April - Whitethroats and Orange Tips!

Today, Tuesday 21st April, the riverside burst into a new song - robins

and wrens gave way to new arrivals, migrant Common Whitethroats which seemed

to be singing from each Blackthorn thicket along the river, with blackcaps heard amongst the blossom too.

Along the damp river banks and over the Wild flower Field, Orange tip butterflies were seen for the first time this year, hassled in some areas by Small Tortoiseshells

Fresh Blackthorn Blossom

April 2015 so far has been dry, dusty and windy. The ground is cracking wherever it lies bare, dried by the sun and the North wind. These conditions mean birds find foraging difficult and are naturally attracted to the river banks and damp riverine vegetation for food and shelter from the wind. 

Compared to last year, the flowering of plants and blossom is still late but sunshine certainly brought Lesser Celandine flowers out in profusion where they are normally only seen in small clumps here and there.

Earlier this month, on 6th April, signs of the land warming up:

Here on the river bank more Lesser Celandine pushed up through deep layers 

of last year's leaves, fallen twigs and flood debris

and here a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly perches on dry debris to warm up

A couple of days later, on 8th April:

A fine Peacock butterfly was seen on the river bank Cuckooflower, which this year is flourishing - good news for butterflies.

Then on the 21st April, yet another fine day and warm too, the Wild Garlic was flowering after a slow start:

and Blackthorn blossom was at its best (see first photo)

  

Blackthorn Blossom suddenly appears

March 24th 2015 - comparing with the same day last year, the Blackthorn blossom has appeared 'on time' at least.

Blackthorn blossom mixes with last year's bramble leaves. New

Bramble shoots are visible too.

Wood Anemone flowers just opening under the Oaks

The day was cold  but with some gaps in the cloud and not much wind and background noise low.The river was lowish and clearer as there had been very little rain for some days. Wild garlic growth had been slow but was now forming a carpet under the trees, with Cow parsley and Wood Anemone in the Oak roots. Most Blackthorn was still in bud but flowering well in sunny locations leaving the rest of the riverside looking very bare and dry. It was 'The Day of the Wrens' and Chiffchaffs which had arrived during the past fortnight were now in competition. Black clouds were approaching and it became quite cold in their shade and progressively colder as a northerly breeze sprang up.

A very loud scuffle broke the stillness in the thicket close to the path. Angry calls revealed a songthrush in the base of a thicket and a second songthrush flew left, perched and started to sing whilst a third flew up giving an alarm call then resumed its song. It was not clear what caused the alarm - there had been a sparrowhawk about but this seemed more like a territorial dispute. Other song thrushes were singing in different locations along the river (6) total.

Robins were still singing strongly and will keep this up for many weeks, only pausing to bathe and preen - and forage (22). Many blackbirds were seen all along, mostly under the damp earth at the base of hedgerows or digging in the harder ground on the banks amongst the Lesser Celandine. Only two were singing out of the 24 seen. A pair of nesting dunnocks were perched on a sapling for a better view of their surroundings but dropped quickly back into the brambles on the bank. Another was seen flying up from under a willow (3). In the river a mallard pair paddled slowly along whilst another male perched on an 'island' of twigs (3); no need now to struggle against the current, finding quiet backwaters will become easier as the riverbank vegetation grows up and over, proving hiding places.

Singing wrens (24) dominated the 'soundscape', singing full, loud songs often answered by another bird nearby, most choosing higher perches where they are visible. Nest-building will be done in secret, in silence, however.

Arriving migrants, the chiffchaffs (12) start singing as soon as they arrive and have recovered from their long flights. They will stay put where foraging is good, with sufficient supplies of insects to feed their young when nesting. The river environment provides perfect habitat for them with dense vegetation and thickets and their early arrival in spring usually enables them to settle before the other warblers arrive. The late spring of 2013 however was hard for them and the river was even more important to their survival, with its own 'microclimate' in the frozen landscape, where insects could be found down on the sheltered banks, warmed by the unfrozen water.

The new 'scrape' seen from the river bank with large muddy 'beaches' 

after water was allowed to drain into the river - but leaving a good quantity in the deep part of the scrape. Black-headed gulls and other birds have been foraging in the mud and bathing in the shallows.

House sparrows were numerous as usual (80) but staying under the cover of brambles and hawthorn hedgrows, chatting, being very aware of the presence of a sparrowhawk, its stealthy habits and characteristic shape and flight. Starlings (55) just seem to keep together - safety in numbers, whistling loudly in their day roost where they gather in numbers. More were feeding out on the grass whilst others took to the air on group missions. Blue tits (54) were on the move, bickering and singing, never still for long, many searching amongst the ivy for insects and possible nest sites inside old trees whilst others are already nesting.  Great tits (24) were still calling loudly, the males looking very bright in their breeding plumage whilst long-tailed tits (7) now mostly in pairs, called very softly to each other, selecting materials in the old oaks for their nests which take several weeks to build from scratch each spring.  Chaffinches (3) and greenfinches (4) have not been numerous in this area, perhaps preferring dry sandy and gritty areas rather than clay and mud but Goldfinches (17) do very well here, with permanent colonies often located in dense ivy where they sit and sing, flying out together to forage on seeds, then separating into pairs in the spring to nest.

A jay suddenly flew across - they are returning to the riverside oaks after spending the winter in woods elsewhere perhaps where there were acorns. Loud drumming from a great spotted woodpecker was answered by another, drumming in a distant tree (2) and high calls in a conifer alerted me to two  goldcrests foraging. Two nuthatches were still busy perfecting their nest, working together, with one doing the work whilst the other sat nearby and kept watch, then changing over roles.

Out in the open sky a skylark sang and two others were seen and heard in the distance. 21 herring gulls were gliding over high to catch the northerly breeze and lower over the fields 4 jackdaws were calling together with 3 rooks and 3 black-headed gulls. Carrion crows (30) were more numerous than usual, the recently-worked fields attracting them whilst others sat in tree tops. Large numbers of woodpigeons (70)  and a few magpies had joined the crows on the nearest field but suddenly they were all up as a buzzard flew over and down to land in a hedgerow.

The Slow Start of Spring in March

Sunday 8th March 2015

Exactly one month since the previous full report - what has changed since then along the Riverside? There has certainly been no sudden bursting into life, it even appears to be regressing with the effects of the cold dry wind.

A sign of hope, however. I spotted a large bumble bee flying along

the river bank, coming to land on the thick layer of last-year's leaves,

to gain some warmth from the hazy sun.

                          

The bee is a Buff-tailed bumble bee - Bombus Terrestris 

with traces of pollen on its head and back taking a rest from

foraging.

A bright morning with a southerly breeze and hazy sunshine with no frost this morning. The river was lower now but not yet clear of mud from fields upstream. The landscape still looks very bare, not much like spring, only the wild garlic shoots and catkins growing longer, the grass still brown and dry - if anything, even barer than 8th February.

Abundant signs of life along the river however from birdsong, robins dominating the river bank, singing from prominent song posts, chasing interlopers or suddenly appearing very close to me on a branch or fence (24), and good numbers of goldfinches chasing and singing from their usual ivy hideouts (33).  Blue tits (36) were very active foraging for insects in the oaks and dodging amongst the catkins, with some bickering but no actual song heard unlike the great tits (20) which were singing strongly, their calls carrying a long way through the bare trees, each seeming to have their own invention of simple song or call phrases.

Blackbirds were still silent but numerous (19) most feeding on the damp river banks where a few hardy Lesser Celandine flowers were appearing, with one or two clumps of snowdrops, usually seen much earlier.  Dunnocks (4) were singing strongly in the same area, with two dashing across the river to perch, tails flicking whilst a blackbird hurried away carrying a large worm. Starlings (34) added their cheerful whistling to the chorus from their day-roost whilst others joined woodpigeons (30) on the dry grass. Other woodpigeons were busy feeding on ivy berries or drinking and bathing down low on the banks sheltering from the increasingly cold wind. Carrion crows (12) were calling or perching in pairs now high in the trees. One was seen walking along the footpath methodically collecting fallen twigs, selecting those of precisely the right length for building or refurbishing its nest. Magpies (4) were seen collecting random twigs to add to their rough nests. Just one collared dove was seen, its mate almost certainly on their nest amongst the ivy. A great spotted woodpecker was seen in flight crossing the river, silently, but 3 jackdaws announced their presence with loud calls. Persistent drumming from the woodpecker was heard later. 

Not far away, a nuthatch was heard calling loudly, in warning, protecting its nest area - and further upstream two more were seen, probably a pair, with one extremely annoyed by foraging blue tits

on its tree (3).

It was very good to hear the far more tuneful song of skylarks (3) over the field, claiming their territories.

Some chaffinches were calling now (12) but most were seen foraging on the ground. Four greenfinches were seen, two calling, never usually seen here in large numbers. A green woodpecker yaffled from the trees and a bullfinch called softly, unseen until it flew across to another tree, a fine bright male.

At last, the river wrens were singing (17) and chasing along the banks, starting to build nests, the birds still very visible. Overhead, 2 long-tailed tits were seen collecting lichen from branches, for nest building in dense undergrowth.  Songthrushes (2) were silent this morning however and sheltering - they are more frequently seen and heard when the wind has dropped in the evenings and calm early mornings. House sparrows (51) were seen in good numbers too, they maintain their presence all year round in several colonies within dense hedgerows and bramble patches and within easy reach of the river where some were bathing today. Two mallard were enjoying shelter under the high banks of the river too whilst 85 herring gulls were seen sailing in groups overhead.

Last but not least, a brilliant white LITTLE EGRET suddenly flew up from the river where it had been foraging unseen behind the steep banks - and flew up amongst the trees, heading south along the river, stopping to perch on an oak. Further downstream a second little egret was perched in a tree branch over the river surveying the water intently:

One little egret, watching from the branch of an oak over the river

Eventually it flew off to join 20 black-headed gulls on the grass field - hoping to blend in with the crowd - but not quite! About half of the gulls were in summer plumage, with the rest in various stages of transition. They all soon flew off together, the little egret diverting off to the river downstream when the gulls went over to the nearby 'scrape'.

February - the End of Winter

The last day of February - the highlights of the month were the large numbers of birds singing, the 

lack of snow but frosty nights, the strength of the sun when it appeared....and the numerous sightings of Little Egrets along the river.

Hazel catkins in the sun on the river bank.

When it comes to looking at the value of a tree to wildlife in general, the Oak is regarded as the most valuable, followed by members of the Willow species, Birch, Scots Pine, Crab Apple, Alder and hedgerow species such as Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Hazel. Value is not always as obvious as a tree providing nuts, berries or fruits for birds and mammals. Most of these trees attract a large diversity of insects or large numbers of a few species of insect (biomass) which are a valuable source of food to birds, not only in the warmer months.

February on the riverside started started with some very cold weather (for us!) and strong NW winds, overnight frosts and snow flurries with some heavier snow showers ending in prolonged sleet on 5th

but with no snow settling. Shallow water froze over but usually thawed during the daytime. The 8th was a typical day (see previous Report) but song thrushes were heard singing strongly on calmer evenings and grey heron seen following the river course. Nuthatches were very vocal and one or two Roe deer were seen browsing in the undergrowth.

Mid February saw some very heavy rain but song thrushes continued singing and there was increased activity and singing amongst the groups of goldfinch, starlings and occasionally linnets. Towards the end of the month there were sightings of kingfishers on the river and more sightings of little egrets. Green woodpeckers were heard yaffling and great spotted woodpeckers were drumming, with robins and song thrushes continuing their song.

  

The Cold North Wind and February Sunshine

Sunday 8th February 2015

A very cold northerly wind but a blue sky signed with contrails from various aircraft meant that birds were sheltering down under the river banks or in thickets waiting for the sun to reach the top branches. Hazel catkins are growing long on the branches overhanging the river with bare banks now showing signs of green shoots, most will be Wild Garlic but finer shoots under the old oaks will be Wood Anemone. The ground was strewn with fallen twigs as a result of the very strong north-east winds - just trees self-pruning.

  

One of the many robins heard singing along the banks today, the strongest setting up their territories on prime sites close to the river. This one was warming up in the low sun whilst moving around amongst the dense thicket branches, often pausing to sing and listen out for the opposition. 

Every day on the riverside is different, with weather systems having the main influence on what is
heard and seen and what remains silent and hidden, or is absent, from one day to the next.
At this time of the year robins are singing strongly, the males cannot stay silent for long, as their song is their existence. Today there were (31) seen and heard, with no shortage of food to be found under the damp fallen leaves and amongst the river bank roots.
House Sparrows (60) in several colonies, were heard amongst the dense brambles whilst others were bathing in the river shallows and flying up to dry off in sheltered sunny banks. They like to be close to a source of water even when the weather is cold as the air is dry and they need to drink. A large number were seen flying up from one of the new ponds. Their friends, the starlings (38) were mainly gathered in a thicket, whistling, singing and clicking, shining where the sun touched them.
Great tits (21) were showing off their smart plumage, foraging on our native planting along the bank and pausing to sing before dropping down onto the ground to search for food amongst the stalks.
Blue tits (40) were active everywhere in sheltered patches, calling, singing and exploring potential nest holes in the old trees.
Dunnocks (7) were easily seen, choosing unusually high perches from which to sing into the sun, whilst others were in amongst the holly, flicking tails and wings, displaying to each other. Wrens (7)  were hiding and silent -  the few that were seen today were low down in the sheltered banks.
Woodpigeons (38), with plenty of fat on them, were nevertheless feeling the cold and were choosing sheltered branches, hunkering down with heads sunk low onto their shoulders - but always with one eye half open to danger.  Just one collared dove was seen flying out of ivy on a tree which held a group of goldfinches singing continuously from perches out of the wind amongst the leaves. Several more were seen in the sun on the top of another tree (28 in all).
I watched a carrion crow for some time - it flew up from the grass where it was foraging, onto the dead end of a branch on an old oak. It then spent a long time pecking away at this branch, ignoring me watching from below, sending showers of wood shavings down as it pecked and called, pecked and called. What was it finding there? perhaps insects hiding deep inside the dead wood ....Another crow flew across to land nearby (2).

Low sun and long shadows 

Blackbirds were numerous (28), busy amongst the dry leaves in the sun, under the hedgerows, digging in the grass with more flying in from across the river to join in the feast - Song thrushes (2) however were scarce, only two were visible on the bank-side grasses, foraging, with no singing. This did not mean that they had all left - but were staying out of the wind - they'll be back on their song-posts as soon as the weather changes.
A Hawthorn, with low branches overhanging the river, was popular with chaffinches (7), and greenfinches (2), still silent, but soft calls came from the same bush - long-tailed tits (5) briefly foraging amongst the thorns, whilst a grey squirrel leapt off and across to an oak where it was heard 'barking'.  Another was seen sitting with its back to a tree trunk, eating what looked like an acorn held in its paws. On finishing, it then scrabbled for more in the dry earth under the tree trunk - it had come across a long-forgotten cache, fortunately protected from floods and rain. There was again no sign of a jay, but a few magpies (4) were seen in the trees where jackdaws (5) were making a racket. Both jays and magpies compete with squirrels for cached food but jackdaws find plenty to eat on the fields. Green woodpeckers continue to be successful along the riverside, one was heard yaffling loudly from the wild meadow - and as I was walking along the edge of the same field I spotted a Peacock butterfly flying low and erratically amongst the grasses where there is plenty of shelter - the first this year! Another first was a 7-Spot Ladybird on a twig, definitely alive. In the distance a Roe deer was glimpsed browsing amongst the trees.
Gulls love the wind, and today there were about 20 herring gulls sailing above and 23 silent black-headed gulls feeding on the grass.
Woodland birds were busy preparing for spring, with nuthatches (2) putting the finishing touches to their nest holes and 2 Goldcrests were seen chasing amongst the pine branches where they are usually found intent on foraging amongst the cones and needles. A great-spotted woodpecker flew across on a mission, probably to check that it's chosen nest site had not been invaded, as there is plenty of competition here. Both male and female overwintering warblers - blackcaps were present too - but unlike the summer visitors, spend most of their time in gardens (2).
A surprise - as I was looking down towards the river bank, a brilliant white bird -
a  LITTLE EGRET -
suddenly flew up from the river under the steep banks where it had been fishing in the shelter, unseen - and flew slowly through the oaks upstream, in no hurry.

Spring Voices and Sounds on the Riverside

As the sun warms the branches, treecreepers arrive to search for

insects hidden in the bark and under lichen.

Tuesday 27th January 2015 

After a cold night but with no frost, the morning was fine with no wind, high streaks of cloud moved slowly in a blue sky across a very low, watery sun  touching the tops of bare trees and thickets. The riverside at its barest revealed a riverside full of life. With exposed views through thickets and hedgerows and no distracting breeze or gale, every tiny movement amongst the twigs, stalks and undergrowth indicated bird or mammal activity, scuffles and calls were easily detected. 

Dry stalks of the bank side vegetation flattened by the river in flood formed good shelter and foraging. In places where river meanders bore less of the rushing force of water, vegetation remained almost untouched as the water rose and fell, rose and fell with the distant sea tides until the flood waters   finally joined the sea. The rich, damp earth that was left clearly attracted foraging birds and the river water now free from the orange earth carried down from fields upstream, attracted bathing birds. 

On the banks, Hazel catkins remained the only sign of spring but a closer look at the oaks revealed new leaf buds on each branch and twig.

Budding Oak on the winter riverside.

Voices carried far along the river course today in the calm air, with both the numbers and diversity of birds singing quite remarkable so early in the year - although there was no scent of spring in the air, only the typical scent of autumn and winter - decaying leaves.

A carrion crow called and another flew across the join it, with both sitting close together in the top of an oak. Others were seen flying over, also calling, with several seen feeding on the soaked grass (12).

Jackdaws flew over, calling (5) and two rooks were seen nearby but there are no rookeries here.

A group of noisy magpies (6) followed each other along the hedge and away, leaving a single grey squirrel to continue in its search for food - lean times this winter with no acorns. No jays were around to compete with the squirrel, they are most likely searching in the woods. Woodpigeons (25) are finding no shortage of food as they have a very varied diet and this winter there are abundant Ivy berries at least. Some were foraging in the Ivy or flapping and chasing whilst others were feeding on the grass and field stubble.  

House sparrows are always with us,  more vocal now, calling in hedges and from the midst of brambles once the day had warmed up (40). Robins (19) were all singing, some taking advantage of new perches, twigs shifted by floods. One sang in an oak then flew down onto the river bank stalks, then dropped out of sight onto an island of half-submerged twigs where I could hear it splashing. Others were out in the open sizing up the opposition, often confronting a stranger close up. The first robin to move away loses - without a fight - but if it stays put can be attacked. Hopefully once all the newly planted native trees and shrub grows up, their territories will not be so restricted. 

Whilst robins choose to dominate their own territories, starlings prefer to live in a group, where you see or hear one, there will usually be many more in the background. Today they were seen in two groups whistling and clicking optimistically whilst others flew across to join them in the Ivy and add to the chorus (25). Goldfinches at this time of the year also join others in a close-knit colony, often choosing the same sheltered location every day where they can sing and make sorties out together in search of food. Today there were several seen feeding on dry grass and thistle seeds in the sun along a fence and others seen foraging on grasses together with other birds, large and small,  as well the usual group mostly hidden but heard, out of sight in Ivy (18). Only one chaffinch was seen and another heard.

Further upstream a new sound drifted down through the bare oaks - the drumming of a great-spotted woodpecker. Good to hear it again after a long silence. Nuthatches (3) were calling in three different locations - they have already established their territories but younger birds may still be searching. 

Looking up into the top of the old oak pictured above, just as the sun reappeared, a treecreeper was seen foraging amongst lichen on the smaller branches in the crown which the sun was warming up. After a while it flew down onto the main trunk and started foraging anew, working its way up again. In another oak close by a second treecreeper had found a patch of sun-warmed bark to forage on. Even today, the sun, although appearing weak, was warming up the river bank where insects began to emerge. Further along the river, two goldcrests were busy amongst the pine needles, sometimes hovering in order to feed where there was no space to perch. This is near the location of the bat boxes which were installed almost a year ago and are now looking suitable weathered. Common Pipistrelle Bats had moved in after a few months last year but in the winter will have left to hibernate in buildings.

A single small bird was making contact calls in a tall poplar - it was a chiffchaff, one of the very few which remain here to overwinter when the majority migrate south to warmer countries in late summer.

Just one linnet was visible at the top of a tree in the sun, on the lookout for the rest of the group which were probably feeding in a field of stubble across the river.

In the sky about 35 herring gulls were wheeling noisily, then they were gone - but then black-headed gulls appeared (17) and looking down I spotted one on the water in the 'scrape' alongside the river, splashing and preening. It soon attracted several more of these smart small gulls which flew down to join it.

Blackbirds (39) were everywhere along the river, foraging amongst the Ivy, bathing down on the river's edge, scuffling at the base of brambles and hedgerows and throwing or kicking the wet leaf mould aside to find rich pickings. Other birds such as great tits  (23) watched, ready to take what was left, although they clearly had distractions, singing loudly now and chasing, a clear sign of spring. Each seemed to have its own call . Blue tits (62) were also very active, singing, bickering and chasing, some foraging amongst the Ivy, others on the oaks, all very visible. Dunnocks (9) were adding their voices to the riverside chorus, singing strongly now, from visible perches on twigs, tails flicking, enjoying the sun, foraging in the open and under hedgerows. Like the wrens, they are numerous here on the riverside but remain hidden in this idea habitat for most of the year. Several wrens (8) were seen flying low across the river but at present only a few were singing and their songs were short. Also hiding on the river under the banks were two Moorhens, probably a pair, making their way carefully and silently downstream.

The finest song today came from Song thrushes (8), at first only one was heard singing intermittently but as the early morning warmed up, it moved up with the sun and began to sing loudly. Another joined in from a tree across the river. As I walked away, their song could still be heard from a distance but more song thrushes started to sing at their own song posts along the river. Others were too busy foraging together with the silent blackbirds. Like the dawn chorus, each bird has its own place and time to sing, even in the winter.  Lastly a green woodpecker was heard yaffling in the small field by the river.  

A remarkable day!

   

Some other birds seen here during January 2015 were redwing, fieldfare, mistle thrush, buzzard, little egret, sparrowhawk, bullfinch and overwintering blackcaps.

The Long Wait for Spring

Sunday 11th January 2015

A fine start to the day, cold but sunny, clouding over later.

Winter - waiting for the first signs of spring.

There have been some overnight frosts but also more of the very dark overcast days when daylight never seems to arrive - the dawn merging into evening gloom. Rainfall has not been heavy so far and the river has only overtopped its banks once during the first 11 days of the year.

Waiting for the spring - waiting - perhaps that's not the right word, preparing for spring would be more accurate, as underneath the winter layers we see, the riverside is teeming with life.

The winter foraging blackbirds, song and mistle thrushes, fieldfare and redwing rely on this life - I have been watching them throwing the fallen leaves and dried stalks aside to take advantage of the food beneath, together with many other birds, from great tits to buzzards.

Another look at our 'Scrape' (see also November 25th 2014 post)

Today the wind from the north was creating waves on the southern edge.

It is gradually filling with water and some planting has been carried out in blocks on the margins.

Birds are finding shelter at present on the far margins where the new planting will add to the available protection from the winter weather. 

Winter food and shelter

Last summer's wild grasses and plants all sustain wildlife over the winter providing seeds for seed-eating birds and shelter for small mammals hunted by birds of prey. Its most valuable role is to prevent river bank erosion and collapse. The roots bind the earth and the strong stalks and branches protect the banks from being washed away by fast flowing water.