Survey , the end of June 2020

Full record - Monday 29th June 2020 was windy but dry, with sunny intervals - a very different scenario from the May survey done during the restrictions on travel. Now there was the extra distraction of noise from a distance to take into account. Where birdsong had dominated before, now road noise was blown across by the prevailing wind. In addition,  small contact calls from birds could be overpowered by the natural sound of the wind in the leaves. The vegetation was still green as rain had fallen on several days and the sound of water in the rivers was welcome. Many Bramble blossom flowers were now falling, with green berries appearing. Meadowsweet was flowering well in many patches, the scent filling the air with the wild Honeysuckle on the fencing. Bees were crowding around freshly flowering Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea and the flowering Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense, each plant hosting a crowd of bees and other insects, butterflies a speciality. On the Bramble margin of grassland, a Red Admiral butterfly was seen basking on a small mound of dry grasses, soaking up the sun, whilst another, far more active, flew in to join it but was chased off and flew to the brambles.

Red Admiral butterfly basking in the late June sun 29th June 2020

House sparrows could be heard singing from the bramble patch here whilst more were singing from their usual hedges and day perches on the river bank (52) Many more were still nesting.

Every few meters another blackbird (21) would be seen foraging on the damp grass verges, not for itself but to carry to young in nearby nests. Others were seen preening after bathing in the river. The next activity is often to do some 'sunning' if the sun is out. This means flattening down on the ground with wings outstretched, oblivious to surroundings. Normally the bird comes to life just as danger approaches or is alerted by the sound of a wood pigeon taking off from its perch, flapping madly. Most birds owe a lot to ever observant wood pigeons! There were 26 seen today. Robins (8) were seen in fewer numbers than usual - moulting for many means hiding away. Two dunnocks were under the banks, far less visible than the singing wrens (17) - one was very visible, singing from the branch of an Elder bush, guarding it as it was full of tiny green berries which after a some weeks will be ripe.

A sparrowhawk just flew up and disappeared whilst a song thrush started a short snatch of song. Others were heard in different locations (7) with most singing now and again, only one was loud.

Blue tits were far less visible and audible, keeping under canopy cover, juveniles following adults (31).

Even less visible were great tits (12) keeping low in the undergrowth and mossy roots unlike blackcaps (8) which were singing from higher branches and moving fast amongst the willows.

A single garden warbler was heard singing, also in the willows, whilst 10 chiffchaffs moved around,

their simple contact calls very audible. They started nesting quite early on as are amongst the first arrivals of the migrant warblers. A few over-winter here too but need plenty of vegetation to provide shelter. It has been a good summer for them as they did not face hard conditions on arrival this spring.

Brief calls were heard from a nuthatch nesting in an old oak - they are still very quiet at this stage.

Of the larger birds, starlings were doing well with 56 seen, most in small groups of juveniles flying or feeding together. Later they will disperse into the countryside.

Flowering Meadowsweet on the wild field

A single jay was flying across from the area where a pair nested after initial loud squabbles.

Carrion crows had a hidden nest in an old tree with a very good wide view over the field below and could be seen eating their catches on the field. Little could distract them, even loudly squealing micro-dogs did not bother them. (7 in total, other crows seen flying across).

Only a few herring gulls were seen (7) and a buzzard flew across - this did disturb the crows when it flew over their nest.

Several high-flying swifts were catching aerial insects above the river and lastly a kestrel flew over into the wind.

There were many Bumblebees, including white-tailed, red-tailed and buff-tailed together with many smaller bees and hoverflies concentrated on wildflowers and brambles with many butterflies despite the windy conditions:

Meadow Brown, Large White, Small White, Brimstone, Comma, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell

Gatekeeper and MARBLED WHITE

More June Firsts for 2020 and an embankment first too.

The previous post was for June 2020 up to the 9th - this is for the second part of June - the natural progression of summer. The 13th June saw goldfinches busy pulling seed heads from Dandelion flowers. Singing wrens were numerous, voices echoing along the banks, the pied wagtail pair was seen foraging for their young and a grey heron seen flying over to the Heron Oak. The next few days were humid, mostly overcast with some very dark clouds.  More song thrushes, together with blackcaps, wrens, robins, many goldfinches, house sparrows were singing however - and goldcrests were active in the pines.

On 16th a first appearance here this year of Meadow Brown butterflies nectaring on Brambles and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly - not the first.

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) this one is rather faded, probably having spent a few days restlessly ranging over the grasses and Brambles. All good grassland will have many Meadow Browns at the height of summer but they are always active, seldom seen basking here.

Torrential rain on hot ground on 17th increased the humidity. Birds were seen drying off, preening and singing. A grey heron was seen heading this time to a small pond where the rain had collected, perhaps anticipating more frog activity.

There were more heavy spells of rain on 18th but more Meadow Browns too amongst the long grasses. Just south of the new bridge a blackcap family was seen, the male singing and the female and juveniles active in the trees nearby. Large White butterflies were ranging over the nettles and two magpies were chasing a grey squirrel, so close that one held the squirrel's tail in its beak for a second. The usual wrens, dunnocks, blackbirds, song thrushes and robins were finding foraging in the damp earth easy.

A new area of grassland has appeared with wild flowers growing well. This demonstrates how quickly a barren area can become full of interest, attracting many species of wildlife. It had previously been 'tidied' and mown to keep down the 'weeds'.

On 22nd a sparrowhawk was seen circling and gliding overhead, getting closer and closer to the river. It had probably spotted a group of juvenile sparrows drying off after bathing in the shallows. It drifted away south however. A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was seen with more Meadow Browns on the Bramble banks. Blackcaps were singing and a great-spotted woodpecker called.

The first Meadowsweet was now in flower and the weather changed, with temperatures above 30 degs C and easterly wind on 25th. There were 'dry' low-altitude thunderstorms overnight and the morning of 26th June was cooler  with swifts flying under the cloud before the rain came later on. Other birds were active, with song thrush, blackcaps, common whitethroat, garden warbler all singing, and house sparrows, a pair of jays and crows in their nest, all calling. It was ideal weather for butterflies too, with many Meadow Browns, Large and Small Whites, Ringlets, then a Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly male perched on the large leaf of a fresh Bramble shoot.

The 26th was a day to remember for the first sighting on a bridge embankment of Marbled White butterflies - the first to be seen in this riverside location.Two were 'jousting' for a while on the bank then more were seen on the diverse embankment grasses and plants which have been allowed to grow since the bridge was built ten years ago. There were eight Marbled Whites altogether some on each of the two embankments.

More rain, more singing song thrushes and more swifts were seen amid rain showers throughout the 27th, then a very windy and damp day on 28th and most birds were hunkered down but many Meadow Brown and Large White butterflies were active low amongst the grasses. A single Holly Blue was present too, then the first Gatekeeper butterfly for 2020 appeared!

A full record for June 29th follows in the next post.

June - it's Clover Time

After the heat of May, June was cooler, with some welcome showers to help retain the brilliant green of   vegetation and save the growing fruits from drying out. The most important benefit though was to maintain the proliferation of insect life - providing food essential for young birds.

Bees of course continued their work as pollinators:

Bee on Bramble flower.

 There was a record amount of Bramble blossom this June which quickly became covered in bees, mostly Honeybees but also Bumblebees - White-tailed, Buff-tailed and Red-tailed Bumblebees, not forgetting butterflies and Hover flies.

In additions to the Bramble blossom, wild flowers such as clovers were growing exceptionally well  in grassland and formed dense carpets in places, their abundant nectar and scent attracting more insects:

White Clover trifolium repens -

hopefully this will spread and increase, together with the earlier Dandelion plants.

Red Clover  Trifolium pratense

Bumblebees pollinate its flowers.

It is so good to see the return of Clovers to grassland - and of course other wild flowers such as Dandelions and Daisies.

The 2nd June 2020 was fine and warm, becoming windy later, with most birds still nesting. Adults seen carrying food to nests or feeding fledged young were chiffchaffs, pied wagtails, carrion crows, blackbirds, blackcaps, wrens, robins, dunnock, goldfinches, goldcrests and several preoccupied song thrushes so intent on preparing snails for their young they hardly noticed me on the path of hard stones. As the wind increased, a common buzzard was seen sailing over the river course.

A Banded Demoiselle damselfly male was seen ranging across a field next to the river, flying low under the wind and a Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly male was perching on a wide Hazel leaf in the sun. 

The next few days were cloudy and cooler with more showers. On 5th June, it was interesting to see an adult goldcrest fly from a Scots pine in pursuit of a moth almost larger than itself - dashing in a zigzag route from the tall tree. Halfway down the goldcrest nipped the moth's wing and it fell to the ground  where the bird retrieved it and carried it up to its nest high in an outer pine branch.

On 7th June the activity of feeding young continued but with some blackbirds, blackcaps, house sparrows, wrens and robins singing quietly and a nuthatch calling.   

Another male Banded Demoiselle damselfly was seen over the bank.

 Loud calls were suddenly heard -

this was common buzzard being chased over the bridge by carrion crows - all the noise coming from the crows not the buzzard, which quickly shook them off.  Higher up over the trees a swift was seen on its own but four greylag geese were flying south beyond it.  

A Southeasterly breeze and some sun on 9th June encouraged some birds to sing more - dunnock, wrens, common whitethroat, nuthatch, robins, blackbird song thrushes, chiffchaffs, house sparrows and of course the master-singer of the summer here - the blackcap - all very audible. Calls from a magpie and a group of herring gulls could not compete with loud calls from a grey heron being harassed by the gulls. It flew off towards a pond. Blue tits, great tits and long-tailed tits, many juveniles amongst them were foraging in the riverbank trees, some drying off after bathing in the river. Wrens - very numerous here seemed to combine nest-building or re-building with singing - a large fluffy Woodpigeon feather was seen flying low across the river - carried by an invisible wren. 

Bramble blossom was still attracting many bees.

The next few days were partly overcast with drizzle - the grey heron, or more than one, was heard calling several times, together with herring gulls; the fledged pied wagtails were still being fed by the adults; crowds of fledged house sparrows were joining in with singing and bathing and small numbers of swifts were seen most days catching insects under the clouds.