A full survey was done on Monday 25th March 2019, a partially sunny but cool day, with a NNW breeze, becoming warmer later. The river was now running almost clear with young nettles appearing with flowering Dandelion on the banks. The last of the bare Blackthorns were full of buds. Other trees such as various willow species held catkins. There were patches of new Cuckooflower together with White dead-nettle and more Wood anemone and Celandine flowers appearing.
Despite disruption and noise due to ongoing construction work in several places, wildlife activity was very visible and audible along the river.
Willow catkins are exceptionally prolific this year, like the Blackthorn blossom.
Bees, including Bumblebees have been crowding around the catkins and some bees have become weighed down with pollen, gathered from catkins such as the ones on the twig on the left.
The ones on the right have yet to open.
The first sighting was of a Mallard pair dozing out of general sight under the river bank in the sun and sheltered from the breeze. House sparrows were very fast-flying today, chasing each other in small groups across the river, diving into brambles and the base of hedges, far less static than usual (more than 100 total!) A sudden disturbance in a thicket - and a sparrowhawk flew out after another unsuccessful ambush- but it's a very persistent and patient bird. Wood pigeons were unusually active too, some calling and flapping wings, others in groups, feeding together on specific areas of grass, under specific trees. Singing robins (16) were mostly very visible, some sharing the hedges with house sparrows. One very loud-singing robin was working its way gradually higher and higher in a still leafless Lombardy poplar tree, choosing a perch and singing then flying up a few meters higher to sing again and so on. There were other robins close by and the added height gave it an advantage. Ten carrion crows were seen in various places and two pairs of calling jackdaws flew over, aiming for their nests some distance off, whilst about nine herring gulls assembled over the school field, being the first of the gulls to claim cast-aside contents of lunch boxes. Directly overhead a common buzzard was circling over the river and later a different buzzard was seen and heard calling over the river (2).
There were no black-headed gulls amongst them - most of these have clearly left for the coast. Eight magpies were seen in various places - being early nesters, they were seeking food for their young in the nest.
Blue tits and great tits (29 and 15) have started nesting, which halves the numbers seen at this time of the year, as one of the pair will be on the nest most of the time for the next few weeks. Despite the path alterations and noisy road surfacing there were good numbers of small birds foraging for insects for their young in the Blackthorn close to the bridge and on the stones of the bridge itself.
No long-tailed tits were seen today - as they usually nest close to easily accessible sources of food for their young and their nests are carefully hidden. A goldcrest was seen rapidly moving amongst dense conifer branches, but in profile against the sun.
Blackbirds and song thrushes were seen in good numbers, (19 and 6) possibly also foraging for their early nestlings, but finding the best food out along the shady hedge margins where the earth is damp. Some were heard singing too. As soon as the sun lit up the banks however, some blackbirds took the opportunity for 'sunning', spreading out wings and tails on the dry fallen leaves of the river bank. Goldfinches (about 12) and chaffinches (2) were singing but could not compete with the wrens (23) which outnumbered all another bird species apart from the house sparrows as usual. As the male wren usually builds several nests for the female to choose from, the bird probably sings to advertise each one until a decision is made…Dunnocks were also singing (5) amongst the same type of habitat, mossy roots and banks.
Four nuthatches in different locations were heard and seen calling but these calls were alarm or cautionary call warning off intruders.
Summer migrants, the chiffchaffs (4) were heard calling their unmistakable song in several places and it was good to hear blackcaps (4) singing again, softly at first amongst the Willows over the water.
Several butterflies were seen but none were basking. These were Comma butterflies and just one Small Tortoiseshell, on the warm river bank vegetation close Cuckooflowers - but no Orange-tip butterflies have been seen yet.
Despite disruption and noise due to ongoing construction work in several places, wildlife activity was very visible and audible along the river.
Bees, including Bumblebees have been crowding around the catkins and some bees have become weighed down with pollen, gathered from catkins such as the ones on the twig on the left.
The ones on the right have yet to open.
The first sighting was of a Mallard pair dozing out of general sight under the river bank in the sun and sheltered from the breeze. House sparrows were very fast-flying today, chasing each other in small groups across the river, diving into brambles and the base of hedges, far less static than usual (more than 100 total!) A sudden disturbance in a thicket - and a sparrowhawk flew out after another unsuccessful ambush- but it's a very persistent and patient bird. Wood pigeons were unusually active too, some calling and flapping wings, others in groups, feeding together on specific areas of grass, under specific trees. Singing robins (16) were mostly very visible, some sharing the hedges with house sparrows. One very loud-singing robin was working its way gradually higher and higher in a still leafless Lombardy poplar tree, choosing a perch and singing then flying up a few meters higher to sing again and so on. There were other robins close by and the added height gave it an advantage. Ten carrion crows were seen in various places and two pairs of calling jackdaws flew over, aiming for their nests some distance off, whilst about nine herring gulls assembled over the school field, being the first of the gulls to claim cast-aside contents of lunch boxes. Directly overhead a common buzzard was circling over the river and later a different buzzard was seen and heard calling over the river (2).
There were no black-headed gulls amongst them - most of these have clearly left for the coast. Eight magpies were seen in various places - being early nesters, they were seeking food for their young in the nest.
Blue tits and great tits (29 and 15) have started nesting, which halves the numbers seen at this time of the year, as one of the pair will be on the nest most of the time for the next few weeks. Despite the path alterations and noisy road surfacing there were good numbers of small birds foraging for insects for their young in the Blackthorn close to the bridge and on the stones of the bridge itself.
No long-tailed tits were seen today - as they usually nest close to easily accessible sources of food for their young and their nests are carefully hidden. A goldcrest was seen rapidly moving amongst dense conifer branches, but in profile against the sun.
Blackbirds and song thrushes were seen in good numbers, (19 and 6) possibly also foraging for their early nestlings, but finding the best food out along the shady hedge margins where the earth is damp. Some were heard singing too. As soon as the sun lit up the banks however, some blackbirds took the opportunity for 'sunning', spreading out wings and tails on the dry fallen leaves of the river bank. Goldfinches (about 12) and chaffinches (2) were singing but could not compete with the wrens (23) which outnumbered all another bird species apart from the house sparrows as usual. As the male wren usually builds several nests for the female to choose from, the bird probably sings to advertise each one until a decision is made…Dunnocks were also singing (5) amongst the same type of habitat, mossy roots and banks.
Four nuthatches in different locations were heard and seen calling but these calls were alarm or cautionary call warning off intruders.
A bountiful year for early blossom such as the Blackthorn,
brightening the riverside long before any other flowers appear and this year lasting many weeks.
Summer migrants, the chiffchaffs (4) were heard calling their unmistakable song in several places and it was good to hear blackcaps (4) singing again, softly at first amongst the Willows over the water.
Several butterflies were seen but none were basking. These were Comma butterflies and just one Small Tortoiseshell, on the warm river bank vegetation close Cuckooflowers - but no Orange-tip butterflies have been seen yet.
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