August - after the Rain

Continuous heavy rain fell yesterday morning 13th August 2015, with distant thunder and lightning. The rain continued for about 3 and a half hours, nearly 30mm, then ceased in the afternoon but it remained very warm and humid.

 The river was about half a meter higher and running swiftly, carrying mud from upstream but well short of its normal flood level.  Immediately the sun appeared, butterflies became active over the field and riverbanks,  having sheltered down low amongst the grasses, river bank and hedgerow undergrowth.

Holly Blue butterflies were quite numerous, together with Gatekeepers.

The rain had not been torrential so wild flowers and grasses were not battered down - the grassy areas were not waterlogged, the water having soaked quickly into the ground.

Banded demoiselle males were seen over the water and blackbirds, robins and song thrushes emerged from the sheltering undergrowth to feed. Dense hedgerow and tall river bank undergrowth often provides better shelter for birds than trees during rainfall. 

Here a Small Copper butterfly basks on the footpath through the field.

It flew around amongst the Common Fleabane, a favourite nectar flower, but kept returning to

bask on the warm and sheltered narrow path. The Copper lays its eggs on Sorrel or Dock leaves and the Caterpillars then feed on the leaves, sometimes for several months.

The river in the afternoon after the rain.

Purple Loosestrife has thrived this summer along the river banks and the flowers are a target for bees.

Common Figwort is also a strong-growing wild flower on the sunny banks (on the left) with the plant here bearing nutlets.   A type of Amphibious or river bank Persicaria is growing as a clump in the background.

The small  flowers of the Persicaria plant on the river.