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
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