Sustenance for many species - these wild plants are at the top of the list for versatility.
Small Tortoiseshell butterflies nectaring on thistles July 2015
Small Tortoiseshell nectaring - view of it's long tongue
Comma butterfly on river bank brambles amongst nettles
a warm sheltered spot in the evening sunshine.
Note the small comma-shaped white mark on its outer wing.
Today, Sunday 19th July, was warm, windy and humid, becoming hot before clouding over.
The steep river bank and vegetation provided shelter from the wind for dragonflies and butterflies, with the sun warming the flowing water in different locations depending on the time of day.
A quick look revealed a male Common Darter dragonfly perched on the dry surface of a partially submerged log. With many insects flying just above the water, darting out to catch one was easy. It returned to the same perch each time. Not far away, low over the water vegetation where the shallow water formed a pool, an Emerald damselfly shone in the sunlight, its wings almost invisible. A small damselfly, it is usually found in ponds and could have just flown across the bank from the rapidly drying new pond.
A Banded Demoiselle male was fluttering and weaving low amongst the Dock and over grasses, whilst a strong-flying Southern Hawker male dragonfly ranged along the grasses on the bank and flew up into a Willow.
Butterflies were numerous in more sheltered areas of the banks, Ringlets and Gatekeepers being the most active and numerous, with some Meadow Browns, Large Whites, Green-veined Whites, Small Tortoiseshells, Brimstones and a single high-flying Holly Blue.
BIRDS:
Nesting birds have been doing well this year, with no extreme weather - and many now have second or even third broods. It was good to see Song thrushes collecting food for their nestlings, searching and finding plenty in the damp margins of undergrowth along the river bank, returning time and again to collect more. Blackbirds, wrens, dunnocks and other birds are also busy feeding nestlings or newly-fledged young.
The quiet was shattered by loud yaffles from a green woodpecker on the meadow and nearby a great spotted woodpecker called in warning from an old oak.
The above was recorded on a quick look along a short stretch of the river but see below:
A full record was made earlier in July, on Friday 10th July 2105:
(This follows on from a short afternoon survey of butterflies in the afternoon of the previous day, Thursday 9th July - see below this report)
Bright sunshine with a cool breeze on the morning of 10th July. The river was flowing well, although low the water was clear, cool in the shade becoming rapidly warm in the sun.
A quiet morning with sudden loud song from a wren low down on the river bank with other wrens singing loudly (16) all along the river bank as I walked along. Two wrens were seen chasing whilst alarm calls indicated the presence of others. Some may well have second or third broods this year.
Just a single robin was heard singing and only 3 were seen today - they are silent when moulting in the summer - and a single dunnock was seen in the undergrowth. Blue tits and great tits were less numerous too with only about 30 blue tits and 11 great tits seen and only a few heard bickering. Blackbirds (7) were also quiet, with some definitely still busy nesting whilst others are moulting. Song thrushes (3) were silent apart from some very short snatches of song and some are still nesting. This dry weather is good news for house sparrows which were seen and heard in good numbers in hedgerow and bramble thickets (more than 50). Goldfinches too (25) were doing well, having discovered sources of seed to forage on - the seeds from Dock are attracting large numbers of these cheerful birds which are heard singing together whilst perched in nearby oaks and maples, with more flying in to join them. They will rapidly consume the seeds and move on to other sources - thistles and grasses. Hopefully there will be enough left over for winter sustenance.
Bullfinches are altogether more elusive but today a fine pair were seen flying over to the riverbank Hazel, the bright male trying to hide but not quite succeeding. Only 3 silent chaffinches were seen. With trees in full leaf, birds that perch and remain silent are often not seen - whereas the small but restless birds can often be spotted - such as chiffchaffs (6) although not singing today, several could be seen collecting insects and returning to places on the bank, obviously feeding young - and 2 blackcaps
one uttering an alarm call form a willow and another from a thicket on the bank. Five chasing juvenile goldcrests were seen moving quickly amongst the conifers whilst a mixed group of blue and great tits flew in to forage, all following each other.
Looking above the tree canopy 5 swifts were seen foraging over the river, and a hobby was seen making some fast aerobatic manoeuvres over the 'scrape' - too far away to see if any dragonflies were present but it still contains water. Three black-headed gulls flew low across, with more probably gulls out of sight on the 'scrape'.
On the river itself, very well camouflaged, a female mallard was protecting at least 6 newly hatched ducklings, with overhanging vegetation probably hiding more on the small 'beach' under the banks. Further along, also well hidden, a moorhen was sitting on a sheltered nest of twigs and reeds in the shade. In the trees and on the grass 17 woodpigeons were seen dozing or feeding, 2 jackdaws flew over, calling and 4 magpies were heard arguing in the oak. A young Roe deer looked up from the long grass in the field beneath, ears just visible and 6 carrion crows flew over whilst a great spotted woodpecker flew out after calling from an ash tree. 2 very vocal juvenile nuthatches drew attention to themselves and at least one adult moved quickly along the branches. The adults may well have a second brood in the nest.
The last sighting and definitely not the least, was of a fine kingfisher. A robin had suddenly called out in alarm from an overhanging Blackthorn - and immediately below it, the kingfisher was startled and flew off its perch low on the river and flew away upstream, within the banks.
Early Bumblebee - Bombus pratorum on Musk Mallow flower
on the river bank.
Although today's survey took place in the morning, in contrast with yesterday's survey (see below - 9th July), most butterflies, bees and damselflies were active in the sun by 09.30.
The small pond and large pond were visited first, then the river.
Damselflies:
Azure damselflies were seen again on the small pond with some exuvia (larval case, from which the damselfly emerges) visible low on reeds in the middle of the pond and one Azure damselfly was also seen on the river close by the pond.
One Blue-tailed damselfly and one male Banded demoiselle were also on the pond.
Banded Demoiselle damselflies were seen in good numbers, on or near to the river - males chasing in the sun, perched on the river edge grass and on bramble leaves.
Butterflies:
Gatekeepers, Brimstones, Speckled Woods, Small Tortoiseshells, Small Skippers, Ringlets, Commas, Green-veined Whites, Large Whites, Small Whites and numerous Meadow Browns were seen mostly on the warm banks and field grasses and thistles.
