Mayday Mayday...

A few days ago this would have been the call, as the earth dried up, river levels dropped further and there was no rain in sight. Fortunately this all changed about a week ago as the first significant rain started to fall and we have now had reasonable amounts, enough to refresh the river and sink into the ground.

Going back to the beginning however, after a cool and damp start on 1st, on the 2nd day of May 2017, the riverside was echoing with birdsong - loud, rejoicing in the damp. Rapid changes had been taking place over the past few days - a full record was needed.

Blackbird song dominated at first in the cool but clear morning, the river was still low but growth everywhere alone the river, in shade and sun was flourishing still with undergrowth trapping the moisture,under green leave, keeping the earth below moist. Wild Garlic and Cuckooflower were still in flower and damage caused by one night of frost was small. Young Hazels and Guelder Rose shrubs were growing well 

Over the river, clouds of insects, midges could be seen on the surface of the water but at present there was no sign of Dragonflies either around the ponds or the river. Apart from the young oaks which were just in bud, the old oaks were in full leaf, their bright light green foliage shining in the sun, whereas  Ash trees were only just coming into leaf, with very young terminal leaves having been caught by the frost. It's definitely 'Oaks before Ash' this year. A good mix of Meadow buttercup and Dandelions on the embankments was attracting a variety of insects such as Bumblebees,  honeybees and Hoverflies,

all good pollinators. The air was filled with floating seeds and pollen from catkins.

A dandelion seed head about to cast its seed to the winds

Singing blackbirds (total 34, singing or foraging) eventually gave way to singing chiffchaffs 

(17) and a multitude of wrens (22) most having time to sing whilst others flew across from bank to bank taking food to their young. Song thrushes (8), some singing very loudly, were distributed along the river keeping to the damp shady places. One flew low past my foot into the base of a hedgerow where it probably has a nest. They have persisted in foraging on the grass despite the hard ground, finding grubs amongst the grass roots. With young to feed, they need to forage continuously throughout the day but always have the exposed river bed mud down under the banks in which to forage. They are more numerous this year, as are the blackbirds. Blue tits (25) were busy feeding young with caterpillars from

the oaks or drying off after bathing low on the river bed. Some great tits (13) were calling loudly

although most would be attending nests with young now. Long-tailed tits (6) were still feeding young in some of their bank nests amongst the brambles, a good view of one with a caterpillar in its beak seen just before plunging into the deep undergrowth hiding its nest.

Robins were continuing to sing loudly (18) all along the river, perching on sign posts and prominent branches. 

This robin continued to sing loudly, watching me closely. It is perched in a mature Elder bush which will produce berries during the summer - a prime territory which the bird will protect.

House Sparrows (66) occupied numerous hedgerows, bramble patches, thickets and river bank vegetation, starting to sing as the day warmed up. Most were nesting but males still continue to sing.

Chaffinches (4) were more vocal now as were two greenfinches.

Always present in large numbers but on this occasion mostly remaining hidden - were goldfinches -

about 12 singing in a Hawthorn thicket now fully in leaf. Dunnocks (2) had taken charge of a new territory, old branches, in March and have remained there to nest low in the new undergrowth whilst a moorhen was seen feeding in the river shallows near its nest - it is fortunate that the river has remained shallow for so long, allowing many birds to nest and rear young without the threat of flooding. 

Above, starlings (56) were performing aerobatics, fly-catching over the river course where the clouds of insects are most dense, swirling upwards beyond the treetops, not as graceful as swifts - but most persistent and energetic, leaving carrion crows (5) sitting in the trees. A small group of herring gulls (16) flew over, calling, whilst three rooks foraged on the short grass field. Jackdaws were calling but only one was visible above distant trees. Much closer, a great-spotted woodpecker was drumming and another was seen further downstream flying across to its nest hole in an old tree (total 2).

Nuthatches were nesting and keep silent at this time, with only a very short call heard from one. 

Two goldcrests were seen foraging with a clear view of one moving about in a willow, close to a conifer, the other bird was flying across and back between conifer and willow, probably feeding young in the conifer.  At intervals along the river, a total of 6 magpies were seen and about 20 woodpigeons.

The health of the riverside ecology  can be understood when recording the visiting summer migrants, the warblers, and in winter the migrant thrushes. This spring has seen good numbers of warblers deciding to stay and nest here. Singing blackcaps were spread out along the banks in thickets and willows, 7 today, with common whitethroats (5) singing in different places and two 'dancing' over dense brambles on the banks. A willow warbler was singing from an old willow and two garden warblers were heard singing and glimpsed in Hawthorn and blackthorn thickets. 

A view of the 'scrape' 2nd May 2017, with the banks of the river Arun in the foreground, the basin being a very precious wildlife habitat providing a 'reservoir' of very shallow water and mud, even in these dry conditions. 

In the vicinity of the scrape, a grey heron lifted off where it had probably been watching out for frogs and flew off north.

Two linnets flew across the river  when a buzzard was seen flying in leisurely circles above. The stars today however were two skylarks in song flights over the rough field beyond the river and scrape.  They were still singing and flying high when I returned later.

Amongst all the small flying insects over the river, eagerly snapped up by birds, were two Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfies, Peacock butterfly, Large Whites, Speckled Woods, Holly Blues and good numbers of Orange Tip butterflies and a few Bumblebees.