Winter continues, with a few signs of Spring

One of the old riverbank Oaks as the sky clears - February 20th

Monday 20th February 2017 started overcast and gloomy but the cloud cover broke eventually to give a fine sunny day with a slight breeze. The river was quite low but fast flowing, still carrying a fair amount of mud from far upstream. The landscape was looking even more wintery than last month with the greys and browns of grasses and stalks brightened here and there by a profusion of Hazel catkins - Lamb's-tails. It's the best time of the year to note the presence of Hazel trees amongst the other hedgerow species - and here Hazels are numerous along the river and do very well. The old oaks are now covered in leaf buds and on the ground beneath the branches, the damp earth has been well dug by birds foraging under the leaf-mould. The bright green of Cow-parsley is showing but hardly more than last month although short shoots of Wild Garlic (Ransoms) are now appearing amongst the tree roots.

Wild Garlic - Ransoms - just appearing on the sunny river bank.

Here and there small clumps of Snowdrops can be found close to the water's edge on the steep banks amongst fallen leaves:

The riverside was today full of song, birds taking the opportunity to advertise their presence as soon as conditions were favourable, as if knowing that the following days may well be stormy when they will need to hide again under the banks.  

As soon as the sun appeared, house sparrows (c70) began to sing in bramble patches and hedges and on the river banks, working their way along amongst the low branches. Good numbers, easily seen in the bare landscape.

Robins were numerous too (26), most singing strongly from prominent perches. Blue tits (36) were active everywhere, some clearly prospecting for nest sites. For the first time this year, wrens (20) were singing loudly, their song mixing with house sparrow song along the banks - a rather strange combination of sounds, providing a background to the superior robin song. Goldfinches (8) were gathered in a thicket singing, adding to the chorus, whilst 5 linnets flew over in a close group. A new song for the spring - Chaffinches (4) were heard singing at intervals and a dunnock sang a more complex song (3 total).

Great tits (18) were singing too - each having its own unique call, seen mostly amongst the river bank Willow catkins and Hazel catkins.

A look into the conifers revealed two goldcrests fast-foraging on the sunlit aspect of the trees, moving upwards branch by branch.

I heard long-tailed tits across the river, on the opposite bank, but at first none could be seen then one flew out of a dense tangle of brambles on the slope of the bank, up to an old Blackthorn, its branches covered in lichen. The bird collected a beakful of the lichen and disappeared again into the brambles. A second bird flew out to collect more nest material - clearly nest-building was well underway probably triggered by the longer days and warmer weather. Even if it snows, the area they have chosen will remain warm being under dense vegetation where the brambles still retain most of last-year's leaves.

Elsewhere more long-tailed tits were seen foraging (8 total) but in twos and threes rather than in large family groups.

Along the river woodpigeons (23) and collared doves (2) were also nest-building or just sitting, as they do, watching from high branches. Carrion crows (15) and magpies (12) seemed to be having disputes over nest-sites or territory in general whilst jackdaws (6) flew over, calling loudly. Rooks (4) also flew over. Starlings (33) remained rather inactive, most whistling amongst the ivy whilst down on the short grass field about 50 black-headed gulls gathered to forage, most still in winter plumage but a few showing patchy dark brown plumage extending over their heads. They almost filled the field for the first time this winter - formerly there had been only one or two present. Herring gulls were seen flying over in groups (35 total) but none dared to join the smaller gulls on the field.

Blackbirds (40) were seen mostly foraging on the ground under trees or on grass whilst others were active amongst the thickets searching out the last remaining shrivelled berries and rose hips. Numbers of these blackbirds will probably be leaving this country soon, having been winter migrants seeking the warmth of the British Isles. Song-thrushes (6) were busy foraging under hedgerows and on the grass, they are now singing strongly at times although today only one was heard singing.

A sudden call from a buzzard amongst some old oaks caused me to look up into the branches but it was not visible although the calls persisted. Looking up into the clear blue sky a few minutes later it was seen flying up and circling higher - towards a second buzzard flying over the river, heading south. They glided leisurely around each other, flying off in the distance together (2).

Not long after they had left, a smaller raptor, a kestrel, appeared, circling over the river course, making slow progress north.

A welcome sound shattered the quiet of the riverside - a green woodpecker  gave several loud yaffles from the wild field - its traditional territory- and later along the furthest stretch of the river another green woodpecker was yaffling - also from it's own territory (2 total). Did this mean it was going to rain? The answer was yes, but not until the following day. The day became more cloudy, with a cool breeze however - and later, further upstream, a silent great-spotted woodpecker was seen on a tree trunk but no drumming was heard.  It was also good to hear a nuthatch calling in an old oak, in its traditional territory.

Down on the river itself, a moorhen walked carefully along the edge of the river, foraging amongst the twigs and roots.

The star of the day was encountered on a very quiet bend in the river, with islands, a sheltered place. I had turned to look back and saw a fine Little Egret slowly moving its feet along in the shallow water

between a small island and the steep bank. It continued foraging for a while before flying up into one of the overhanging trees.

Another star of the day, also a 'water bird' was a smart Grey Wagtail flying along the river, very low over the surface of the fast flowing water.

Catkins on a riverbank Sallow branch

No butterflies were seen today, but a very large dark-coated Bumblebee, Bombus terrestris was seen flying along the river bank.

February Buds, Brambles and a Butterfly

After several days of continuously dark and overcast weather, yesterday 13th February 2017 was a fine frostless sunny day - all day - with a cool easterly wind starting to dry the muddy earth.

A good day perhaps to look for signs of spring along the riverbanks.

Looking up at the old oaks, the reddish tinge of new leaf buds was a good sign. 

Close up - an oak twig on a branch extending across the river held some strong buds -

they will grow slowly - it will be many weeks before they unfold.

Close by, a complete contrast, fine fragile twigs of a willow, leaf buds barely visible - but this may come into leaf well before the oaks.

On the river bank, the arching stems of brambles, red in the sun amongst dry grasses, superb habitat for many creatures, as yet untouched by high water as the river has not yet topped its banks this winter.

 I expected most birds to be hunkered down out of the wind despite the warmer air temperature but

 sheltered places along the river held foraging birds.

Great tits could be heard singing, or rather calling, whilst the most numerous birds seen today were blue tits, very active in searching for insects under layers of lichen along old branches in the sun. Blackbirds were also numerous, most foraging on grass, others 'sunning' in branches, with outstretched wings. All were silent. Three song thrushes were also seen foraging and looking down onto a bend in the river, quite sheltered and secluded, a mistle thrush was bathing, perched on a shallow twig island in the river.

A group of goldfinches were singing in a thicket nearby, then suddenly stopped but did not move. Walking around the next bend in the river I saw a bird suddenly shoot upwards out of the thicket. It flew across the river and soared over, circling first them moving off out of sight. It was a sparrowhawk which had probably been lurking in the river thicket.

 There was no movement of song for some while after the sparrowhawk left - but further along, a chaffinch was calling, a few starlings were seen and two carrion crows, two jackdaws, several magpies and woodpigeons were seen in flight and on fence posts. Two wrens were heard singing and about ten robins were protecting their territories choosing to sing from low, sheltered hedgerows or thickets. Two dunnocks were seen chasing across the path.

Two black-headed gulls were foraging on the short grass field in the company of a much larger herring gull. In the distance a buzzard could be seen circling into the strong wind and back in the shelter of the old oaks, a nuthatch was heard calling. Hearing numerous house sparrows singing from the steep river bank -

their favourite sheltered bathing area amongst the dense vegetation - I looked across an saw a Red Admiral butterfly flying strongly over the dry grass stalks in the sun.

These birds and the butterfly were just seen in passing by -

 A Full Survey for February will follow later this month

Hazel Catkins and Clues

At the most dormant time of the year, each deciduous tree species provides its own clues….

One of the earliest and most obvious is the Hazel

with catkins glowing in the sun, on the bank of the river after rain.

Today, a damp, dank and dark day, other Hazels we planted a few years ago elsewhere on the river bank were observed to be doing well, emerging from their 'nursery plants' and carpets of fallen leaves.

These will add to the crop of hazel nuts produced in the early autumn by the mature Hazel trees planted many years ago, the nuts enjoyed by wildlife as soon as they form.

An easily overlooked Hazel flower, just one or two mms. across accompanies the 'lamb's tails' Hazel catkins.

There's no mistaking the Alder in winter with a mixture of last years miniature cones and fresh red catkins. The Alder is at home along rivers and damp ground.

On most Field Maples there will be a few winged seeds still clinging to the branches in winter, or perhaps just thin stems curved over where the seeds hung before they flew off. Here new leaf buds are forming either side of last year's seed stem.

Further along the river new planting by the developer on the banks of a wildlife pond has been thriving over the past year.

Sun shining through frost droplets on 17th January and

beyond, a frozen pond.

The surrounding vegetation provides shelter for amphibians and small mammals.

Dragonfly larvae will be in the pond under the ice in warmer water.

Winter Blackbirds Win

Tuesday 17th January 2017 was a perfect winter's day after short-lived snow on 13th giving way to cold and rainy days. Slight frost on the grass was soon melting in the sunshine, although ponds remained frozen in the shade. The river was flowing swiftly and muddy, about a meter higher than it had been. Thawed frost dripped from the Rosa Canina branches overarching the river where there were still a few inaccessible rose hips on thin twigs. Willow catkins were now visible and Hazel catkins well advanced on some trees.  

There were high numbers of most bird species along the river but blackbirds unusually won the count today, almost certainly composed mostly of migrant birds escaping the severe weather in northern Europe (63). Never massed in a group but seen foraging on the river banks, under hedgerows, on verges and muddy paths. Unfrozen mud is the key to their survival in conditions where other food sources are depleted and they often choose banks and islands of mud and debris down on the fast warm-flowing rivers. This environment is shared with many other species of bird which flee the frozen wastes.Blue tits were the next most numerous (60), but they are always present in the trees and river thickets, foraging for invertebrates hidden from sight. Great tits (27) were obviously surviving well, taking time off to sing and sit in the sun to preen.

The river flowing south, in the low January sun.

Starlings were seen in small groups today, most just sitting in their ivy 

day-roosts singing quietly together (35), whilst wood pigeons (40) were seen foraging clumsily for the remaining ivy berries or sitting on the fence overlooking Basin 5, where some carrion crows joined them. Other carrion crows (total 15) were foraging on the playing field, with one pair sitting close together in a conifer and another flew up from bathing to preen and call from a poplar. In the background, a short song from a song thrush was heard from a thicket whilst several others joined blackbirds on the ground to forage silently in the mud and under the hedgerows (10). Magpies were as usual very visible and audible (7), preferring the open areas with wide views, whilst their equally audible 'friends', the jays flew into the thicket on the filed margin (2) to pick a fight with hyperactive squirrels. As the sun rose higher, a sudden flash of brilliant white was visible over the old oaks - a little egret - heading upstream towards Warnham. Collared doves were calling softly (3) from the ivy and 4 calling herring gulls swung into view overhead. Later 4 jackdaws and 3 rooks flew across the field. 

Apart from the corvids and doves the riverside was very quiet, giving the smaller birds a chance to be heard  although bold robins dominated the song along the whole river course (28) - a bird was calling on a branch directly above me, not often heard - I looked up to see a coal tit foraging, then further along an even fainter call - another coal tit (2) whilst 9 long-tailed tits flew from the blackthorn across to the poplars and willows, their soft calls more familiar. Wrens were singing strongly, some from prominent perches, seeking the sun on brambles (14) whilst some dunnocks, like the wrens were seeking more visible perches to sing - and one was seen foraging in the mud (5).

I had already logged 21 bird species before hearing the cheerful calls, at last, from a colony of house sparrows in a warm hedge, at least 12, then further on more song from the large bramble patch and lastly 8 busy preening and drying off in the sunshine after bathing in the river bank shallows below me (52 in total).

Guelder Rose Berries as yet unplucked with dogwood in the background

No large gatherings of redwing and fieldfare have been seen since the 12th of January - the day before the snow - but good numbers are still present, foraging along the riverside and today 17 redwing were seen, some in a Maple, some in the midst of a Blackthorn thicket, and two on a field with a mistle thrush,  being chased by black-headed gulls (4). Another mistle thrush (total 2) was heard singing, its call echoing along the river upstream. A few fieldfare were visible foraging on grass (5) with more probably lurking in a nearby thicket.

The angle of the sun made for a beautiful view of a smart male bullfinch reaching out to pick dried bramble fruits and seeds, concentrating on the task for some time. Three others were found in different places - given away by their calls in thickets (total 4) and a group of about 12 goldfinches were calling softly, well hidden.  Only 2 chaffinches were seen, in flight and one greenfinch perched on a conifer.

No goldcrests were seen in the confer but one was seen in a blackthorn thicket, one in an ash tree and two making a thorough search of individual branches of a river bank willow in the sun (4).

A short call from a green woodpecker on its established territory was heard and a call from a great-spotted woodpecker alerted me to one near basin 1 and another calling far downstream, with a third flying across the river (3). A single nuthatch was heard calling amongst ash branches over the river.

Lastly, a small bird foraging on an island of twigs in the fast-flowing river Arun was a wintering chiffchaff foraging for insects emerging from the mat of twigs as it warmed up in the sun in the sheltered warmth of the river bend under high banks with a moorhen scurrying along the bank just above the water line.

Field Day for Fieldfare - and Redwing

The forecast for today Thursday 12th January 2017 was an alert-ridden mix of heavy rain and strong winds  turning icy with snow in the evening. The predicted heavy rainfall was just light drizzle at 10am when I  walked along the river, turning off up a path running alongside a fenced field bounded by a high young hedgerow. Looking through the bare hedge, there appeared to be a  flock of starlings (about 60) feeding on the grass but when some of them flew off, a scan of the field revealed large numbers of fieldfare and redwing on the periphery of the close-knit starling flock. The fieldfare and redwing were showing their brilliant colours, even on such a dull day, some seeming bigger and brighter than others. The fieldfare were noticeably larger making it easier to count them. There were at least 35 fieldfare on the ground, with those watching from the far hedge adding to the numbers. The redwing on the field numbered at least 30 with a few in the hedge. All were walking around each other, maintaining a distance, spread out over the field where the starlings foraged much closer together.     

Two mistle thrushes foraged amongst the other thrushes, looking well fed and strong.

All were quiet.

On my way back some time later, the birds were still foraging on the field but were suddenly spooked by something and flew up, leaving a single carrion crow on the grass. They all landed in two trees close to the field, on the river bank, with a good view across the path. The starlings immediately began to sing then fieldfare and redwing joined in making a strange but impressive chorus of clicks, whistles, chucks, squeeks and short snatches of more melodic song. They were soon flying back onto the field.

Eight pied wagtails flew across, calling, whilst higher up a few black-headed gulls and herring gulls flew south.  House sparrows sang in nearby hedges with dunnock, robin, wren and blackbirds present and a singing song thrush amongst ivy near some tumbling wood pigeons.

The migrant thrushes have largely finished off the hedgerow berries and fruits, turning to field foraging as the weather turns - they certainly know when snow and ice is on the way and the earth is likely to freeze over. 

The Frost Returns

After a very mild spell on Christmas Day, the air began to chill again on Boxing Day and frost returned the next morning and with it brighter light.

The early frost on Crab Apples, left by wildlife until other fruits and berries become scarce.

 Monday 26th December 2016 started fine once the sun had hauled itself up above the line of dense cloud lying over the South East horizon. All was quiet and still at first, with robins singing, each about ten meters away from its neighbour. Great tits were numerous, some now calling strongly. The robin song diminished and dunnocks took over, singing high fast songs, unusually conspicuous on bare branches above the undergrowth. More were visible but silent, foraging under banks and roots. One I watched for some time - it had chosen the water's edge below the bank and was moving from muddy roots and stalks to half- submerged twigs, clearly searching for insects. Suddenly it darted out onto the surface of the river water, making quite a splash, flying up again instantly with something it had caught on or near the surface of the deep water. This was new to me - I have seen robins 'fishing' but not the more furtive dunnock. Their common name used to be 'hedge sparrow' but they are very different from sparrows.

Wrens, although not singing, were very active amongst the dense, dried out long grasses and dock where they can forage unseen - at this time of the year. When the weather turns cold there is plenty of warm dry dense undergrowth formed by wild grasses and dock where they can find shelter above the river flood level, as well as  in ivy-clad trees.

The sun lit up a coal tit foraging amongst the oak twigs, showing up its fine colours, quite distinct from the great tit - and another coal tit was busy nearby.

Numerous blackbirds, both local residents and winter migrants were foraging all along the banks. There were three now eating the remaining Crab Apples, attacking fruits that were turning dark and soft - and collecting the smaller fruits which had fallen onto the ground, swallowing these whole.

The last of the Crab Apples

Berries are now dwindling rapidly- although about 50% of  Guelder Rose berries remain and fortunately these are very plentiful this year, with many new bushes planted over the recent past

long the riverside.

On older trees, some Maple seeds remain, clinging to twigs but all acorns have disappeared completely from the Oaks and the ground below. Well fed squirrels were chasing each other across the tree tops, amongst the resting woodpigeons - and as the sun reached its zenith - still very low on the horizon, goldcrests, goldfinches, song thrushes and starlings were active and even the house sparrows had woken up in their hedgerows. 

A chill breeze soon picked up and the moment of warmth was over for the day.

The Day Before the Shortest Day

Yesterday,  Tuesday 20th December 2016 was a fine day and I took the opportunity to make a full record along the river, with the low sun lighting up the landscape in the morning. At first the sky was clear but clouds soon moved in, allowing only brief spells of sunlight.

A fine example of winter on the river bank, 

with grasses and other

riverside vegetation dried out in the frosts. Last winter much

vegetation remained green and continued to grow.

The young oak on the right retains its dry brown leaves all through

the winter as do all young oaks. This one was planted by a member

of our group quite a few years ago and is growing slowly, forming

a good round shape.

The river was running low but fast with many overhanging branches still laden with berries where birds have found the twigs too fragile to negotiate when trying to reach out to the tempting feast. These Holly and Hawthorn berries and Dog Rose hips will remain for a while until hungry birds make in-flight dashes to grab them, one by one.

Hazel nuts have long since been eaten or cached and now catkins cover the Hazel trees, colouring the riverbanks in the sun. Broken cloud caused ever-changing colours and luminosity and the day became freezing cold.

Every winter, black-headed gulls visit the grassed areas  near the river and today there were several foraging on the grass with more coming in to land, calling softly (23). All have their winter plumage now.  Only two herring gulls were seen, flying across with carrion crows (9), rooks (8) and jackdaws (2) also seen in the air and on the 'scrape'.

The 'Heron Oak' near the scrape, a popular lookout for for many birds

including Herons, with its view over the new scrape across the river Arun

Grey Herons are commonly seen along the river course here, flying to and from roost places and hunting along the bank and the river itself but little egrets are winter visitors - it was good to see one today:

Shining brilliant white in the low sun a Little Egret leisurely flew low along the river bank trees

downstream and settled on the branch of an old oak to survey the river below.

Normally just two are seen - not far away from each other. They usually appear after the first frosts,

flying up from the south coast where they live during the rest of the year, following the river course

upstream inland where perhaps warmer flowing waters provide more food than icy shallows.

 Blue tits (63) were present in large numbers, in what some call  'roaming flocks' whilst great tits (36) were more often seen lower down amongst oak roots and dry grasses, usually only two or three foraging together. Some were calling intermittently from trees where five long-tailed tits were foraging in the bare branches above.

A few house sparrows were sunning themselves high up in trees but most were foraging low down under hedgerows in small groups (more than 60 individuals). One group had gathered (not for the first time) at the base of a hedgerow which meets the river bank, with a ditch running beside it, draining into the river. This catches the sun and the vegetation soon warms up, encouraging sparrows to bathe in the shallows, then fly up to preen and dry off. 

Other finches, chaffinch (3), greenfinch (1)  were present in small numbers and two bullfinches were heard calling from a thicket, with a third seen flying low across the large pond, its banks full of Gueder Rose - and a group of goldfinches (18) was seen flying across between the trees over the rough grass, followed by a single redwing which dropped down onto some high rose hips. Robins (26) were very easily seen and heard with some seen challenging and chasing each other out of their territory. Today remaining bramble leaves were brightly lit in the sun, their orange and brown colours hiding a perched robin here and there.   

Any disturbance of ivy leaves seen soon revealed a wood pigeon or two clumsily trampling around, slipping and scrambling out to reach the choicest  Ivy berries at the right stage of ripeness. Others were seen sitting motionless in trees, hunched up in the cold when the sun went in (33). 

Higher up in the tree magpies (4), also rather clumsy, were noisily jostling for perches.

Three jays were seen, perhaps seeking out their cached acorns and eleven starlings flew across near their roost. A single treecreeper was just visible creeping along on the underside of an oak branch before disappearing whilst a great spotted woodpecker called and flew out from the top.

Blackbirds (more than 50), numbers multiplied by winter migrants were everywhere, feeding on soft grassy areas under hedges, foraging in the deep interior of bramble bushes and, where fallen leaves lay thick on the ground, tough-looking birds were throwing leaves about. They had also started on the Crab Apples.

Song thrushes (6) were far more cautious and well camouflaged, progressing slowly and methodically across the ground, observing first before probing the ground. One was heard singing but very short snatches of song. Four dunnocks  were seen, two nearby, one singing loudly clearly visible, perched in the sun. Nine silent wrens were busy along the river in various places amongst the roots.

A nuthatch flew over, followed by another, probably a pair, one calling near their traditional nesting place and much further along the river two more nuthatches were calling to each other and beyond them a fifth nuthatch (5). 

Giving a fine demonstration of hovering - tiny goldcrests were seen amongst the brambles very close to me, flying up to the undersides of bramble leaves pecking off sheltering insects, the birds hovering with upturned beaks, wings whirring. Others were seen in a conifer where foraging looked easy in comparison (5).

It was good to hear green woodpeckers again - now jaffling loudly in different locations along the river, one was seen flying low across the rough grass of a drainage basin.

Not only was it good to hear and see the green woodpeckers (3) but hearing them yaffle so frequently is a well known to be a sign of rain!

sure enough it rained the following day….

And a fine mistle thrush was seen and heard singing a full song, perched high up in an old Maple.