August 2022 recovering at last. By mid August there had been over a week of Heatwave days, making it an unprecedented summer. It was encouraging to watch the return of normality along the river.
Wednesday 31st August 2022 was mostly sunny but with light cloud and a northerly breeze. The grasses were greening but the paths very dry. Aircraft contrails crossed the sky. Most of the leaves yellowed by the heat had fallen into the lear running water, forming a very green and fresh landscape. It was neither hot nor cold. Woodpigeons (37) were still nesting and cooing amongst the high branches with Rosa canine hips towering above through which Great Spotted Woodpecker holes were now visible, unoccupied, with loud juveniles exploring new territories. Other tree trunks could be seen with attempts at 'drilling' where the woodpecker had given up and moved to more favourable sites.
A loud low helicopter sent the Woodpigeons off, they returned only after the aircraft had double back to investigate my presence, then lost interest. The wooded area over the meander in the river was thronged with Speckled Wood butterflies amongst ripe bitten sloes, Blackberries and apples. The long grasses, growing in a mix of shade and sun were full of insects, many small grasshoppers and various ant species and grass moths. Most of the fruits were still on the trees, it being far too early for the usual autumn ripeness.
One early windfall, still green
Numbers of birds were quite low, but not unusual for this time of the year. Woodpigeons were the second most numerous, only because they were still nesting and vocal (37) whilst Carrion Crows, never enough to form a flock, were audible but only 6 were seen.. Magpies (12) were quite audible with quarrelsome juveniles and only two Herring Gulls were flying over. Three Starlings were seen, calling.
The most numerous were the finches, not unexpected- after all they are hot-weather birds, their main source of food being seeds. House Sparrows were fewer in number than usual but visible in their usual habitat, dense hedges and bramble bushes (41) whilst there were at least 50 Goldfinches in a 'charm', a loose flock flying together across the path from the shady Oaks to the meadow full of seeding grasses and Dock where they dropped down to feed. A Sparrowhawk whizzed across and set them up, but there was no catch for the hawk, the numbers must have confused it. Later it was seen again, perhaps trying to hunt single birds but they all kept together. A second Sparrowhawk (2) was seen approaching but turned away.
Over the same meadow, a Common Buzzard was seen heading south, across the A road. The area often has good conditions for raptors using the thermals as soon as the sun rises and when there's a prevailing wind, conditions are good for take-off and landing. Two juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard in the dense shade of the trees, Oaks and Field Maple close to the river.
Of the small birds, only 6 wrens were seen, some calling very short calls, 33 Blue ts and 8 Great ts along the shady river bank trees, with two Blackbirds foraging in the undergrowth. A single Nuthatch was seen in trees nearby, silent. Robins (7) along the river were making a gradual reappearance but silent, and our summer visitors the Chiffchaffs (4) were still about, making contact calls with others about to leave on migration to their winter habitat, or maybe they'll stay here, some always do.
Speckled Wood butterflies were the second most numerous butterflies with Large White butterflies easily the most numerous everywhere, in sun and shade. Small White butterflies were seen too.
Common Darter dragonflies were seen chasing across a pond with some basking in the sun on the gravel path. A Common Blue Damselfly was seen on aquatic plants on the edge of the same pond where tall leaves caught the sun in an otherwise shady environment. Lastly a Southern Hawker dragonfly was was seen patrolling the river bank at head height, observing closely.
A summary of the whole of August follows in the next post.
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