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.
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