October Awakening

The scent of the riverside today, 22nd October 2017- damp autumn leaves and over-ripe fruits, pine needles shed in the gales, typical of this time of the year. A sudden alarm - a sparrowhawk seen close -up, tail spread for balance as it dived into a hedge full of starlings and house sparrows, ambushed in 'sparrowhawk weather' when a strong wind is blowing and every twig moving. This was the tail-end of storm Brian, flicking over Sussex.

Last week on 16th, in the early afternoon, storm Ophelia had caused consternation when it brought sand from the Sahara and smoke particles from bush fires in Portugal, sucked up from the land into a huge dark red cloud which move slowly over the countryside, causing birds to fly silently to their roosts. There were brief glimpses of the sun turning from yellow to orange to red, then darkness. Expecting torrential rain, wildlife hurried to cover but the cloud was blown across the land followed by brightening skies - the storm was over, without gales or rain here.

At the start of October, there was some welcome rainfall with the river level rising but nowhere near flood level. As leaves were falling (Ash before Oak) the ground brightened, reflecting the sun. On 2nd, Chiffchaffs, Robins and bullfinches were heard and seen and flowering Ivy patches were covered with various bees and wasps and numerous fresh Red Admiral butterflies nectaring in sunlit areas:

This Red Admiral and many others were attracted to the Ivy flowers.

The next day, 3rd October, a very quick look on the riverside revealed a pair of bullfinches, nuthatch calling loudly, numerous Blue and Great tits, house sparrows, chiffchaffs and three jays, Comma and Speckled Wood butterflies, Souther Hawker and Migrant Hawker dragonflies. Two more bullfinches were seen in thickets further upstream.

Red Admirals were seen on most other days, coal tits, goldcrests, goldfinches, green woodpecker, numerous wrens, nuthatches, one tapping in a tree, more jays, further sightings of coal tits, blue and great tits, long-tailed tits and  Common Darter dragonflies, one pair mating.

Dog rose hips (Rosa canina) brighten the hedgerows, but most

will be left by birds until the last of the blackberries and Hawthorn

berries are eaten.

They will be spotted by the winter migrants - Redwing and Fieldfare

as they fly in from the cold.

October always brings an increase in activity amongst birds and mammals as they sense rapid changes; the dwindling hours of daylight available for foraging, and the sun sinking increasingly low on the horizon. Food has been plentiful over this summer and initially there was no urgency to collect food to store - but now there is frantic movement on the riverside. Most summer migrants have left after feeding to build up layers of fat on their bodies which will provide energy for their long journeys south.

Local resident birds also need to put on weight, as food may become scarce with incoming winter migrants joining them, foraging along the river after long flights from the north and east.