March - a Spring interlude

Sun - since early March the earth has gradually been drying out, with dry winds predominating.

The 16th March has been the best spring day so far - a very fine day from the start.

A brilliant day for the first sightings of butterflies. A Comma was seen on 24th February but on this warm March day butterflies were flying in numbers, adding colour to the riverside.

 5 Brimstones were seen flying strongly along the river course, surveying the vegetation.

Looking at the Brimstones I saw a grey wagtail low down on the bank 'beach', intent on collecting a 

beak full of twigs - carefully selected nesting material. It was a very smart male in breeding plumage with brilliant yellow markings and a black bib. There must be a female nearby.

Sure enough a while later I saw the pair flying from the river in a circle and back down, following each other.

Lesser Celandine covering the river banks - more this year, despite the floods

A fine kestrel hovered for a while over the river, quite close and there was loud song from robins and wrens but the loudest and most persistent song - a real sign of spring came from new arrivals, the chiffchaffs, the first of the summer migrants. At least 7 were visible foraging in the trees along the river.

It was good to see numbers of redwing still present in the same location as before, busy foraging with some singing out of sight in a thicket.
Starlings were whistling from their usual day-roost thicket and goldfinches singing in the ivy. A green woodpecker was heard calling (Yaffling) loudly and a nuthatch was calling in an oak. Blackbirds were foraging on the ground and under the hedgerows sparrows, dunnocks and a few chaffinches were busy feeding.

Amongst the Willow catkins were two Peacock butterflies -

here is one of them in the tangle of branches.

Two Comma butterflies were nearby amongst the brambles and no less than 5 Small Tortoiseshell butterflies ranging along the sunny and sheltered riverbank. After a good summer last year, many have been successful in overwintering here.
It was good to see many large Bumblebees and a few Honeybees too, amongst the Blackthorn just blossoming and the Willow catkins too.

Vertical river banks where the earth has been scoured by floodwater 

but with vegetation already forming green cover.

This weather is too good to last!

Scandinavian Redwings feasting on the riverside

The last day of February and our Scandinavian visitors gathered in large numbers to feast on the riverside before setting off on the long flight back to the north. Their numbers were remarkable for this location.

Heavy rainfall overnight again had left the already saturated ground boggy - but the sky was clear, the sun warm and no need for birds to search for shelter from gales.

Willow catkins after the rain, on a willow leaning over the river.

The river had risen again and was flowing fast and muddy but had not burst its banks. Out on the riverside I immediately became aware of a massive chorus of birds - large numbers in thickets, hedgerows and trees along the river course.
The first bird I saw was a redwing and most of the singing came from a large flock ranging along the Blackthorn thickets, still carrying plenty of sloes on the outer branches; these fruits were small and dried out as all the most luscious ones had been eaten long ago. The voices of numerous goldfinches gathered in some ivy-covered branches added to the chorus. A transient addition to the chorus came from a group of linnets flying over and a tightly knit flock of starlings dispersed onto thickets and started individual songs.  Robins were singing - still very visible - whilst house sparrows could be heard in the hedges.
Two nuthatches were seen but remained silent - a pair not wanting to attract attention whilst working on the entrance to their nest.
 Quiet blackbirds mingled with the redwing in numbers that indicated that these were migrants too, also feeding up ready for departure north, together with a few visiting song thrushes. Our own local song thrushes have been singing for a long time now, since November.
Dunnocks, which don't usually move very far from their local patch, were singing from high perches and numerous wrens could be heard along the banks and seen flying very low across the water. Blue  and great tits were active and a few chaffinches and greenfinches moved amongst the branches. A couple of magpies were seen carrying long sticks with which to refurbish their storm-damaged nests - there's certainly no shortage of nest materials this year. A few carrion crows and jackdaws were also seen in the air and on the ground feeding.
Sentinel woodpigeons perched on high branches guarded the feeding redwing and every few seconds loud yaffles could be heard - possibly a dispute between two green woodpeckers, one in the field and another in an old oak, probably defending its nest site - they were very persistent, calling without a break but its very good to hear them doing well despite the upheaval of earth-moving nearby. 

Clouds forming fast as the sun warmed up the saturated earth

Large tall cumulus clouds had started to form, the warming air producing thermals - ideal soaring conditions for buzzards. Three buzzards appeared together, two obviously a pair displaying - and the third gliding in circles, concentrating on the ground below. Their calls could be heard clearly over the soaked earth. Today the crows had left them alone in their own airspace.

The End of the Storms on the Riverside?

Sunday 16th February 2014 deep in mud but blue skies and just a breeze.

The day began with an early frost which soon disappeared. Birdsong certainly indicated that this was the beginning of Spring.

This riverside oak held a large diversity of birds today

Signs of damage by the last storm on Friday were few - more twigs and small branches from the trees but just 'self - pruning'. The river had burst its banks again on Friday night but had receded by the morning, leaving the usual 'tidemarks' - contour lines of the high water marked by piles of small twigs and grasses on the riverside.

Only one tree had fallen, completely uprooted. Birds were already taking advantage, as they usually do, of good foraging in the upturned earth and holes left by the roots.

The fruit of Rosa Canina

The last day of January started calm, with mist but later the fierce weather returned and the riverside was battered by rain and gales yet again.

There were some good days however. 

A female blackbird carries away a rose hip

whilst a male blackbird blinks....

Wild January

What more can it throw at us?

Torrential rain, hail, a mini tornado, wild westerlies battering the countryside time after time and more torrential rain, clouds rushing across the sky, brief glimpses of sun with more clouds barging in to fill the space.

A starling singing under a blue sky

Throughout all kinds of bad weather, house sparrows and starlings have kept up their

singing, keeping together at all times. Only the 'mini tornado' silenced them for the few minutes

when it swept through on Saturday 25th January, suddenly darkening the landscape - a crash

of thunder and the sound of wind through tormented trees sending birds tumbling for cover.

A Few Hours of Calm

Friday 3rd January 2014: In the early hours of the morning another low moved across country bringing gales and very heavy rainfall but this cleared suddenly, with the wind dropping with a final torrential cloudburst at its trailing edge. We were getting used to the pattern now and knew there was more to come, with extra high tides and storm winds off the sea. Flood warnings were in force for the Arun, Littlehampton and Shoreham. 

A quick look on the Riverside between 11 and midday, during the brief calm - the river was very high and fast flowing but not over the banks at this time. In a sheltered area on a bend in the river I was able to stand still and observe - only for a few minutes, certainly less that 10 - yet saw a huge amount of activity, all in the visible area.

A fine view of a grey wagtail as if flew out from low on a drain, its yellow colouring flashing in the light, tail bobbing, and further downstream, amongst all the other birds, a second grey wagtail flew out upstream, keeping low over the water.

Numerous blue tits and great tits were busy feeding on debris thrown up onto the bank by the flood, under the trees. Lots of leaves and twigs, tennis balls, bottles, bark and branches, an area packed full of insects. The large numbers of birds gave away their preference for invertebrates.

A loud call from a nuthatch - I looked up - a very good view of it feeding on insects amongst bark and freshly broken branches, then another nuthatch appeared, making contact by calling softly. A treecreeper was also present, starting off up a hazel tree from very low down on the roots and trunks.

Suddenly a fieldfare flew across from Hawthorn to Blackthorn and was followed by a patrol of fieldfare, one by one over the river all into the same thicket. Then a redwing was heard giving short calls as it flew over to the same thicket calling to several more, which joined it as the wind strengthened and the sky darkened, indicating rain - but the colours of the redwing's plumage showed up in fine detail when they perched. The attraction was clearly a thicket of Blackthorn still heavy with sloes.

Chaffinches were also busy and blackbirds numerous, most flying low between the river banks. 

Several wrens were also very active low in the undergrowth of brambles, their warm red-brown plumage giving them away in a glimpse of sunshine. Robins were singing, starlings could be heard whistling and a song-thrush gave a short burst of song. House sparrows had joined the other birds foraging on the debris and in the air woodpigeons were showing off a completely new style of fast, swirling flying with the wind. Higher still black-headed gulls and herring gulls were wheeling around in full command of the gale. Across in the tall hedge, a mass of singing came from a large 'charm' of goldfinches in the ivy, their favourite place to roost and shelter.

It was starting to rain, blasted by the wind, so I returned, glancing down onto the river to see a female mallard, escorted by three quietly murmer-quacking males, totally at home in the sheltered corners of the muddy, furiously flowing river.

The inhabitants of the riverside would soon have to hunker down for the rest of the day, only resuming their frantic foraging when the next storm had flown out east.

A mighty oak on the river bank

      

The Year Ends with mud and sloes

December started with mostly overcast but dry days, sometimes feeing very cold in the north wind. Towards the middle of the month the weather changed, becoming warmer and very wet.

On Boxing Day, Thursday 26th December, a cool misty start with no wind and an uncommon sight - blue skies - after floods on Christmas Eve and hail on Christmas Day. The river was still fast  and muddy - but down to the level it was before the storm, about 1.5 meters below the top of the banks along Boldings Brook.
Robins were singing loudly, bringing the riverside to life (26) each in charge of its own territory. House sparrows too were active inside their hedgerows and bramble patches (30) and woodpigeons (34) could be seen in most trees, with some cooing in the ivy - they could well be nest-building even at this time of the year. Blue tits (48) and great tits (20) were all busy foraging for insects emerging in the sun or on seeds. The sun lit up the colours of our winter visitors, the redwing (19) making their way gradually along the riverside Blackthorn thickets; there were certainly more than could be seen, hiding amongst the tangled twigs and branches, swallowing sloes......but seldom posing, unlike this blackbird:

A Blackbird enjoying a few of the sloes in a Blackthorn thicket

on the river bank.

Many more birds were in the same thicket feeding, some on the fruits and others collecting insects on the floating islands of debris on the river surface - all manner of good things, seeds too from the riverbank grasses and flower heads. Birds delight in floating debris made up of twigs, branches, grasses leaves, fruits, berries and stalks from riverbank plants - as these islands are usually rich sources of food and provide platforms for bathing and preening, sheltered by the high banks.
These islands are shared by blue and great tits, house sparrows, blackbirds, goldfinches, chaffinches (8) today - and a moorhen.

Eleven song thrushes were seen, foraging under hedges, on the river debris, some chasing each other and some just singing from prominent branches - all were much easier to see than the shy redwings. Blackbirds (20) too were easily seen and sometimes heard uttering alarm calls but none heard singing yet. A loose party of long-tailed tits (23) flew into an Ash tree, foraging for a few seconds then moving on to an old oak, leaving some of the group behind. Quiet contact calls kept the large party together, all following in the same direction.
The other winter visitors, the fieldfares (13) were mostly keeping to the trees with one or two foraging on the saturated ground around the pond.  A fine large mistle thrush was lit up by the low sun on a high branch in an oak, where a crow, starling and group of fieldfare were also perched. It was good to see large numbers of starlings - a close-knit group of about 50 flying across over the trees and splitting up to circle around, choosing their trees. Others were already perched together, whistling as if roosting (76).  The soggy conditions had attracted numbers of carrion crows (22), with jackdaws (3) and rooks (2), 4 magpies, 8 black-headed gulls and 6 herring gulls. A small group of goldfinches (5) flew across to join others, invisible in their thicket.
Looking south, droplets of water, melted frost, on the dog rose and blackthorn glistened in the low sun, shining with all the colours of the rainbow - and a great-spotted woodpecker flew from a riverside oak across into another oak where it clung to a branch, a fine sight in the sun, then a second one flew across too, from tree to tree (2).
At last! a loud yaffle from a green woodpecker from the long grasses and another yaffle further down the river revealed a second green woodpecker flying low over grass (2).  Amongst the trees - a good view of a nuthatch quietly foraging, then in another tree, a glimpse of a redwing and an angry call from another nuthatch. In a thicket occupied by elusive redwing, a third nuthatch was seen together with the roaming party of long-tailed tits and a very active squirrels (3). Under the trees and brambles, wrens (5) were too busy foraging to sing. A treecreeper was seen upside down rapidly moving along a branch and 3 dunnocks were seen, one perched high in a tree, starting to sing as if it was fooled into thinking it was spring....
Facing into the sun, looking amongst the dense branches of a conifer, some tiny birds were moving fast. These were 3 goldcrests, choosing the sunlit side to forage. Another small bird, probably a summer visitor which has decided to stay put - a silent chiffchaff - a fine view in the sunshine in a blackthorn thicket.
It is worth noting that both the floating islands of debris and the tangled blackthorn thickets today were full of birds all sharing the available food, with no bickering, attacking or chasing!

The Arun under blue skies 2 days after the storm when it burst 

its banks

After a stormy sleepless night with very strong winds and torrential rain, Christmas Eve dawned with the rivers in flood. The wind and rain abated and eventually the flood waters receded, the muddy waters of the Arun flowing out into the sea at low tide at Littlehampton.

The view from 'the seat on the hill' on 24th December 2013.

The Arun is flowing from the left and Boldings Brook from

the right, forming a vast lake all the way to the A24 and beyond.

On the grass a group of Fieldfare had moved in to take advantage of the fine feeding to be enjoyed on the waterlogged ground. A pair of Mallard were also quite unconcerned.