Darters, Hawkers and Admirals

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

TO FIND NATURE NOTES AND RECORDS FOR WILDLIFE CLICK ON:

Hills Farm Wildlife Conservation

Our Meet yesterday on 24th September 2017 was very productive, the main activities being hauling out yet another bicycle from the river Arun and a car tyre from the brook and other fly-tipped items from the river bank, well hidden amongst this years splendid wild flower and plant growth, now beginning to die back but with dry Teasel flower heads standing proud, attracting goldfinches.

There have been record numbers of late summer dragonflies and butterflies this year, with Common Darters being the most common dragonfly, followed by Southern Hawkers. Large numbers of Speckled Wood butterflies are still flying, with leisurely gliding Red Admirals  brightening the riverside.

A perfect perch - a wooden fence rail warmed by the sun also attracts flies

 - easy prey for this Common Darter (Sympetrum striotum)

Riverside Pond vegetation has done well this year, with sufficient 

rainfall to prevent it drying out. It forms a sheltered warm habitat

for amphibians as well as dragonflies throughout the summer,

with Purple Loosestrife attracting bees.

Autumn on the way

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

To find Nature Notes and records for wildlife, click on

HILLS FARM WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Our scheduled meet for August took place on Sunday 20th August but  there was more for us to do on Thursday 31st August. The weather on both days was autumnal, typically unpredictable, with no knowing how high or low the rivers might be running, making advanced planning difficult.  On 31st two supermarket trolleys were hauled up from the river Arun. A bicycle and a traffic cone were added to the haul. The riverside was bright with some trees already showing autumnal colours and poplars already losing their leaves.

A late summer butterfly - the Comma (Polygonia c-album), 

nectaring on the footbridge self-sown Buddleia, the only one. 

The area provides a warm sunny patch popular with
 bees, dragonflies and butterflies.

Yet another trolley hauled out of the river Arun
where the river banks are steep and slippery.