September summer ends

Today, 30th September 2016 was still as warm as a summer's day but with rapidly moving sharp showers to send people and wildlife scurrying for cover.

The intermittent rain caused the rivers to suddenly increase in speed. Water levels rose temporarily - but we need sustained rainfall to sink in and refresh the earth.

The river Arun became more lively this afternoon after rain.

Here is a summery of wildlife seen in passing by (not full surveys) over this exceptionally warm September 2016

 See also previous post for the full record for 18th and an earlier post for the 6th September

then a short summary for heat-wave August and earlier post for full record for 28th August:

5th September 2016:

a warm day, with intermittent drizzle

Nuthatch calling, 2 Great-spotted woodpeckers calling from different trees, several robins singing, many bees, Large White, Small White and Green-veined White butterflies along the river banks and in the wild field. Large numbers of goldfinches singing in a thicket and just one blackbird across.

11th September:

Warm and humid again

several Large White, Speckled Wood and Red Admiral butterflies,

aggressive Southern Hawker dragonfly, Brown Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies. Robins singing short half-songs, nuthatch, great-spotted woodpecker, magpie, 8 long-tailed tits in family group, wren giving alarm call, blue and great tits, crane flies and large numbers of bees.

13th September:

Very hot

calling young birds in tree directly above me were young fledged bullfinches being fed by adults in the dense foliage.

Good numbers of bees still present together with Red Admirals, Large White, Small White and Green-veined White butterflies.

21st September:

Heavy dew on grass this morning

Juvenile common frogs jumping from the long wet grasses on the river bank, not close to the ponds. These froglets were only one or two cm long.

23rd September:

fine and warm - less humid

Great-spotted woodpecker called and flew out of oak, Common Darter and Ruddy Darter flying over bank, several Red Admirals basking on nettles, brambles or flying over banks, several Large White butterflies in wild field together with many bees (Honeybees and Bumblebees) on flowering thistles.

25th September:

Day of our meet - cloudy at first, becoming warm and sunny.

Lots of Speckled Wood butterflies over the banks, under trees and up into trees.

Common Darter, loud-calling nuthatch, several robins and wrens singing.

30th September:

In the sun, between torrential showers quite early this morning, the trees in the sun were full of birds:

Goldfinches, house sparrows, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits,long-tailed tits a few goldcrests and a nuthatch, with more goldfinches foraging on the sunlit seeding Dock and grasses below.

Some observations in passing by during August 2016:
(see also post with full record for 28th August) 

A general observation - house sparrows were still busy nesting throughout the month of August.

8th August:
cooler start, becoming hot
great-spotted woodpecker with juvenile, 2 goldcrests, chiffchaffs, 4 blackbirds, song thrush, 3 starlings
several Gatekeeper butterflies, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White and Speckled Wood butterflies, goldfinches, robins

9th August:
cool start becoming hot
12 long-tailed tits in oak (mostly juveniles), numerous house sparrows, persistently-calling nuthatch, large numbers of Gatekeeper butterflies along the river bank and field margins, several Speckled Wood butterflies, Large White and Green-veined White butterflies, Southern Hawker dragonfly.

24th August:
very hot
Loud nuthatches 2, robins beginning serious song, more blue tits and great tits seen.

26th August:
hot and humid
Robins singing, chiffchaffs foraging, blackbirds low on river banks, lots of Large White butterflies with some Small White and Green-veined White butterflies and a Holly Blue butterfly, many Speckled Woods. Good crop of Hazelnuts in most Hazel trees.

30th August:
warm
Callling nuthatches 2, few robins and blue tits, 4 buzzards, two 'jousting' together, several blackbirds foraging in the damp shady grass.