It's Green Again

On Friday 24th August 2018 there was not much to remind us of the long hot dry days of previous weeks, with worrying signs of a drought gone. The day started fine and cool with slight cloud moving in, damp after showers and a light breeze from the west.  Fruit trees, Hazel, Guelder Rose, Hornbeam and Hawthorn all looking fresh, with Bramble, Elder and Blackthorn laden. On the ground, green acorns crunched underfoot with windfall apples here and there amongst them. Nettles, important for butterflies, were sprouting new green leaves, Speckled Woods perching upon them, warming in the sun.

Ripening fruits on Blackthorn, thanks to the rain.

Food for our winter migrant birds and plenty of new shoots for the Brown Hairstreak butterfly to choose from to deposit single eggs - next year's butterflies.

The most active birds on the riverside were woodpigeons and warblers;  woodpigeons can nest almost the year round but choose July, August and September as the optimum time to rear young, when food in the form of seeds, leaf material and berries is plentiful as, unlike most other birds, the young are not fed on insects, but are fed a 'plant porridge' regurgitated from the crop by the parents. Today 42 wood pigeons were seen and quite a few heard cooing and flapping wings. Four collared doves were seen in ivy-covered areas. They have a long nesting season starting around May but are far less conspicuous than the bold woodpigeons. At one stage a few years ago they were increasing in numbers, having only reached the UK in the 1950s but now seem to be declining again, perhaps due to the decline in their main habitat, farmland and farmyards. Carrion crows (5) were seen mainly feeding on the ground, extracting worms after the rain had softened the surface. Given the chance, they will take unguarded wood pigeon and collared dove eggs and chicks, as will magpies, although all those seen today (5) were clumsy and noisy youngsters. A single jay was trying to be heard, calling and jumping from branch to branch.

After what seemed like many weeks, blue tits were back again in force (over 60) all along the river, most of them juveniles following adults foraging from tree to tree or bathing low down on the river bank and drying off amongst the brambles. Great tits (26) were seen, some juveniles chasing amongst the willows. Robins (12) were starting to mark their territory with song now that moulting is complete and they can confidently show off their bright winter plumage. Elderberry bushes were very popular, each one guarded by a 'chinking' robin. Wrens (20) too were taking up their territories, actively chasing competitors out of sight, most singing again now. They do not usually monopolise a choice berry bush but guard a specific section of river bank, with a good variety of old roots, ivy and dense vegetation.

Only four blackbirds and a single song thrush were seen, obviously most were still moulting and in no state to be seen with missing flight feathers, but skulking in the damp undergrowth, fortunately now finding plenty to eat after the rain, including windfall apples. Three dunnocks were more daring, foraging out on a path in shade. Several colonies of house sparrows (more than 60 birds) were singing from their hedgerows whilst others visited the river bank where numerous juveniles took cover, some lined up on a hidden branch begging to be fed by the parents, safe from predators such as sparrowhawks.

Purple Loosestrife, damp meadow grasses and Reed mace at

a pond, now becoming damp again.

Moorhens (2) have done well this summer, the rivers here being ideal habitat with plenty to eat and sheltered places to nest. They eat blackberries and elderberries as well as aquatic plants. Several young have been seen nearing adult size, surviving predators. Mallard were all hiding today but have also successfully reared young to adulthood.

Our visiting migrant warblers were not showing signs of leaving quite yet, the warm weather being a reason to stay put a while longer. A male blackcap was seen amongst brambles bearing ripe fruits on the river and a chiffchaff was calling from a tall poplar. Common whitethroats have had a successful summer rearing young in their traditional nesting habitat where they return each year, one was seen today, - but the main event was a fine sighting of two lesser whitethroats foraging on elderberries for some time, close and clearly seen across the river before they retreated into the back of the thicket.  

Goldfinches (15) were now assembling in groups in the old trees from where they will fly down together to forage on grass seeds and especially on their favourite, Dock seeds, their staple food for the winter, whilst for the bullfinches (2), Elderbrries are the main attraction, when they are finished, there will be plenty of other berries and fruits.

Another successful  woodland bird has been the nuthatch, with six seen and definitely heard today, several of them juveniles. As I was listening to them, a great-spotted woodpecker flew over. These have been seen and heard more frequently this summer too. 

High above,  five herring gulls flew across and a common buzzard was gliding in the sun, circling over the river.

Hot and dry weather favours butterflies and after the rain, dragonflies appeared in good numbers.

Speckled Wood butterflies have been, and still are, the most numerous but Purple Hairstreaks appeared amongst the oak branches, whilst brilliant-coloured fresh Comma butterflies were seen here and there on the brambles in the sun, with Small and large White butterflies ranging the banks. 

Dragonflies seen today were Southern Hawkers and Migrant Hawkers ranging across the river banks, with large numbers of flying insect prey to choose from.