A Chill in the Air

 Sunday 30th August 2020 was clear after a chilly night the North West wind this morning did not seem to affect wildlife. With most trees and shrubs still in full leaf, the many meanders in the river provided shelter and plenty of muddy basking locations in the sun. Clouds scudded rapidly across allowing the sun to warm the landscape.  Grass had greened up completely after having become dry and brown and boughs on the old oaks were heavy with acorns, most still green. The oak tree leaves had been visible affected by the extreme heat and strong winds but remained green but with curled surfaces:

Green Acorns cascade from an oak bough low over the river bank.

Field Maples held bunches of winged seeds ready to spiral down onto the river banks. Fruit trees too remained very green, indicating that there was still plenty of water under the hard dry clay surface

There was a feeling of freshness after months of 'tropical' heat and humidity. The river was running clear and higher than usual but still leaving plenty of muddy islands in places, where birds were bathing and catching insect prey. Most juvenile birds will still prefer insects to seeds - even 'seed-eaters' such as finches at this stage.

Here is a full survey:

Robins (18)  had started their autumnal 'chinking' - one of the first sounds of autumn, rapidly devouring the very last of the Elderberries.  Two dunnocks were lurking in deep shade on the river bank with 3 wrens only - none singing - we know they are present but are still not establishing new territory yet.  

Alarm calls indicated the presence of blackbirds (9) still mostly hiding in moult or bathing and preening whilst there were only glimpses of two song thrushes low under a hedge. 

   Blue ts (about 30) were foraging in various locations with great ts (18) and long tailed ts (3) - but see later.. also searching the bare stems for Elderberries but swiftly moving on. Woodpigeons (33) were lazily calling or dozing on the tops of Field Maples. Only one herring gull was seen and no raptors - perhaps it was too windy. There were however five carrion crows, five noisy rooks and then a flock of about 15 in the air, heading silently north-west. Two jays were calling from the area where a pair had nested in the spring. No need to fly very far this year as there are carpets of acorns already for them to start caching although they will have to wait as the ground is far too dry at present. Seven Magpies were seen, mostly calling from tree canopies.

Nuthatches were quite numerous, with this years young still amongst the trees, calling or objecting to my presence (total 8). One was foraging, treecreeper-like on the bark of an old oak, climbing upwards (who said that they only creep head down?) They forage in any direction and are quite acrobatic. They are also extremely observant and notice any movement, objecting to anything approaching, whilst treecreepers are usually too preoccupied.

Migrant warblers were still very visible with 11 chiffchaff, several giving contact calls but one giving the typical chiff-chaff song and 14 blackcaps, some juvenile. Two had discovered an Elderberry bush with berries, hidden away amongst willows. There may be a few of these warblers which will decide to overwinter here. Given the abundance of fruits and berries here they may do well.

Abundant fruits for birds and small mammals - sustenance for the winter

It was good to see three goldcrests moving fast along very slim branches of a Field Maple, again well away from their conifers. Finches were numerous today, (except greenfinch and chaffinch which were not seen) - with about 40 goldfinches in several groups, some in the air whilst others flew down into the long grasses, now full of seed, then suddenly a large close group of linnets appeared over the expanse of long grasses in the distance, a few more goldfinches amongst them. It was excellent to see about 80 at least, where they have always been seen in the past! They all dropped down onto the grasses then all flew up again, circled around and dropped down again, repeating this many times. They had certainly found a fine location to feed  - the wild grasses and wild flowers all a fine source of dry seed.

House Sparrows, always present in good numbers, were seen in many locations - in hedgerows, verges and bramble banks - feasting on ripe blackberries as well as seeds. (about 80 in total) They have thrived during this hot summer, rearing more broods that usual. Another bird doing well this year is the sparrow hawk - one was seen today in the air - flying purposefully into the wind.

But there was more to come!

Returning over a footbridge with a view of the river banks either side, a 'roving' flock of blue ts, great ts, and long-tailed ts suddenly appeared upstream, through the trees, all heading in the same direction, downstream, not really roving or roaming - not slowing to feed amongst the leaves but all moving quite fast . Amongst them there was an odd bird out, going the wrong way, slightly confused, it avoided them and waited, clinging to a dead branch, then flew out a short distance, caught a an insect, dropped it, caught it again and flew back to its perch. After the 'flock' had gone it resumed its activities, fly-catching. It remained in the same tree with some dead branches, giving a very good close-up view. Definitely a spotted flycatcher! More than 70 birds in the flock had flown past it but it stayed put and continued flycatching long after they had disappeared.

Butterflies and dragonflies were keeping out of the wind in sheltered spaces: A Banded Demoiselle damselfly male was flying close to the surface over the river whilst four Southern Hawkers were ranging low over grasses and banks with one Brown Hawker dragonfly and a Common Darter seen. Large White, Small White  Speckled Woods,  Gatekeeper and Red Admiral butterflies were seen ranging the bramble banks. Fleabane, thistles and Brambles were the main attraction for most of the butterflies.

Too hot, too windy, too dry - this was August 2020

 The whole of the month of August 2020 was about wildlife having to adjust to changing conditions with record temperatures in the first and second weeks - sometimes too hot for butterflies but with good numbers appearing, together with dragonflies as soon as conditions were right.  A sort torrential rain shower cooled the earth on 13th leading to humid conditions but at least juvenile robins were active in the undergrowth.

On 15th there was unbroken cloud all day with fine misty rain and another torrential rain shower the next day. Birds soon became very active, with great-spotted woodpecker, calling nuthatches, colonies of goldfinches quietly singing in the thickets, song thrushes under cover with house sparrows nearby. Blue ts, great ts and blackbirds were foraging - perhaps that's the wrong word as they were surrounded by ripe fruits, mostly on the bramble banks without any need to search. 

Once the rain had cleared the butterflies reappeared with Speckled Woods the most numerous the on the following day, the 17th,  after another heavy shower, several Banded Demoiselle damselflies, mostly chasing males were seen low over the Arun with some immatures warming up. Two Comma butterflies were ranging over the bramble banks close by.Gatekeeper butterflies were still flying. It became fresher after continuous rain on 19th and from 21st very windy with gales all day on 21st. The wind dropped on 22nd and four Southern Hawker dragonflies were seen in four different locations with two very bright young ones - one hanging vertically onto a nettle stem, jus watching. Gatekeepers, Large Whites and five Holly Blue butterflies were active and looking down amongst the long fine grasses, there was constant movement with huge numbers of small grass moths and grasshoppers. Hidden in the grasses were windfall fruits. tempting blackbirds. More wet and windy weather followed. The full survey was done on 30th August. See next post.

                                                                  

              

                                               Young Fleabane provides food and dense shelter

                                                for butterflies in late summer.

Gatekeepers and Fleabane

The transition from July to August 2020 was remarkable for unrelenting heat. The earth was baking at least on the surface and butterflies reacted by dropping down into the cool shade of the long grasses or into dense hedges during the day, flying earlier in the mornings and in the cool of the evenings in the low sun. 

Fleabane flowered later than most wild flowers here as usual but immediately attracted insects. Here is a Gatekeeper butterfly on a Fleabane flower with a small Hover fly (probably) on a smaller flower.

The broad and bright yellow flowers last well but rain and cooler weather soon encourages them to form round seed heads. The seeds are shaken by the wind and are not winged like the Dandelion and thistles therefore Fleabane is more likely to be found growing in clumps which spread over the years.

The soft leaves provide good protection from rain and sun for insects.

By the third day of August a 10mph north-westerly wind provided cooler temperatures and brought cloud but still no rain.

Young nuthatches were calling from river bank trees - four in different trees, exploring their surroundings. Gatekeepers were of course the most numerous butterflies  but Speckled Woods, Ringlet, Large White, Brimstone, Meadow Brown, Holly Blue and Comma were all present with a Southern Hawker dragonfly ranging along the banks, ignoring them.

In the air a Red Kite was sailing north, wings bent against the wind. Looking at the Red Kite, it was clear that many smaller birds were catching insects directly under the base of a very tall cumulus cloud. They were swifts, house martins and some sand martins, visible for some time, keeping under the cloud.