A Memorable Week in July - Gatekeepers!

The first week in July 2018 has been especially memorable here,  with large numbers of butterflies patrolling the grasses, brambles and nettles along the warm river banks, in the sun and dappled shade. During the first four or five days of July, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Speckled Woods, Large and Small Skippers, Green-veined Whites, Large and Small Whites, Commas and Red Admiral were seen foraging and chasing amongst the rapidly drying grasses, flowering Brambles and Dog-roses.

On the 6th July however there were suddenly many more, hundreds of Gatekeepers had emerged and were restlessly flying from plant to plant, very few pausing to bask on leaves or flowers - perhaps it was too hot. They are late to emerge this year, after the cold winter.

A small bright male Gatekeeper perches for a second on a Bramble leaf before flying off to chase another amongst the mass of leaves and flowers, in sunlight and cool shade, then across onto the embankment grasses where hundreds more were active.

Another Gatekeeper amongst the grasses, now outnumbering the Meadow Brown butterflies.

They are quite easy to distinguish from any other butterfly. The other most common species present was the Meadow Brown - but this is larger and not as bright, with a dull orange patch around the single white pupil in a black eyespot and the wings dull brown and grey-brown. The Gatekeeper's eye spot has two white pupils in a black ring.   

Skippers have bright light orange and brown wings but lack eye spots and usually bask with wings half-closed.

Birds were still very active here all week too, with common whitethroats,singing wrens, blackbirds, song thrush, chiffchaff, blackcaps, garden warbler, dunnock , house sparrows, calling great-spotted woodpecker, nuthatches, great tits, blue tits, all with 'yellow' juveniles in tow and a grey wagtail flying over the water. A grey heron dropped a common frog whilst being chased by a herring gull.

Banded Demoiselle damselflies, both male and female were seen perching in the early sun on the river bank vegetation, waiting to pounce on small insects above the water and Southern Hawker dragonflies were seen ranging along the banks.