A Feast for Warblers at the End of May

31st May 2014 - where the water ripples, warblers were seen 'flycatching',

watching from perches on the riverbank branches, then flying out low over the river to catch flies, then back to perch and watch.

The flies over the river here were Mayflies - and - Damselflies, mainly Banded Demoiselle Damselflies gathered here to catch small flies but became themselves prey!

Male Banded Demoiselle Damselfly perched on fresh bramble leaves

Such a difference from last year, when Damselflies were first seen on 31st May (2013)!

Summer is well established, with Red Admiral butterflies fast flying high and low together, influenced by the sun. As soon as clouds obscured the sun, they flew high into the tree canopy then back down skimming the riverbank vegetation when the sun appeared again. Peacock butterflies were warming up in more open spaces.

Bramble flowers, long awaited by bees, were now opening along the warmer banks

and it was good to welcome back the Tree Bumblebees

Here's a Record of wildlife for Sunday 25th May (photos on previous blog)

Plenty of sky visible between the cumulus clouds today - cool in the breeze but warm in sheltered areas. Heavy rain yesterday (24th) had left the river running fast but the level had already receded by about  half a meter. The rain had cooled the earth - much cooler than last weekend. It was good to see that some of the brambles were now flowering. Dog rose, Elder and Honeysuckle all flowering too.

Why another record so soon after the last? 

There's so much activity and the natural landscape is changing so fast that every day offers a different  aspect . The length of the day, the water temperature, the flowering of plants, the nesting of birds and emergence of insects all are finely tuned to maximise the mutual benefits bestowed on each living thing along the river. Nothing lives in isolation - everything is dependent on other things. take one link in the chain away - destroy one life form and the rest that depend upon it are destroyed or depleted too.

Today, juveniles were especially evident, with 85 starlings seen and very much heard, most of them fledged juveniles still being fed by their parents. 31 blackbirds were seen, some now singing again whilst others were busy collecting food for their young, often fledged but hiding in the undergrowth.

Juvenile blue tits were very vocal too, calling out from inside ivy cover, willows and oaks 47 in all. Great tits were more visible, juveniles with huge gapes lined up along the branches all being fed with caterpillars by the parents (17). House sparrow adults too had many juveniles to feed, with numerous young hiding in the Bramble thickets, safe from the view of predators (40).

Collared doves were nesting (4) as were woodpigeons (16) now seen in pairs rather than flocks, some carrying nest material to their traditional nest sites. A few Jackdaws on the move (5) were quite vocal, as were the crows (3) and only 2 magpies.

A green woodpecker was seen flying silently across the river to an oak - a sign that it has young to feed. A great spotted woodpecker called from a distant oak - a warning call.

Suddenly two small birds flew across from the fields into an Ash. A fine yellow male and a more subtle -coloured female - they were a pair of yellowhammers - so good to see them - hope they are nesting somewhere safe from predators.

Looking into a conifer, some tiny shapes could be seen moving around - with high voices -

'The Day of the Juveniles' was made perfect by the presence of 4 young goldcrests being fed. One adult made a spectacular falling flight down the tree from one brach to the next below catching insects as it went. The young lined up in a row waiting until one of the adults flew over to fill their gaping beaks.(6 total)

On the river itself 2 mallard were seen, making quiet calls - probably contact calls to young and 2 moorhens certainly nesting, one giving an alarm call. There was plenty of food for 2 songthrushes foraging under leaves on the ground, pulling large worms from the damp earth. They will only turn to snails if the earth dries up and other food is no longer available. Chaffinches were singing (4) - together with singing wrens (7) less numerous than usual as most are still nesting and keeping very quiet. Two goldfinches flew across the river to a nest and a pair of long-tailed tits were busy foraging.

With flies and other insects so numerous, finding warblers along the river was no difficult. Walking under a willow, a sudden loud burst of song made me look up to see a fine male blackcap and 5 others were both seen and heard singing in various willows along the bank. Garden warblers,(7) more numerous this year, seemed to be competing with the others, willow warblers with their unique song joining in (3).

Only the first warblers to arrive this spring were quiet - the chiffchaffs (5) with only two singing or making contact calls.

The silent ones were busy catching insects, the fastest-moving birds.

The most interesting are the whitethroats (10) , some singing - but their characteristic bouncing over their chosen nest sites - usually the same locations each year make them vulnerable birds, in need of habitat protection.

 It was good to see the aerial summer visitors, the swifts (9), catching insects on the wing over the river, following the river course, with some low-flying house martins.(6)

Accompanying the swifts, flying cross-wind was a hobby, gone in a flash, after a dragonfly.

The conditions being near perfect, damselflies were numerous along the river banks with large numbers of Banded Demoiselle damselflies, the males' brilliant metallic blues glinting in the sunshine - and mnay Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies, some dancing high up over the water. Many Azure damselflies were present too, settling briefly on nettle and bramble leaves  before drifting on to the next. Some nearly collided with the Banded demoiselles, there were so many of them. Large Red damselflies were catching insects from vantage points on nettle leaves or chasing each other across the water. One Hairy dragonfly was trying to join the swifts and martins, flying high.

With the brambles coming into flower, the bees were out in good numbers, today mainly Honeybees, with some bumblebees, including Tree bumblebees and red-tailed bumblebees on the Dock. Seven-spot Ladybirds were active, flying from leaf to leaf. At times I was 'wading' through Mayflies making their up and down flight on the banks. Butterflies appeared in the more sheltered areas, with Speckled Wood, Small White, Large White, Green-veined White and a few Orange-tip. A clump of Nettles on the bank were rapidly being eaten by groups of caterpillars - those of the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly - so watch out! If they survive there will be a good emergence of these beautiful butterflies along the river.     

A Summer's Day in May

Today 25th May 2014, although cool, was early summer at it's best along the riverside.

above:  A Green-veined White butterfly perching on nettle flowers

A male Azure Damselfly - one of many today warming up on

the river bank leaves, moving or rather drifting from one perch to the next, never pausing for long.

A male Large Red Damselfly chose a larger leaf to perch on in the sun. These were

quite numerous but I didn't see as many as the Azures today.

A female Banded Demoiselle posing on a nettle leaf, ready for take-off.

Many nettle leaves were host to caterpillars today - these are the

caterpillars of the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

Last Monday, 19th May 2014 - a full record of wildlife seen on the Riverside:

A sunny day with a warm breeze, the river quite low but flowing well with cow parsley flowering along river banks and verges, a healthy growth of nettles mixed with brambles and buttercups. The Hawthorn blossom, early this year, like all plant life (except perhaps the Ash), was just finishing.

The river had recently been much higher, obvious from the muddy leaves and grasses on the banks about 2 meters above the present water level.

House Sparrows were by far the most numerous bird today- over 80 seen in various areas, many juveniles, preening in the sun whilst others were catching insects, flycatcher-like, from fences and branches. Blackbirds were also numerous, 23, some singing full songs, others calling softly to young or giving alarm calls when threatened by the presence of squirrels which were noisily chasing each other (4). Woodpigeons (15) never usually cause alarm amongst any birds, but when suddenly taking off can alert small birds to possible danger - Woodpigeons have big eyes and often spot things that small birds don't immediately notice.

Blue and great tits (24, 17) were not as visible as usual, being still busy nesting, collecting food for young still in the nest, although some fledged young blue tits were heard begging, hidden, then glimpsed in a Willow. Great tits favoured the dark, damp ground under trees to find food.

Chiffchaffs (4) were heard singing and calling but those nesting were hidden and silent. 3 song thrushes were seen and heard singing, they should do well this year with no shortage earthworms, caterpillars and beetles. Early nesters, they may already be rearing a second brood. Many robins were singing again (13) as they, like the song thrush, are early nesters and may rear several broods.

Wrens were singing strongly too (12). The very variable weather conditions have caused large variations in river flows and water levels which can affect nest building and survival of young, perhaps the local wrens have learnt not to choose nest sites too low down on the river banks. Chaffinches (5) build more robust nests higher up, carefully constructed to withstand bad weather. A dunnock was heard calling and another feeding low down with the great tits and a single greenfinch was seen. Goldfinches (6) were singing quietly today, no longer seen in flocks but in ones and twos.

New growth on the conifers made it easier for birds to hide away but one goldcrest was seen flying into the sunny side of a conifer to feed. It may have a nest there too.

Starlings are finding favourable conditions, more seem to be around this year, with many young (31).  Three nuthatches were seen but remained silent, clearly still nesting and feeding young, careful not to draw attention to their nest sites. Magpies (2) and crows (2) were nesting as well, with adults seen carrying food for their young, whilst two jackdaws flew over. A buzzard  glided leisurely above the river, no need to flap wings in the breeze, together with 4 black-headed gulls.  A pheasant called but remained hidden in the undergrowth.

Warblers were present in good numbers along the river bank vegetation. Chiffchaffs are always the first to arrive and start nesting in this ideal habitat and are followed later by willow warblers (1). It was very good to see the whitethroats return to their traditional habitat and hear their song again (6). A garden warbler sang from a Willow with others heard along the river  (7) - and a sudden loud burst of characteristic fine song came from a blackcap. Four were seen and heard singing today. 

Another warbler was heard singing - an more difficult song to identify! Sounded like a possible wood warbler but not quite!

Down on the river soft calls alerted me to a male mallard which was slowly paddling upstream

- accompanied by Banded Demoiselle damselflies.. more mallard (6), all male, were seen on and over the river.

The fine weather was good for damselflies, with freshly emerged Azure damselflies, several Large Red damselflies, mostly favouring the hazel leaves and some pairs mating. Banded Demoiselle damselflies were very active, with males and females hunting, giving good comparisons when perching on leaves close together. Freshly emerged Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies very seen clinging to old dry nettle stalks whilst others warmed up on Field Maple, Bramble and Nettle leaves. More were seen ranging low over the grasses away from the river. A few Blue-tailed damselflies were seen low over the river bank and four, almost invisible, fragile damselflies were probably White-legged damselflies, in their special area where they seem to appear each year. 

Huge numbers of small flies and Mayflies were concentrated over the river and near banks - all good food for warblers and many other birds - dragonflies too - and at night, bats.

Other large insects seen were White-tailed and Red-tailed Bumblebees on the new Bramble flowers, Seven-Spot ladybirds - also on Brambles and some flying along the bank; more than 15 Orange-tip Butterflies, a few Peacock butterflies, several Large White, Small White and Green-veined White butterflies in the sunny areas and Speckled Wood butterflies in the shadier wooded areas, with two Holly Blue butterflies ranging along the bank vegetation 

The river warms up and it's time to climb

Today, the 18th of May, was warm and fine, the water temperature just right for the emergence of huge numbers of Damselflies from the river bed. Terrific winter floods, with huge logs carried downstream like matchsticks, seemed to have scoured the banks and river bed of all life and growth, but recovery was rapid and river plants and wildlife have been thriving.

During the past few days, luxurious river bank vegetation has grown to provide just the right conditions  for damselflies, dragonflies and the insects they thrive on. Stems of reeds and grasses to climb up out of the water and hazel and nettle leaves to perch on and dry out. Last year's dry nettle stalks were popular perches for the heavier Dragonflies to cling to whilst waiting for prey.

Orange Tip butterflies were still ranging along the river banks.
 

A Female Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly perches of a fresh Hazel leaf on the river bank together with many more in various stages of emergence. They have a very light butterfly-like flight and are found on clean, fast flowing rivers.

Our river here is certainly fast-flowing! 

A newly emerged male Banded Demoiselle Damselfly warms up in the sun on a nettle leaf nearby the one above and can be found on slow-flowing muddy rivers as well. 

Suitable habitats for both species can be found along the same river here, with fast flowing stretches and more sheltered, slow flowing meanders.

The river bank, on this stretch covered with flowering Cow Parsley

after the Wild Garlic has finished. A favourite area for Mallard and Moorhen to spend time foraging unseen in the river below.

April ends, alternating between sun and deluge

All the rain and sunshine has resulted in excellent growth on the riverside and attracted wildlife from far and wide.

Guelder Rose already starting to flower

A male Blackbird watches from a lookout whilst its mate is nesting.

Some trees, such as Ash have been very slow to show signs of leaf

whilst others, such as hawthorn and Oak are a mass of green

The May is out in April

By the middle of April the Hawthorn along the river was in full leaf with plenty of flower buds. Blue skies and warm weather meant that the May was flowering early this year, taking over from the Blackthorn.

May blossom under blue skies

and a damp corner crowded with violets on the river bank, attracting many insects such as small bees

Garlic Mustard in flower in warm shelter on the bank

Garlic Mustard close-up. The leaves have a garlic scent which

attracts the Orange Tip butterfly. Both the wild plant and 

the butterfly have been flourishing extremely well this spring.

Wild Garlic flowering everywhere on shady river banks.

This is an entirely different plant and gives a strong garlic smell to

any area where it grows, looking more exotic than the unobtrusive

Garlic Mustard

In the centre, Wood Buttercup or Goldilocks Buttercup (Ranunculus auricomus)

mingling with Lesser Celandine

Contrasting with the damp areas, not far away - a patch of subsoil

exposed to the sun where an old oak was uprooted in a storm - is now thriving with plantain

and is very popular with all butterflies, including this Peacock.

A plant with hairy leaves and vivid blue flowers also thriving here 

on the river bank -

Green Alkanet

April - and the summer blackcaps are back!

Wild Flowers along the Riverside are an important food source for many species.

We need to encourage and protect the vast diversity of all wild plants growing here

in order to sustain the diversity of wildlife inhabiting the rivers, banks and meadows.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on Dandelion

April 9th 2014

Orange Tip butterfly female on a common daisy

April 9th 2014

The female is less gaudy than the male which has orange tips to the wings - hence the name.

April 2014 so far has shown the very best of a typical April in England. Blackcaps had arrived back at the end of March and were in full song early in April along the river amongst the willows and Blackthorn blossom.

The River bank in early April - bursting into leaf

Early wild flowers such as the brilliantly shining Lesser Celandine (above), Lady's Smock (Cuckooflower) and Wood Anemone have been lighting up the river banks - surviving 

the winter floods and growing all the better for the damp conditions.

Lady's Smock or Cuckooflower with fresh nettles on the bank,

both attracting butterflies. The former is an important foodplant for the

Orange Tip butterfly caterpillar and the nettle leaves are an important foodplant 

for Small Tortoiseshell butterfly caterpillars and several other species.

Wood Anemone with Lesser Celandine under a tree

Tuesday April 1st 2014

Out along the river with the intention to have a quick look for butterflies - but it soon became evident that the regeneration of the river banks, with wild flowers and fresh green vegetation springing up had attracted a large diversity of wildlife. New nettle and bramble growth and clumps of Cuckoo flower were doing well on the riverside and in the wild flower meadow (reptile field) with profuse-flowering Lesser Celandine everywhere and the first flowers of Wild Garlic appearing under the river bank trees. A good spring indeed for wild flowers.

It was a misty damp start to the day which became clear, bright and sunny with some wispy high loud. It was quiet with no wind and birdsong could be heard all along the river course. 

Chiffchaffs (18) again dominated the riverside song today but a group of goldfinches (21) produced a background chorus from a dense thicket. Three had been bathing in the river and flew up to dry off on overhanging branches.

The river water was clear now and lower, with water plants beginning to grow. A pair of dunnocks were chasing along the top of the bank, another flew into the hedge right past me whilst another was singing over the river (4). Wrens (20) were numerous and easily seen as almost all were singing today rather than hiding away under the banks. Robins (16) too were singing strongly, but could not compete with the chiffchaffs in loudness. House sparrows (33) were busy in their hedgerows and chattering in the bramble thickets, whilst a few starlings (7) whistled from their thicket. Chaffinches were singing today (8) together with 3 greenfinches nearby, high in the trees. 

Numerous caterpillars, mostly amongst the oak branches, attracted the blue tits (24) and great tits(12) and long-tailed tits (4) were collecting insects to feed their young, as they start nesting early in the spring. In the clear sky a group of linnets (7) were seen flying across the river over a conifer. I heard a thin high call from amongst its branches a saw a goldcrest foraging - together with a large bumblebee 

(Bombus terrestris). The tree was full of small cones and large numbers of flying insects danced around it. 

The bat flyway hedgerow is also extremely popular with birds, with its southern side providing a warm area to perch, preen, sing and forage and its shady northern side providing damp leaf-litter foraging at its base. A song thrush flew up from the river into the base of the hedge, into some ivy further down river two more (3) were seen and heard singing loudly, in competition, one on each side of the river whilst close to them a male blackcap was singing a beautiful  and varied song of its own. Others remained hidden.

Blackbirds were numerous today (25), all busy foraging and only one taking time off to perch and sing. A few corvids had joined in foraging on the grass, whilst others flew across - there were 5 carrion crows, 3 magpies, 1 jackdaw, a silent jay and 3 rooks. Woodpigeons (17) were taking advantage of the warming river water to bathe and 6 male mallard were seen in various places on the water - the females were probably hidden away on nests. 

Nuthatches (4) - two pairs - were busy nesting but the foraging birds were calling, more softly than usual, just to make contact with their mates and 4 great spotted woodpeckers were seen in different nest areas, two flying from tree to tree and another two chasing and shouting loudly - one was probably fending off an imposter. Not far away upsteam 2 green woodpeckers were jaffling, much louder than the Great-spotted woodpeckers but just making contact. A loud yaffle from a third green woodpecker rang out from the northern field. 

Finally - raptors!  Looking up from the activity on the river bank, I saw two pairs of common buzzards and a single one (5) gliding in the breeze, forming a group, beautiful to watch and  to listen to their contact calls. Then lower down a kestrel was seen fling over the river into the increasing breeze.

BUTTERFLIES

Last but not least, the excellent conditions this spring for wild flowers has also brought out the butterflies and other insects, some appearing much earlier than usual.

A large number of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies (26) were seen, basking on nettles, ranging over the river bank nettles, warming up on dry fallen oak leaves, debris washed up on the banks, on dry old nettle stalks and some flying high, chasing.

Orange Tip butterflies (11) basking briefly and flying along  and back again amongst the Cuckoo flowers, Wood Anemone and wild violets on the river banks and field.

Comma butterflies (4) perching on the nettle leaves, Brimstones (2) ranging along the banks and Peacock butterflies (8) some settling down on the young nettle leaves to bask whilst others were nectaring on the profuse Blackthorn blossom.

Hoverflies were numerous on and over the Celandine and fast flying Red-tailed and Buff-tailed Bumble bees, several very high-flying ranged over the river course.

A prelude to a fine summer for wildlife here!

Blackthorn Blossom and Bumblebees

On Monday 24th March the Blackthorn blossom had suddenly appeared and so had the Bumblebees - perfect timing.

A fine example of Blackthorn as it should be, wild, unkempt and full of flowers, with spring clouds drifting through a blue sky.

The weather was good, with clear skies at first after a light frost overnight. There was a cold breeze from the east, bringing in clouds later. The river was reasonably low but fast-flowing, carrying less mud now. Lesser Celandine was covering even more of the banks, with Lady's Smock (Cuckoo flower) and violets appearing.
The Blackthorn in blossom was attracting many birds, both amongst the branches and in the long grasses all along the base of the hedgerows. Old trees proved yet again that Storms Provide Homes  in creating new holes and crevices under newly split bark and broken branches. Heaps of fallen twigs, larger fallen branches and uprooted trees, left where they fall, provide ground-nesting birds and small mammals with ideal spring habitat and winter refuges.

  It's nature at its best and nature will win! 

A welcome sight for birds, bees and butterflies

Today, Bumblebees around the blossom were mainly Bombus terrestris (Buff-tailed), with some low-flying Bombus lapidarius (Red-tailed),  Bombus lucorum (White-tailed) and Bombus pratorum (Early Bumblebee) 

There seem to be some giant-sized bumblebees this spring, perhaps due to the mild winter.

Two Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were visible, warming up on the dry stalks of last-year's nettles, with fresh green nettles springing up amongst them, on the river bank.

Blue tits were the most numerous birds (43), busy nesting and collecting insects amongst the ivy whilst great tits (24) were easy to see, foraging in the oaks and calling, in very good condition with bright smart plumage. The usual group of starlings were gathered, whistling in their thicket with other small groups seen flying (25). Grassy areas were wet with melted frost on very muddy ground, ideal for blackbirds (20) which found it easy to find food whilst others were busy nesting, silent apart from alarm calls warning off intruders. One song thrush saw seen at the base of a thicket with two silent dunnocks nearby.

The loudest and most persistent singers today were the wrens (17) which were all guarding their territories along the banks, investigating the heaps of small twigs, flood debris, for insects. One wren was seen visiting a hole in an oak, looking in then flying around then returning to the same place several times. Potential nest site or source of food? Whatever it was, it was suddenly chased away by the arrival of a nuthatch, calling loudly. The nuthatch then moved up the trunk and away, still calling, a warning to the wren not to approach its territory. Three other nuthatches were seen and heard in trees along the river (4).

Our new arrivals, the chiffchaffs (11) were making themselves at home, all calling and moving restlessly through the branches - a very good view of one making a fantastic zig-zag descent from one twig to another, collecting insects, making the blue tits look quite cumbersome in comparison.

Other birds singing were chaffinches (10), greenfinches (2) and a group of goldfinches (11), the latter were amongst catkins, never loud but hardly ever silent!  House sparrows (41) in separate colonies, some together in dense brambles, others in hedgerows were heard, some males calling. 

Violets on the grass just as the early frost was melting

Robins (17) were very active, chasing each other amongst the brambles and blossom, singing and foraging - but could not compete in volume with the song of the chiffchaffs. Just one last winter migrant was glimpsed in the Blackthorn, a redwing, ready to join the return flight north.

Woodpigeons (21) were evenly distributed  in ones and twos, dozing in trees or foraging and 3 collared doves were calling from the ivy. One calling pheasant was heard close by- but even closer a very loud yaffle from a green woodpecker rang out - it was answered by another green woodpecker in the distance (2). 10 carrion crows were seen, most single, flying across and 3 magpies on their way to high nests. Four jackdaws and 3 rooks were also seen, silently foraging. 

Down low on the river two male mallard were chasing and further along a mallard pair were seen preening in the sunshine. Elsewhere along the river the quiet calls of more mallard could be heard, hidden by the steep banks (more than 4 in total). A sparrowhawk flew low across from bank to bank in a split second, causing no disturbance.

High thin calls gave away the presence of a goldcrest foraging in a conifer, just tiny movements amongst the evergreen then a fine view for a second. Calls from the sky - a buzzard approaching fast in the wind, suddenly banking and turning to circle, dropping lower with each circle until it was out of sight behind the trees.