Late Summer Survey

Late Summer - or Early Autumn?   25th September 2018 was fine and clear after a cool night, no wind and dry although the last rain was only two days ago. Bank side trees still held plenty of fruits and the base of the bat flyway hedge revealed much activity. Hazels still carried most of their leaves but were getting bare on top, providing lookout perches for small birds. The river was fast-flowing after the recent rain, with crowds of 'Mayfly-type' midges hovering above the water in the still sunlit air.

Rosa canina rose-hips are prolific this year

Under an old oak - a cracking sound from overhead, then a thud as another acorn falls onto the dry ground, hitting leaves as it falls from a branch high in the canopy. Some of the old Field Maples have a more advanced leaf-fall, but each tree is different from the others of the same species, as the locations vary in this diverse landscape. This is true for the old oaks as well. A sudden breeze ruffles the leaves and the thudding of falling acorns increases - another bonanza autumn for small mammals and nut-eating birds. With more rain, the ground will soon be soft enough for them to start 'caching' supplies for the winter.

A month on from the previous record and robins have doubled in numbers, (26)  all of them singing loudly now, although there seemed to be fewer wrens (9) only one or two singing but those seen were clearly visible on low branches,  hedge bases or river banks. There are usually very few dunnocks visible but today 10 were seen in various locations, several singing but most were probably this year's juveniles, warming up, preening and chasing each other. They have done well with no summer floods to wash away nests this year. Given the right habitat they won't move far away.

Fast-moving blue tits  (about 40) were seen, mainly in mixed 'roaming flocks' together with other small birds following each other from tree-to-tree. Great tits (28) join in but there are always small groups which seem to inhabit the same choice location all year, mostly in sheltered places amongst large roots and branches. Coal tits too (2) mostly keep to their own groups.

Most migrant warblers have left the country for the winter but 2 blackcaps were seen and 3 chiffchaffs, all singing very short songs or making contact calls from the blackthorn thickets.

There were no signs of any migrant thrushes at this stage - far too early perhaps  - but bad weather in the north east will soon drive them over to us, when the wind direction is right. At present 12 blackbirds (thankfully now moulted into adult or new plumage) were seen, foraging on the ground or amongst the Blackthorn, together with 2 of our resident song thrushes. In the same thickets, two bullfinches were seen, probably a pair, the male calling very softly The only other finches seen today were house sparrows (about 50) in the best (warmest) locations in the sun on blackthorn thickets, on the river bank after bathing and amongst the warm brambles, some of which were still bearing Blackberries.

Hawthorn Berries awaiting the arrival of hungry migrant thrushes.

At this time of the year, with such rapid changes in weather, day length and food availability, birds cannot be expected to appear in the usual places. A good example today was the appearance of 2 goldcrests working their way along the bank in the company of blue tits and great tits amongst a rich variety of deciduous trees - a long way away from their usual conifers, whilst calls revealed 2 siskins then a group of 9 long-tailed tits following each other along the river willows which were rapidly losing their leaves.

At several different locations, a total of 6 nuthatches were calling and foraging in the old Oaks and Ash trees on the river banks, the time for establishing territories had started early, the young ones needing to find suitable nesting places by the time winter arrives. A great-spotted woodpecker was calling, flying into an old Ash.  Jays were as noisy as usual, (2) objecting to the presence of magpies (9) in the oaks whilst wood pigeons stared down on them, unmoved. More wood pigeons were seen foraging or flying across. (18 total) Four carrion crows were also present in the oaks, selecting topmost perches to call from and 3 collared doves, one calling softly. were in an Ash tree.

Looking down at the river, a moorhen was slowly paddling in a quiet meander when a kingfisher flashed past low over the water. Along the Arun, upstream where the water was flowing clear and fast, 2 grey wagtails were seen and heard, then two restless juveniles perching together on a thin branch across the river, flying out across the water onto the muddy flat bank then flying back to their branch again (total 4). They repeated this many times, snatching at low-flying insects. 

Starlings were resting today in their day roost, quietly whistling and singing in the sun. (about 20)

and 4 herring gulls were seen flyng across.

Masters of the sky today were the Common Buzzards, 6 in total. At first one was seen flying leisurely overhead, then 4 more were seen circling each other, calling and drifting with the wind, in a group. The last one appeared on the horizon, with a group of house martins foraging for flies lower down.

The house martins appeared as a group (at least 20 at any one time) then moved off and other groups moved in over the river course feeding on the aerial insects,  low over the oaks, hazels, willows, maples and thickets, then up higher then swooping down again. They were present here for the rest of the day,

probably making their way slowly south.

Butterflies still present were Speckled Woods and Large Whites with strong-flying dragonflies  -Brown Hawkers, a Migrant Hawker and inquisitive Southern Hawkers.

The conditions were so good that a bat survey was also done the same evening, during which an impressive Noctule bat (amongst many others) was detected and seen before the light went.
(see previous post below).