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.
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