Keeping watch on the Scrape

The watch on our 'scrape' continues - here's the latest picture after the rain.

Looking good, with aquatic margin plants growing well,

including Purple Loosestrife

The First Frost of Autumn

The 20th September 2015 - a fine warm day after the first frost of Autumn. A cool, still and misty start meant that leaves and fruits still held traces of frost this morning before being touched by the sun.

ACORNS - a very welcome sight this year.

The sun has just melted the frost on these ripening Crab apples

The river was flowing well but low with the sun gradually warming the river bank. The sky clear, with numerous contrails and no breeze at first. Dog Rose hips were still ripening - food for later in the winter when other fruits become scarce. Berries have been plundered from the Hawthorn thickets but plenty remain on the difficult-to-reach branches overhanging the river - and single leaves were drifting like butterflies - with the sound of acorns suddenly dropping onto the dry leaves. There was from the start  continuous background sound echoing along the river - singing robins near and far, their songs merging, impossible to separate individual songs unless the robin was very close by. The robins today (25) were singing mainly from wooded areas along the river, soon they will be able to show themselves  to their rivals more easily once the trees are bare.

Wrens (18) were singing now as well but giving short versions of their song mostly from high perches where they were more easily seen than usual, on Willows in the sun and Blackthorn where two juveniles chased and adults gave alarm calls.

Nuthatches were quite numerous today (9) most calling loudly from their various chosen territories. In the presence of jays, the calls were amplified and insistent - there will be many altercations over food in the coming weeks despite the obvious bounty, as the jays will stay around to feed rather than moving further afield. 8 jays were counted today, some calling raucously.  Last autumn most left to forage elsewhere after finding oaks devoid of acorns.

House Sparrows woke up in the sun and could be seen and heard chatting in hedgerows (48) whilst larger sun-lovers, the woodpigeons (50) basked in the tree tops or foraged on the harvested fields. One adult was seen feeding a youngster amongst the ivy in a tree. Although breeding most of the year, their plundered eggs and shells can often be seen on the earth below. Predators are numerous, this keeps their numbers under control! Today only 5 starlings were seen - most must have still been at their roosts, or busy foraging out on the fields with 6 carrion crows and 5 magpies. A green woodpecker, strangely silent, was seen flying across between oaks.

In the air about 26 herring gulls wheeled around but no sign of raptors today.

The goldfinches (35) were still present feeding amongst the seeding dock and grasses on the embankment as soon as the sun reached down - and all along the river trees and thickets, blue tits (52) were foraging and bickering, with silent great tits (17) favouring the oaks together with 3 chaffinches. Two Long-tailed tits were seen, with several others heard calling but well hidden amongst the Willows on the bank. Blackbirds (11) were silent today, apart from occasional alarm calls, some foraging together with 2 song thrushes in the Blackthorn hedge in the edge of the wild field.

It was good to see and hear some migrant warblers still present - 6 chiffchaffs were seen calling their typical contact calls and one willow warbler at least - but the best views were of two juvenile male blackcaps just assuming their male plumage, sitting in the sun on the Blackthorn.  At the back of the thicket a bullfinch was heard calling softly, then hastily flew out and across the river, followed by a female. Two goldcrests were busy in a conifer, their fast moving foraging giving them away and in an oak two treecreepers were heard but unseen. 

As it warmed up, Speckled Wood, Large White and Green-veined White butterflies started to fly then lastly the dragonflies - a Southern Hawker and a Migrant Hawker were seen patrolling the river banks where several Hornets were flying too.

The stars of today were large numbers of House Martins seen feeding on plentiful insects over the river course - at least 50 were counted in a short time, in the company of one or two Sand Martins.

August ends with Bats and Berries

Towards the end of August a change is felt in the landscape - robins start singing again in a pensive way, bats are active on the river, adults now foraging with their hungry youngsters,

swallows are feeding on millions of insects brought down by the warm low cloud, before heading south

and are joined by house martins over the water although these birds usually leave much later.

Friday 28th August 2015 was dry and sunny with some cloud. There had been heavy and continuous rain on the Wednesday but clearing by Thursday. On 28th the grass was very wet with dew, cool with no wind. Most berries and fruits were now ripe, only the Dog Rose hips were still green but turning orange. Nettles on the banks were dying away rapidly, leaving forests of dry stalks - perfect shelter for small mammals and insects. The wild field was buzzing with life with huge numbers of bees, both Bumblebees and some Honeybees - and Hover fly species, too numerous to mention - most just have Latin names but are all very good indicators of biodiversity and quality of habitat.

Hover fly on Senecio jacobaea (Asteraceae) intermingled with 

the popular Fleabane, which is often overlooked as it doesn't grow as tall

as the former but is also a member of the daisy family and an excellent

source of sustenance for butterflies, bees and hover flies: see below:

Fleabane in the damp meadow - wild field 

Following the natural narrow path I had to watch out for basking butterflies, warming up on patches of bare earth. Robins (16) were now singing strongly but in short bursts rather than sustained song - one perched on a grey Blackthorn bush and shone out with it's brilliant orange-red plumage amongst the sloes.

Signs of Roe deer, foxes and Hedgehogs on the field paths and margins were noted - very good to see that Hedgehogs are returning after several years to their former habitats now that grass cutting, strimming and flailing are no longer applied as the 'kill-all in a minute' solution. 

Woodpigeons (42) were active today, bathing in the river and lined up on the fencing around the basin 'scrape' - now well established as a favourite place for most birds for bathing, foraging and drinking.  

Blue tits with their young (55) were feeding on insects and fruits, frequently bickering amongst the best branches. A single dunnock in fine but subtle plumage was perched in a Dog Rose over the river, tail twitching - and wrens (11) were becoming visible again, some singing short songs on the river banks.

A dense but sunny mature Blackthorn and Elder thicket, laden with fruits and berries had suddenly become crowded with birds, some attracted to the Elderberries, others to insects in the understory full of brambles. Great tits (7) greenfinches (5), four blackbirds, a treecreeper, at least two juvenile blackcaps, one wren and several chiffchaffs were all very active amongst the branches and twigs.

Birds here have the best of both worlds with the damp wild meadow one one side and the river on the opposite side with constant movement across from one side to the other. When night falls the area is good for foraging bats as well (see August 17th below). In the old oaks nearby two nuthatches were calling, probably still establishing territories. 

Blackbirds were also active along the grassy margins and river banks (total 14), great tits were foraging amongst the river banks trees (total 12) and blackcaps have done well this summer (total 5 seen today, including the two youngsters).

At least 12 chiffchaffs were foraging for insects in various trees, mainly in Willows along the banks and with them a Willow Warbler with several others heard calling and a single whitethroat, all probably moving through the river corridor on their way south, gaining essential fat for their migration.

Overhead 7 carrion crows were seen, some calling - and just one jackdaw. Herring gulls (8) were calling from the air but there were plenty more gathered on the 'scrape'. A female bullfinch flew across into a thicket whilst 3 linnets dashed into a tree - the finches, especially house sparrows (30 at least seen and heard today) here do not wake early and are seldom seen or heard until later when the sun has appeared and started to warm up their roosts in the hedgerows As seeds are plentiful at this time of the year, hunger doesn't wake them. Goldfinches have certainly prospered this summer (more than 30 today) with many young faces - without the adult red colouring  amongst them feeding on the dock and thistle seeds, on the ground amongst the dry plants or gathered together singing in the old trees nearby.

The sky turned dark and a sudden rain shower scattered the birds, sending them to shelter, and me too. 

Magpies (5), jays (1) and squirrels (1) are going to find good foraging this winter with bumper crops of acorns on the oaks. Many hazel nuts have been pillaged already, torn off the Hazel tree branches whilst still green. 

The rain shower did not last long and the riverside came to life again - a juvenile goldcrest flew into a conifer and was busy feeding at the outermost branches warmed by the sun and butterflies appeared within seconds.

Green-veined White butterflies, Large White butterflies and Speckled Woods were the most numerous, with Brimstones ranging along the hedgerows and river banks too. Bees and Hover flies gathered on the umbellifers whilst a Southern Hawker Dragonfly was seen patrolling along the river in the vicinity of the basin outfall drain, always an attraction for insects - and a Brown Hawker Dragonfly was ranging along the tree margin. We'll see more of these strong fliers before the winter arrives.

BATS

The evening of August 17th was overcast and warm, quiet, with no wind - a good time to do a bat survey along the river.

It was still light enough to see bats at 21.00hrs and there were certainly some around, leaving their roosts. The bat detector picked them up often before they could be seen flying against the sky. It became completely dark soon afterwards and this is when the numbers increased, as more reached the river where insects were most abundant. Some roost in trees close to the river but others roost further away and need to use bat flyways - continuous hedgerows or tree lines which they use to navigate to

their foraging areas.

Common Pipistrelle and Soprano Pipistrelle bats were quite numerous, more so than last summer and Daubenton's bats were detected over the river and banks foraging for insects which are found over the surface of the water. A Noctule, a larger bat, was seen high in the dusk against the sky and a Brown Long-eared bat was present in the dark riverside. There were probably more, only a short section of the river was checked as bats were so numerous. The Riverine area here has always held large numbers of bats but they are continuously under threat of roosting habitat loss. Just felling one tree means many bats have to relocate and find new roosts.

At last we have had a good spring and summer for berries and fruits of all kinds - and the most prized food source for many species of wildlife in autumn is the Blackberry:

Ripening in the sun, food for all

August - after the Rain

Continuous heavy rain fell yesterday morning 13th August 2015, with distant thunder and lightning. The rain continued for about 3 and a half hours, nearly 30mm, then ceased in the afternoon but it remained very warm and humid.

 The river was about half a meter higher and running swiftly, carrying mud from upstream but well short of its normal flood level.  Immediately the sun appeared, butterflies became active over the field and riverbanks,  having sheltered down low amongst the grasses, river bank and hedgerow undergrowth.

Holly Blue butterflies were quite numerous, together with Gatekeepers.

The rain had not been torrential so wild flowers and grasses were not battered down - the grassy areas were not waterlogged, the water having soaked quickly into the ground.

Banded demoiselle males were seen over the water and blackbirds, robins and song thrushes emerged from the sheltering undergrowth to feed. Dense hedgerow and tall river bank undergrowth often provides better shelter for birds than trees during rainfall. 

Here a Small Copper butterfly basks on the footpath through the field.

It flew around amongst the Common Fleabane, a favourite nectar flower, but kept returning to

bask on the warm and sheltered narrow path. The Copper lays its eggs on Sorrel or Dock leaves and the Caterpillars then feed on the leaves, sometimes for several months.

The river in the afternoon after the rain.

Purple Loosestrife has thrived this summer along the river banks and the flowers are a target for bees.

Common Figwort is also a strong-growing wild flower on the sunny banks (on the left) with the plant here bearing nutlets.   A type of Amphibious or river bank Persicaria is growing as a clump in the background.

The small  flowers of the Persicaria plant on the river.

The First Week in August and the heat is on!

The fine dry weather was excellent for butterflies. August 2nd 2015 was definitely 

'The Day of the Peacocks'

with good numbers suddenly appearing in the wild field amongst the fine thistles, Fleabane and a good variety of grasses. These butterflies may well have been seen before, in caterpillar form, feeding on the riverbank nettles a few weeks ago.

A Peacock amongst the small thistle flowers, balancing to nectar - note the tongue.

The bright colours and undamaged wings indicate that this one is freshly emerged.

Fleabane has done well on the wild field as well and the flowers are very attractive to butterflies,

Peacocks were not the only butterflies out on the field:

Here a Small Skipper butterfly nectars on a fleabane flower.

The Blue butterflies were also abundant, with Holly Blues and Common Blues seen.

Here is a rather unusual form of the Common Blue butterfly with largely blue inner wings,

marked with orange spotted borders. This is a female, which normally have brown inner wings.

A vivid blue, with orange and black markings and white outer borders - this unusual colouring may depend on ecological conditions. 

Sunday 2nd August was sunny, with high thin cloud after a cool night  and a light breeze.

The river was running quite low and clear. The day quickly warmed up in the sun.

With a good variety of wild flowers on the river banks, verges and in the wild field, butterflies were the highlight of todays wildlife record - with many species of bird not showing themselves whilst moulting and others were still rearing young.

Blue tits (31)  and great tits (10) were for once outnumbered by butterflies - Gatekeepers - and only 7 wrens were seen, mostly located by short snatches of song or alarm calls low down on the river banks and brambles. Robins were also not showing themselves, only 3 were seen, with two singing.

Chiffchaffs (6) were calling and moving restlessly amongst the Willows and a good view of one in the Blackthorn - and one willow warbler, also calling. Just one blackcap was singing on a willow branch over the river and a single treecreeper's high call was heard. A bullfinch was heard calling from the dense blackthorn and a small bird seen flying across was a silent goldcrest seeking the shade of a dark conifer. Just two blackbirds were seen along the whole stretch of the river -  song thrushes remained hidden and silent in the shade. Higher in the trees and in the air, 33 woodpigeons were seen, some obviously nesting, carrying nesting material into trees. 24 Herring gulls were gliding over but no raptors were seen today. A single magpie and five noisy carrion crows were calling from oak trees and the house sparrows (30) were happily bickering and calling in the sunny aspects of hedgerows. Only two starlings were seen flying across, most were silent and gathered in their day-roost trees. A great spotted woodpecker called form an old oak over the river and three nuthatches were in different areas, calling from the old trees, oak ash and maple. On the grass below, a green woodpecker jaffled and further along a second green woodpecker jaffled from a tree.

Like the house sparrows, goldfinches, more than 25 seen today, are doing well - this time of the year, if hot and sunny, they find plenty of plants going to seed. They especially like Dock seed and colonies of goldfinches, juveniles and adults, gather in the old oaks overlooking clumps of the plants, singing. Down on the river a grey wagtail flew low under the bridge and up into the shady vegetation on the bank.

BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies seen were Gatekeepers in large numbers along the banks amongst nettles and on the wild field,  3 Brimstones over grasses on the field, 4 Green-veined Whites amongst the nettles and grasses, Large and Small White butterflies in most places, Speckled Woods flying up from the river, pairs chasing, several Small Skippers and 3 Large Skippers around the Fleabane and thistles, 7 Meadow Browns, 7 Common Blue butterflies, (see photo above) more than 5 Holly Blues up and down amongst the hedgerows, Comma butterflies in ones and twos down close to the river and gliding along the banks.

The stars of the day however were the Peacock butterflies, more that I have ever seen before - on the wild field and the river bank (see photo above). Finally, two Purple Hairstreak butterflies were seen flying high up in the old oaks but too distant for photos.

Ladybirds and Bumblebees were numerous on the flowering thistles, with more bees on the Musk Mallow flowers and remaining bramble flowers.

DRAGONFLIES

An Emerald Damselfly was seen over the river near the bridge and two Southern Hawkers and one Brown Hawker were seen patrolling along the river bank vegetation.

Time of plenty and more to come

The end of July - plentiful food for all on the Riverside, with signs of a good autumn to come.

Brambles in the sun have ripening berries whilst those on shadier banks still have flowers providing a good source of nectar for butterflies:

A Gatekeeper butterfly finds nectar from bramble flowers in the

midday shade -

then it is challenged by a foraging Speckled Wood butterfly which

takes over from the Gatekeeper which flies off to another flower.

Speckled Wood butterfly takes over

In the sun there are more bees than ever before here on the wild field, foraging on the flowering thistle:

White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

on a thistle flower in the hot sun, covered in pollen.

 Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bobmus lapidarius)

female, foraging on thistle flower.

The Glory of Thistles, Nettles, Dock and Brambles

Sustenance for many species - these wild plants are at the top of the list for versatility.

Small Tortoiseshell butterflies nectaring on thistles  July 2015

 Small Tortoiseshell nectaring - view of it's long tongue

Comma butterfly on river bank brambles amongst nettles

a warm sheltered spot in the evening sunshine.

Note the small comma-shaped white mark on its outer wing.

Today, Sunday 19th July, was warm, windy and humid, becoming hot before clouding over. 

The steep river bank and vegetation provided shelter from the wind for dragonflies and butterflies, with the sun warming the flowing water in different locations depending on the time of day.

A quick look revealed a male Common Darter dragonfly perched on the dry surface of a partially submerged log. With many insects flying just above the water, darting out to catch one was easy. It returned to the same perch each time. Not far away, low over the water vegetation where the shallow water formed a pool, an Emerald damselfly shone in the sunlight, its wings almost invisible. A small damselfly, it is usually found in ponds and could have just flown across the bank from the rapidly drying new pond.

A Banded Demoiselle male was fluttering and weaving low amongst the Dock and over grasses,  whilst a strong-flying Southern Hawker male dragonfly ranged along the grasses on the bank and flew up into a Willow.

Butterflies were numerous in more sheltered areas of the banks, Ringlets and Gatekeepers being the most active and numerous, with some Meadow Browns, Large Whites, Green-veined Whites, Small Tortoiseshells, Brimstones and a single high-flying Holly Blue.

BIRDS:

Nesting birds have been doing well this year, with no extreme weather - and many now have second or even third broods. It was good to see Song thrushes collecting food for their nestlings, searching and finding plenty in the damp margins of undergrowth along the river bank, returning time and again to collect more. Blackbirds, wrens, dunnocks and other birds are also busy feeding nestlings or newly-fledged young.

The quiet was shattered by loud yaffles from a green woodpecker on the meadow and nearby a great spotted woodpecker called in warning from an old oak.

The above was recorded on a quick look along a short stretch of the river but see below:

A full record was made earlier in July, on Friday 10th July 2105:

(This follows on from a short afternoon survey of butterflies in the afternoon of the previous day, Thursday 9th July  - see below this report)

Bright sunshine with a cool breeze on the morning of 10th July. The river was flowing well, although low the water was clear, cool in the shade becoming rapidly warm in the sun.

A quiet morning with sudden loud song from a wren low down on the river bank with other wrens singing loudly (16)  all along the river bank as I walked along. Two wrens were seen chasing whilst alarm calls indicated the presence of others. Some may well have second or third broods this year.

Just a single robin was heard singing and only 3 were seen today - they are silent when moulting in the summer  - and a single dunnock was seen in the undergrowth. Blue tits and great tits were less numerous too with only about 30 blue tits and 11 great tits seen and only a few heard bickering. Blackbirds (7) were also quiet, with some definitely still busy nesting whilst others are moulting. Song thrushes (3) were silent apart from some very short snatches of song and some are still nesting. This dry weather is good news for house sparrows which were seen and heard in good numbers in hedgerow and bramble thickets (more than 50). Goldfinches too (25) were doing well, having discovered sources of seed to forage on - the seeds from Dock are attracting large numbers of these cheerful birds which are heard singing together whilst perched in nearby oaks and maples, with more flying in to join them. They will rapidly consume the seeds and move on to other sources - thistles and grasses. Hopefully there will be enough left over for winter sustenance. 

Bullfinches are altogether more elusive but today a fine pair were seen flying over to the riverbank Hazel, the bright male trying to hide but not quite succeeding. Only 3 silent chaffinches were seen. With trees in full leaf, birds that perch and remain silent are often not seen - whereas the small but restless birds can often be spotted - such as chiffchaffs (6) although not singing today, several could be seen collecting insects and returning to places on the bank, obviously feeding young - and 2 blackcaps

one uttering an alarm call form a willow and another from a thicket on the bank. Five chasing juvenile goldcrests were seen moving quickly amongst the conifers whilst a mixed group of blue and great tits flew in to forage, all following each other.

Looking above the tree canopy 5 swifts were seen foraging over the river,  and a hobby was seen making some fast aerobatic manoeuvres over the 'scrape' - too far away to see if any dragonflies were present but it still contains water. Three black-headed gulls flew low across, with more probably gulls out of sight on the 'scrape'.

On the river itself, very well camouflaged, a female mallard was protecting at least 6 newly hatched ducklings, with overhanging vegetation probably hiding more on the small 'beach' under the banks. Further along, also well hidden, a moorhen was sitting on a sheltered nest of twigs and reeds in the shade. In the trees and on the grass 17 woodpigeons were seen dozing or feeding, 2 jackdaws flew over, calling and 4 magpies were heard arguing in the oak. A young Roe deer looked up from the long grass in the field beneath, ears just visible and 6 carrion crows flew over whilst a great spotted woodpecker flew out after calling from an ash tree. 2 very vocal juvenile nuthatches drew attention to themselves and at least one adult moved quickly along the branches. The adults may well have a second brood in the nest.

The last sighting and definitely not the least, was of a fine kingfisher. A robin had suddenly called out in alarm from an overhanging Blackthorn - and immediately below it, the kingfisher was startled and flew off its perch low on the river and flew away upstream, within the banks.

Early Bumblebee - Bombus pratorum on Musk Mallow flower

on the river bank.

Although today's survey took place in the morning, in contrast with yesterday's survey (see below - 9th July), most butterflies, bees and damselflies were active in the sun by 09.30.

The small pond and large pond were visited first, then the river. 

Damselflies:

Azure damselflies were seen again on the small pond with some exuvia (larval case, from which the damselfly emerges) visible low on reeds in the middle of the pond and one Azure damselfly was also seen on the river close by the pond.

One Blue-tailed damselfly and one male Banded demoiselle were also on the pond.

 Banded Demoiselle damselflies were seen in good numbers, on or near to the river - males chasing in the sun, perched on the river edge grass and on bramble leaves.

Butterflies:

Gatekeepers, Brimstones, Speckled Woods, Small Tortoiseshells, Small Skippers, Ringlets, Commas, Green-veined Whites, Large Whites, Small Whites and numerous Meadow Browns were seen mostly on the warm banks and field grasses and thistles.