also after insects which were numerous everywhere along the river - Craneflies, numerous about my feet (walking with Craneflies...) and over the river, hoverflies in the wild flowers, large bumblebees and carder bees across the river on the opposite bank and spiders which had hung their webs in the Blackthorn. Numbers of Speckled Wood butterflies were basking in the dappled shade or flying up higher amongst the branches and a brilliant orange Comma Butterfly was nectaring on Blackberry juice in the sun, close to the place where two had been the first seen this year in March. Several Large White butterflies were seen over the straw left on the fields after the wheat crop was harvested. No bales - good! Over the river - a great view of 2 buzzards wheeling around each other, a pair, dropping, stopping in mid air, touching and turning past each other, then flying upwards, separating and swooping down again. A small flock of 10 linnets flew across as I was watching the buzzards.
The star today was undoubtedly the fine view of the rare Brown Hairstreak but dragonflies were magnificent too. with Common Hawker, Southern Hawker and Migrant Hawkers over the river banks.
A Migrant Hawker was being chased by an aggressive Speckled Wood butterfly and more dragonflies patrolled the brambles on the river bank, each keeping to it's own large stretch of the river, backwards and forwards always turning in the same place. One seemed to head straight past me, caught an insect and turned back to perch and feed. A very fine end to September.
A Surprise in Early September 2013 when some of the native
wild flower seed we had planted on the bare sub-soil only a few weeks ago
on the river bank site of the old fallen oak produced some flowers -
Field Poppy and Mallow amongst them.
Wednesday 11th September 2013 was bright with high cloud and a noisy, strong NW wind meant conditions were not ideal for birds but the Blackthorn thicket entangled with rose hips was full of bird-sound and the autumn scents of hay lingered in sheltered warm places. On a tangled berry-filled bank, 18 Speckled Wood butterflies were nectaring on the blackberries. An inquisitive Migrant Hawker dragonfly came to rest on the blackberries too, with another one seen hunting over a bend in the river.
It was too windy for most butterflies although 11 Large White butterflies were seen along the field edges with Craneflies and Bumblebees flying low over the grasses, too distant to identify. Just one Comma butterfly was seen and a Small Copper on the steep dry bank.
A fine crop of acorns this year - how long will they last?
Oaks were laden with acorns, Spindle fruits were ripening as were Guelder Rose and Rowan berries. Elderberries, usually the first to disappear, were still hanging on the trees.
A very quick look this morning:
Stubble fields and no hay bales attracted large numbers of woodpigeons (more than 50) and carrion crows (20) but most birds were in the riverside thickets and willows including blue tits (7) and great tits (5), juvenile chaffinches (6), goldfinches, many preening in the sun (18). Long-tailed tits (7) foraged amongst the willows in a group and 5 linnets flew in to take their place as soon as the long-tailed tits had left. About 15 house-sparrows were amongst the brambles, and most others had left their hedgerows to feed on the stubble. Some 'hweet' contact calls and the chiffchaffs (6) flew in low over the river, sheltered from the wind, into the brambles.
Amongst the nettles and grasses, 3 blackbirds were seen and alarm calls may have meant they still had young to protect. Just one dunnock was seen and heard nearby and 5 robins at various 'posts' were singing short songs. Most Wrens were keeping out of sight but 6 were seen at various locations on the banks, not singing but some giving alarm calls.
Overhead in the canopy two nuthatches were visible when a fine great spotted woodpecker flew across from one oak to another whilst a second one called from an ash. Arriving in the Blackthorn one nuthatch called to another - do they eat sloes I wonder? Looking up beyond the trees, a low-flying buzzard appeared, doubling back, hunting, still heard calling after it disappeared below the tree line and a second buzzard appeared beyond it, circling powerfully in the wind.
Not yet time to leave Sussex - a group of House Martins whizzed with the wind, catching insects (11).
