Today 25th May 2014, although cool, was early summer at it's best along the riverside.
above: A Green-veined White butterfly perching on nettle flowers
A male Azure Damselfly - one of many today warming up on
the river bank leaves, moving or rather drifting from one perch to the next, never pausing for long.
A male Large Red Damselfly chose a larger leaf to perch on in the sun. These were
quite numerous but I didn't see as many as the Azures today.
A female Banded Demoiselle posing on a nettle leaf, ready for take-off.
Many nettle leaves were host to caterpillars today - these are the
caterpillars of the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.
Last Monday, 19th May 2014 - a full record of wildlife seen on the Riverside:
A sunny day with a warm breeze, the river quite low but flowing well with cow parsley flowering along river banks and verges, a healthy growth of nettles mixed with brambles and buttercups. The Hawthorn blossom, early this year, like all plant life (except perhaps the Ash), was just finishing.
The river had recently been much higher, obvious from the muddy leaves and grasses on the banks about 2 meters above the present water level.
House Sparrows were by far the most numerous bird today- over 80 seen in various areas, many juveniles, preening in the sun whilst others were catching insects, flycatcher-like, from fences and branches. Blackbirds were also numerous, 23, some singing full songs, others calling softly to young or giving alarm calls when threatened by the presence of squirrels which were noisily chasing each other (4). Woodpigeons (15) never usually cause alarm amongst any birds, but when suddenly taking off can alert small birds to possible danger - Woodpigeons have big eyes and often spot things that small birds don't immediately notice.
Blue and great tits (24, 17) were not as visible as usual, being still busy nesting, collecting food for young still in the nest, although some fledged young blue tits were heard begging, hidden, then glimpsed in a Willow. Great tits favoured the dark, damp ground under trees to find food.
Chiffchaffs (4) were heard singing and calling but those nesting were hidden and silent. 3 song thrushes were seen and heard singing, they should do well this year with no shortage earthworms, caterpillars and beetles. Early nesters, they may already be rearing a second brood. Many robins were singing again (13) as they, like the song thrush, are early nesters and may rear several broods.
Wrens were singing strongly too (12). The very variable weather conditions have caused large variations in river flows and water levels which can affect nest building and survival of young, perhaps the local wrens have learnt not to choose nest sites too low down on the river banks. Chaffinches (5) build more robust nests higher up, carefully constructed to withstand bad weather. A dunnock was heard calling and another feeding low down with the great tits and a single greenfinch was seen. Goldfinches (6) were singing quietly today, no longer seen in flocks but in ones and twos.
New growth on the conifers made it easier for birds to hide away but one goldcrest was seen flying into the sunny side of a conifer to feed. It may have a nest there too.
Starlings are finding favourable conditions, more seem to be around this year, with many young (31). Three nuthatches were seen but remained silent, clearly still nesting and feeding young, careful not to draw attention to their nest sites. Magpies (2) and crows (2) were nesting as well, with adults seen carrying food for their young, whilst two jackdaws flew over. A buzzard glided leisurely above the river, no need to flap wings in the breeze, together with 4 black-headed gulls. A pheasant called but remained hidden in the undergrowth.
Warblers were present in good numbers along the river bank vegetation. Chiffchaffs are always the first to arrive and start nesting in this ideal habitat and are followed later by willow warblers (1). It was very good to see the whitethroats return to their traditional habitat and hear their song again (6). A garden warbler sang from a Willow with others heard along the river (7) - and a sudden loud burst of characteristic fine song came from a blackcap. Four were seen and heard singing today.
Another warbler was heard singing - an more difficult song to identify! Sounded like a possible wood warbler but not quite!
Down on the river soft calls alerted me to a male mallard which was slowly paddling upstream
- accompanied by Banded Demoiselle damselflies.. more mallard (6), all male, were seen on and over the river.
The fine weather was good for damselflies, with freshly emerged Azure damselflies, several Large Red damselflies, mostly favouring the hazel leaves and some pairs mating. Banded Demoiselle damselflies were very active, with males and females hunting, giving good comparisons when perching on leaves close together. Freshly emerged Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies very seen clinging to old dry nettle stalks whilst others warmed up on Field Maple, Bramble and Nettle leaves. More were seen ranging low over the grasses away from the river. A few Blue-tailed damselflies were seen low over the river bank and four, almost invisible, fragile damselflies were probably White-legged damselflies, in their special area where they seem to appear each year.
Huge numbers of small flies and Mayflies were concentrated over the river and near banks - all good food for warblers and many other birds - dragonflies too - and at night, bats.
Other large insects seen were White-tailed and Red-tailed Bumblebees on the new Bramble flowers, Seven-Spot ladybirds - also on Brambles and some flying along the bank; more than 15 Orange-tip Butterflies, a few Peacock butterflies, several Large White, Small White and Green-veined White butterflies in the sunny areas and Speckled Wood butterflies in the shadier wooded areas, with two Holly Blue butterflies ranging along the bank vegetation
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