Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) foraging on Bramble flowers
When it's hot, changes on the riverside can be sudden. The flowers of the Dog Rose disappear to be replaced by the Bramble flowers, often as colourful and the Rose. Cow Parsley gives way to Meadowsweet, Clovers take over from Buttercups. All this takes place in synchronisation with the changing needs of insects and birds.
Bramble, Meadowsweet and Clovers are exceptionally good sources of nectar, the river bank Meadowsweet flowers are at present covered with bees as are the Bramble flowers and clover.
As the river water warms up, more and more insects appear over the water, all good for foraging
birds feeding young, spiders, dragonflies and damselflies too.
A female Blue-tailed Damselfly clutches an old Nettle stalk over the river.
Just to be difficult, the female comes in five colour forms, unlike the male
which just has one form (see photo on previous entry).
This immature female is called rufescens.
A Honeybee (Apis mellifera) feasting on the Meadowsweet
Friday 20th June 2014 was a very dry day but not hot, brightening up after a cloudy start.
The river was flowing well, quite clear now after recent rains had turned it muddy. Thistles were about to flower, with Clovers and Meadowsweet buzzing on the banks. Along the meadow margin, Wintercress, Tufted Vetch and Honeysuckle were flowering too.
There were sudden loud outbursts from Blackcaps (12) taking me by surprise with some alarm calls too as adults warned juveniles of danger lurking, possibly an unseen Sparrowhawk. Woodpigeons (11) gave a sense of calm to the riverside however, settled in their lookout perches in the oaks.
House sparrows were numerous (70+) but mostly quiet, enjoying bathing down on the river and others well inside Bramble patches. It's been a good spring for juveniles, with adults having several broods, after an early start due to the mild weather. Blue tits (34) were also taking to the shallow water to bathe, with several very wet individuals drying out on the brambles. Yellow-faced juveniles were preening in the willows whilst adults were foraging for caterpillars or catching insects to feed their dependent young. A single Dunnock, very wet, was shaking itself after bathing under the willow. Great tits (20) were busy catching flies in the willows, with young ones more visible, yellow-cheeked like the blue tits - food is definitely their priority over preening. Chiffchaffs (12) were moving about extremely fast in the oaks, silently foraging, with good views of juveniles whilst a few adults were singing or making contact calls. The chiffchaff lookalikes, the willow warblers, were giving themselves away by singing short songs - from the willows! - and our other summer visiting warblers, the whitethroats (3), were quiet, seen only low on the dry banks, one pair entering their nesting bush and another dropping into the Brambles, also nesting. 2 garden warblers were heard singing, perhaps with the early start to breeding, they may yet have second broods. With an abundance of insects over the river, bird activity was intense, even a Chaffinch was perched on a branch over the water, darting out to catch Daddy-longlegs for its young (2). 2 goldcrests were again busy in the conifers, perhaps their first brood of young have now dispersed and they are now feeding a second brood.
On the river, mallard males (2) paddled silently but 3 moorhens were bolder, one taking a short-cut along a path, another climbing out of the undergrowth and launching itself onto the river with a splash - and a very loud shout from a third bird down steam, protecting young from a predator.
Blackbirds were numerous (25), with adults still raising young and uttering alarm calls whilst others delved into bank side grass, turning loose grass over in mounds to find food in the damp underneath. Three juveniles were lined up on a branch, watching, as a parent investigated insects on an island of debris in the river. Also low down on the river a grey wagtail was seen flying over the river towards its spring nest area. Certainly here in the south grey wagtails could rear second broods.
Nesting song thrushes (3) have also done well this year, with most birds still feeding young by foraging on the shallow areas of the banks. Unlike most of the other resident birds, wrens (15) today were singing or preening in the sun on the willows. Many others, uncounted, were certainly nesting along the banks. We know there are many robins with territories all along the river but at this time of year they are keeping a low profile, obviously still nesting, only two were heard singing very short songs and one call of alarm, only 5 in total today. Goldfinches were singing together behind the Blackthorn (11) with 4 Greenfinch identified by their louder calls and glimpses of green.
Looking up, a single Black-headed gull flew over and 3 crows gathered near a pond close to where a bright young Roe deer was foraging. 4 young magpies hopped clumsily around on the grass, strangely quiet, whilst one nuthatch flew across and another called loudly from the oak. The starling day-roost was full of juveniles and 6 adults were seen carrying food to them. More starlings flew over in a group to join them (60).
Characteristic cries made me look up - flying over the river course, directly above, were 3 buzzards, probably juveniles. One took a sudden vertical dive towards the buzzard below, which in turn took a dive towards the third one - a dazzling display by three raptors. Later, a red kite appeared, gliding over the Arun, surveying the ground. They are becoming more common locally now but the buzzard remains the superior bird to me!
Male Banded Demoiselle Damselfly ready to pounce - the hairs
on it's legs are used to grasp and hang on to its prey whilst eating.
Insects today, 20th June merit a special section in the record:
Damselflies were numerous, gathering on specific sites along the river where the conditions are most favourable - to emerge and warm up, then fly off to explore the area, feeding up and becoming adults in their fine colours. Once they reach adulthood they return to the river to join other males chasing over the water and eventually choose a mate and breed, the female selecting just the right location to deposit her eggs.
Today over 60 Banded Demoiselle damselflies were seen and 12 Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies in various locations. 5 Azure Damselflies were seen on nettles and one Dragonfly, probably a Scarce Chaser
Butterflies were numerous too, with many Meadow Browns, Large Skippers, Small Skippers, Ringlets, Small Tortoiseshells, Green-veined Whites, Speckled Woods, Commas, Red Admiral , Cinnabar Moth - and many Peacock butterfly caterpillars on the nettles.
Very important for birds, dragonflies and damselflies were the other insects in profusion over the river, including Mayflies and Ladybirds.
Bees too were numerous, with Red-tailed Bumble bees, White-tailed Bumble bees, Tree Bumble bee and Honeybees attracted to the flowering Clovers, Vetch, Meadowsweet and Brambles.
And SPIDERS too!
This spider is the Nursery Web Spider - too fast to bother with
spinning a web in order to trap prey, it builds a web to shelter its young.
