June - summer arrives

June started this year with cold windy weather but by the 5th had become very warm with humidity increasing. On the 6th, rapid changes on the riverside were very evident, with Hawthorn blossom gone, replaced by flowering Dog Rose (Rosa canina) Meadow buttercups amongst the grasses, daisies and clovers attracting insects. The day started clear and sunny, with cloud increasing later.

Flowering Rosa canina spreading upwards, its thorny boughs

providing protection for nesting birds and the flowers attracting

bees.

Flowering Elder promising a large crop of early berries for summer visiting birds - they will be foraging here before starting off on migration, leaving the bushes stripped bare well before winter comes.

On 6th June 2016, the landscape along the river was quite different from the same time last year with grasses prevailing on the damp earth and fewer wild flowers and butterflies - but presenting no problems for most birds.

Woodpigeons (13) were not numerous today with just a few, dozing in the old trees or foraging deep in the dense foliage or on the ground with a few starlings (15).  Blackcaps (12)  burst into song at intervals along the river, in Blackthorn, Hazel and Willow stands, their young probably now fledged. Song gave away wrens (21) all along the banks, mostly seen low down on the banks, some with fledged young.

Yellow-cheeked juvenile blue tits making quiet zzzzz calls tried to attract the attention of overworked adults , flying over nettles and brambles collecting insects and caterpillars (24) whilst great tits (7) were seen carrying food to well hidden nests and young. Usually very easily seen and heard, only six robins were seen in various places, all singing, whilst most are probably occupied with second broods. Rainfall this year has been kind to them (and wrens)  allowing nest-building low down on the banks and under tree roots without destructive floods - but providing sufficient rain to keep the earth damp, allowing easy foraging for worms. Another beneficiary of these conditions has been the song thrush which also nests low down and needs damp foraging. Four were singing loudly and persistently each in its own territory today, their song echoing along the river. Blackbirds were more numerous, as usual, (20) but only about three are singing, the rest silently foraging on the ground or flying low, carrying food to young or chasing. Dunnocks (3) were difficult to see now, within low, dense undergrowth but two gave away their locations by singing. 

An early start meant that I was halfway along the river before house sparrows were waking and starting to sing but soon there were large numbers, in several hedgerow colonies singing and calling. (74), some moving to warm bramble patches and sunnier hedgerows to preen and sing. Two chaffinches were heard singing, five in total, whilst 3 greenfinches were present in a 'sparrow thicket'.

Singing goldfinches were gathered high in a maple (about 17) and looking to the sky above, three herring gulls flew over with two rooks , and a jackdaw lower over the field. Loud demanding calls suddenly shattered the peace - a family of magpies had arrived, with 3 clumsy young demanding to be fed by reluctant adults (7) and a single, silent jay flew across. Calls heard overhead came from a group of four Canada geese flying over. High thin calls form overhead branches revealed a goldcrest foraging in the canopy of a deciduous tree but three others were seen moving rapidly around in a conifer (4). 

At this time of the year nuthatches  and woodpeckers are usually quiet but today (as on preceding days), a great spotted woodpecker was heard drumming persistently in a small copse and two nuthatches were calling with a third seen flying across through the trees. A treecreeper called from an old ash tree with at least two young calling back (3) but unseen.

Down on the river a moorhen called and a smart grey wagtail flew low along the bank. In the same area a single swallow flew along the river course, where insects fill many sheltered spots.

Our visiting migrant warblers have been doing well this summer, returning to their favourite locations. Whitethroats (5) singing with short scratchy songs, grace the dense foliage, favouring low bush-like habitat with foraging space whilst Chiffchaffs (7), garden warblers (5), willow warblers (3) mostly prefer tree canopies for foraging in summer. Blackcaps seem to prefer middle heights.

Lastly about 8 swifts were making diving, swirling flights over the river course collecting insects - they will be off again soon, heading south over warmer lands, en route to Africa.

Crab Apples forming on the bank

Insects:

Although summer butterflies are still scarce, five Orange Tip butterflies were seen over the nettles and brambles, hopefully having laid their eggs on the plentiful Cuckooflower and Garlic Mustard plants along the banks and on the wild field. Just one spring Holly Blue butterfly was seen and one Red Admiral on nettles on a the steep sheltered bank where a single Large White butterfly ranged.  As it warmed up, a few Speckled Woods  were seen chasing each other in the dappled shade. Large numbers of other small insects were present, including hoverflies.

Damselflies were present over the water and ranging the banks in sheltered areas, including Common Blue, freshly emerged Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies, males and females warming up and drying out on the  river bank nettles with good numbers of male Banded Demoiselle damselflies and few females.