A Feast for Warblers at the End of May

31st May 2014 - where the water ripples, warblers were seen 'flycatching',

watching from perches on the riverbank branches, then flying out low over the river to catch flies, then back to perch and watch.

The flies over the river here were Mayflies - and - Damselflies, mainly Banded Demoiselle Damselflies gathered here to catch small flies but became themselves prey!

Male Banded Demoiselle Damselfly perched on fresh bramble leaves

Such a difference from last year, when Damselflies were first seen on 31st May (2013)!

Summer is well established, with Red Admiral butterflies fast flying high and low together, influenced by the sun. As soon as clouds obscured the sun, they flew high into the tree canopy then back down skimming the riverbank vegetation when the sun appeared again. Peacock butterflies were warming up in more open spaces.

Bramble flowers, long awaited by bees, were now opening along the warmer banks

and it was good to welcome back the Tree Bumblebees

Here's a Record of wildlife for Sunday 25th May (photos on previous blog)

Plenty of sky visible between the cumulus clouds today - cool in the breeze but warm in sheltered areas. Heavy rain yesterday (24th) had left the river running fast but the level had already receded by about  half a meter. The rain had cooled the earth - much cooler than last weekend. It was good to see that some of the brambles were now flowering. Dog rose, Elder and Honeysuckle all flowering too.

Why another record so soon after the last? 

There's so much activity and the natural landscape is changing so fast that every day offers a different  aspect . The length of the day, the water temperature, the flowering of plants, the nesting of birds and emergence of insects all are finely tuned to maximise the mutual benefits bestowed on each living thing along the river. Nothing lives in isolation - everything is dependent on other things. take one link in the chain away - destroy one life form and the rest that depend upon it are destroyed or depleted too.

Today, juveniles were especially evident, with 85 starlings seen and very much heard, most of them fledged juveniles still being fed by their parents. 31 blackbirds were seen, some now singing again whilst others were busy collecting food for their young, often fledged but hiding in the undergrowth.

Juvenile blue tits were very vocal too, calling out from inside ivy cover, willows and oaks 47 in all. Great tits were more visible, juveniles with huge gapes lined up along the branches all being fed with caterpillars by the parents (17). House sparrow adults too had many juveniles to feed, with numerous young hiding in the Bramble thickets, safe from the view of predators (40).

Collared doves were nesting (4) as were woodpigeons (16) now seen in pairs rather than flocks, some carrying nest material to their traditional nest sites. A few Jackdaws on the move (5) were quite vocal, as were the crows (3) and only 2 magpies.

A green woodpecker was seen flying silently across the river to an oak - a sign that it has young to feed. A great spotted woodpecker called from a distant oak - a warning call.

Suddenly two small birds flew across from the fields into an Ash. A fine yellow male and a more subtle -coloured female - they were a pair of yellowhammers - so good to see them - hope they are nesting somewhere safe from predators.

Looking into a conifer, some tiny shapes could be seen moving around - with high voices -

'The Day of the Juveniles' was made perfect by the presence of 4 young goldcrests being fed. One adult made a spectacular falling flight down the tree from one brach to the next below catching insects as it went. The young lined up in a row waiting until one of the adults flew over to fill their gaping beaks.(6 total)

On the river itself 2 mallard were seen, making quiet calls - probably contact calls to young and 2 moorhens certainly nesting, one giving an alarm call. There was plenty of food for 2 songthrushes foraging under leaves on the ground, pulling large worms from the damp earth. They will only turn to snails if the earth dries up and other food is no longer available. Chaffinches were singing (4) - together with singing wrens (7) less numerous than usual as most are still nesting and keeping very quiet. Two goldfinches flew across the river to a nest and a pair of long-tailed tits were busy foraging.

With flies and other insects so numerous, finding warblers along the river was no difficult. Walking under a willow, a sudden loud burst of song made me look up to see a fine male blackcap and 5 others were both seen and heard singing in various willows along the bank. Garden warblers,(7) more numerous this year, seemed to be competing with the others, willow warblers with their unique song joining in (3).

Only the first warblers to arrive this spring were quiet - the chiffchaffs (5) with only two singing or making contact calls.

The silent ones were busy catching insects, the fastest-moving birds.

The most interesting are the whitethroats (10) , some singing - but their characteristic bouncing over their chosen nest sites - usually the same locations each year make them vulnerable birds, in need of habitat protection.

 It was good to see the aerial summer visitors, the swifts (9), catching insects on the wing over the river, following the river course, with some low-flying house martins.(6)

Accompanying the swifts, flying cross-wind was a hobby, gone in a flash, after a dragonfly.

The conditions being near perfect, damselflies were numerous along the river banks with large numbers of Banded Demoiselle damselflies, the males' brilliant metallic blues glinting in the sunshine - and mnay Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies, some dancing high up over the water. Many Azure damselflies were present too, settling briefly on nettle and bramble leaves  before drifting on to the next. Some nearly collided with the Banded demoiselles, there were so many of them. Large Red damselflies were catching insects from vantage points on nettle leaves or chasing each other across the water. One Hairy dragonfly was trying to join the swifts and martins, flying high.

With the brambles coming into flower, the bees were out in good numbers, today mainly Honeybees, with some bumblebees, including Tree bumblebees and red-tailed bumblebees on the Dock. Seven-spot Ladybirds were active, flying from leaf to leaf. At times I was 'wading' through Mayflies making their up and down flight on the banks. Butterflies appeared in the more sheltered areas, with Speckled Wood, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White and a few Orange-tip. A clump of Nettles on the bank were rapidly being eaten by groups of caterpillars - those of the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly - so watch out! If they survive there will be a good emergence of these beautiful butterflies along the river.