September ends - a summary of this summer

Summer has definitely given way to autumn now - the summer season this year has been exceptional for most wildlife here mainly due to the weather over the year so far but also due to the maturation of the riverside where changes have taken place, mostly for the better, in the riverine environment.

Most birds have had a very successful breeding season this spring and summer but numbers of greenfinches and chaffinches remain low whilst goldfinches and house sparrows have thrived.

Green woodpeckers, great-spotted woodpeckers and nuthatches are also doing well as are other birds such as blue and great tits and long-tailed tits - robins and wrens in particular. Blackbird numbers increased -and the songthrush population remained good although some were still rearing young late in the summer. Summer migrant numbers were good, with chiffchaffs especially numerous and these are still around - maybe more will stay to overwinter. In the last few days, large numbers of house martins and swallows have been flying along the river course, heading south and feeding on large 'clouds' of insects on the way - it seems to have been a good summer for them in most places too. Local resident raptors - kestrels, sparrowhawks and common buzzards have been taking advantage of the good hunting conditions over the summer, with occasional fly-overs by red kites. 

Insects showed a very strong increase - certainly from mid-summer onwards, damselflies and dragonflies were everywhere along the river and ponds here. The best sighting was a good view of a male White-legged Damselfly (Platycnemis pennipes) on 17th July:

   White-legged Damselfly male on riverbank nettle at 17.15 on a hot afternoon.

These damselflies are very local to the area and quite elusive but are seen here each year, not easy to photograph. I was last successful in photographing one here about five years ago! They don't 'bask' in the sun but bounce around.

Butterflies too have been numerous, certainly compared with last year (2016) although numbers certainly dwindled after recent downpours and hailstorms. Also very local to the area, an active female Brown Hairstreak was the best sighting on 15th September with others seen for several days in the high leaf canopy some time ago.

Red Admirals are still flying strongly, with Speckled Woods and a few Commas still present.

The bonanza of fruits, berries and nuts will hopefully mean a good autumn and winter for wildlife here.