Friday 27th October 2017 - at last a change in the weather - it was a cold start after a clear sky at night and the day remained cool and dry with unaccustomed dazzling sunlight and a fresh feel to the air. The grass was wet with dew and long shadows cast by the low sun lasted into late morning - it was still British Summertime. Small clouds started to form in the slight breeze but for once there were no leaden rainclouds on the horizon. Riverside Willows had lost half of their leaves and cast less shade with most Ash trees almost bare. Hazel trees held on to their bright yellow leaves, whilst leaves were falling intermittently from the old oaks where thick layers of acorns still carpeted the ground. The northerly breeze meant that there were many sheltered corners along the river . These were populated by bees and other insects attracted to the last ripe fruits of brambles:
Two Seven-spot Ladybirds in the warm shelter of a curled-up Bramble leaf.
27th October 2017
Brambles, as we see throughout the year, provide sustenance and protection for a large diversity of wildlife - a key to the survival of many pollinators.
As the sun moved towards its zenith, loud chattering from house sparrows increased (56) but robins out-sang them with still short but loud songs all along the river, choosing bare branches to perch on in full view (14). In one area where a dense thicket borders the river, out of sight on the sunny side, starlings had gathered in their 'day roost' to sing and whistle, even louder than the robins. The starlings can usually sit and sing together without the need to forage for most of the day, as food is plentiful in the damp muddy ground (more than 20). Magpies (7), a single collared dove and wood pigeons (about 30) were also inactive, the wood pigeons calling, basking and preening in the old trees, whilst large numbers of blue-tits explored the same trees in a random way, never still, young following older birds to find, perhaps, the best food. Where have they all come from? They are more visible and active now but some, as we know from sightings of ringed birds, make their way along the river course from nature reserves on the rivers upstream or downstream. About 60 were seen on the day. Great tits here (more than 30) at present seem to prefer their own foraging areas, amongst the willows and blackthorn over the river - and long-tailed tits (9) were seen in family groups rapidly making their way through willows, high up.
Ten blackbirds were seen, some foraging on grass, others seen amongst sloes and hawthorn berries in a thicket overhanging the river. Bathing and preening was their priority - essential after the warm humid weather and now they had the chance to bask in the sunlight and dry off properly. When the sun went in, so did the birds, all reappearing the instant the sun lit up the thicket again (like the Red Admiral butterflies seen on the flowering ivy!). A single song thrush was seen dropping down from a blackthorn thicket onto the flat mud of the river bank - others remained elusive - and a fieldfare was glimpsed in the same thicket.
Wrens (15) were singing short songs along the river bank, or uttering alarm calls and three dunnocks were calling down amongst the roots.
Alder catkins on the river bank
No greenfinches were seen and only one chaffinch heard but goldfinches were as usual numerous and very vocal, singing together in the hedgerows across the river bank, a few ventured out alone but always seemed to quickly fly back to rejoin the group (more than 25) whilst three bullfinches were
heard and glimpsed. It was a good day for the tiny goldcrests (5) which prefer foraging in the sun, always seeming to choose the sunny side of a tree, usually a conifer. Two chiffchaffs, migrant warblers made very quick movements amongst the leaves of deciduous trees - will they decide to stay here instead of migrating? A few are always in winter, even in the snow. A nuthatch was very present, calling loudly and moving around in the trees and two more were present in other locations (3). At last jays were more visible (4) busy collecting acorns still on the oaks. A green woodpecker was jaffling from the wild field where ants throw up secret sandy hills. It's not all solid wealden clay here.
Loud terrifying calls came from further along the river - it was a grey heron objecting to attempts to steal a fish it had caught. The culprit war a gull, probably a herring gull. 23 herring gulls had been seen in two noisy groups, one flying with the breeze, the other group moving north.
Silent black-headed gulls in winter plumage were circling over the grass playing field but decided not to land (40). Seven carrion crows were seen in various places but only one ventured onto the field, whilst three jackdaws flew over.
Insects today were concentrated on Brambles, including the two Seven Spot Ladybirds, numbers of bees, with Buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) most frequently seen and a Common Darter dragonfly warming up on a stony path. A very late in the year Banded Demoiselle Damselfly male crossed the river bank shining metallic blue in the sun, finding plenty of midge-type insects to feed on; four Red Admiral butterflies flew over the river banks and a Comma butterfly, was found basking on a pile of old branches.
On the way back there was a good close view of a great-spotted woodpecker clinging to a thin topmost branch of a young tree, clearly surveying the landscape.
The stars of the day were six common buzzards making the most of the ideal circling, soaring and gliding conditions on thermals over the river. As usual I heard their calls before seeing them drifting over the river course, four were circling each other closely whilst two more sailed across in the distance.
They had probably been more or less grounded by the very poor weather conditions of previous days, no wind, very low light and no sun to heat up the land.
As I left the riverside some time later they were still circling in the low sun.
