Early Summer - our meets for June and July 2023

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

Our Meet for June 2023 was held on 25th, a dry day, hot and sunny. The heat kept some away but members of the group were out and about on other days during the month which was generally not hot but with very few rainy days. Some watering of young trees was carried out. Rain had been forecast for the following days so it was not necessary to subject the plants to deluges of water at this stage.

Our Meet for July was held on 30th, a rather different day with plenty of work hauling items from the river which had recently been thrown over the bridge by vandals- two household rubbish bins and a supermarket trolley, tough work as the force of the water after recent rains had moved the items further out of reach. Our two specialists carried out this work whilst the rest worked along the usual routes mostly along the footpaths, watched by butterflies, Gatekeepers being the most numerous, with Holly Blues, Large Whites and the ever-present Red Admirals. A large group (not a huge flock) of Starlings was seen along the embankment long grass verges, feeding on seeds together with House Sparrows, until it started to rain.

Brilliant Honeysuckle completely covers a fence attracting 

insects in the sun and the scent attracting moths and bats at night.

Bats are pollinators too - not to be forgotten!

Spring - April and May 2023 follow a soggy March

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

Our April Meet was on 30th - a fine day with a thin layer of cloud and varied birdsong. A group of starlings were seen amongst the fruit trees near their day roost. Were they finding insects or blossom? They soon flew off.  This spring  - we can call it spring now - there has been unprecedented flowering of Cuckooflower - and with it good numbers of Orange Tip butterflies. Evergreen vegetation such as Holly and Ivy has started growing fast with Holly Blue butterflies often seen flying nearby. Small birds are still visible in the trees as most trees are not yet in full leaf.

Our May Meet was a week early, on 21st, the 29th being on a Bank Holiday weekend. Growth has been prolific and the appearance of fruit blossom and Blackthorn blossom very welcome. Three weeks makes a huge difference at this time of the year.

In addition to more Orange Tips, Holly Blues and Brimstone butterflies Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies have been present during the month so far.

The fruit trees come into blossom on the embankment during May 2023

It's not all collecting litter!

A major achievement  this Sunday in May was the removal from the river of a mountain bike, a small trolley and a large heavy trolley hauled out of the river by two of our group who are experts. The river level had been erratic over many weeks due to unreliable weather patterns, so they seized the chance after checking for the presence of wildlife. The items had often been submerged under the fast-flowing currents. There will still be more to do after the bird nesting season. Wildlife steers the work,

More March Drizzle - our Meet on 26th March 2023

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

It was cloudy all day but with very little wind, quite warm but becoming cooler  with more drizzle - well it WAS the start of British Summertime....

Despite the general view, wildlife tried hard to tell us that it was spring - we heard several Great Spotted Woodpeckers trying their best to create the most impressive sound drumming, Chiffchaffs sang loudly together with  Wrens and Robins - and Mallard patrolled the river both downstream and upstream.

There were signs of blossom if we looked closely for tiny flower buds but it was difficult to tell what would happen to trees with closed leaf buds - however a month on and we have the answer! See the notes for April to come.

It's the first time there has been such a fine display of Lesser Celandine

in flower on a sunny day - at the end of March. It was the same in other areas

of the riverside too.

The North Wind and Robins - our Meet on 26th February 2023

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

Our Meet on 26th February 2023 was a different story from our January Meet - with more singing.

The cold NE wind did not deter the birds, especially a very loud and close-up Robin watching over our tools at the old fence near the river. Blackbirds, House Sparrows and a Bullfinch were calling together with Carrion Crows, Woodpigeons and Magpies and many smaller birds further along.

More signs of spring were appearing but well behind what has become the usual timing here for several years.

This was the first sign of spring on the Willows 

by the river - Willow catkins, which if they survive the wind and weather will be attracting the small birds seeking food including insects during the lean time of early March.

The bright blue sky on these days does not indicate warmth but more usually bitter cold until the wind drops. Wildlife soon adapts, with birds and small mammals seeking out the most sheltered locations and deepest unfrozen leaf mould.

Our January 2023 Meet, and a record Haul

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

The landscape was very bare on our Meet on 29th January 2023, with few signs of spring but many signs of litter distributed throughout the area! The day was mostly cloudy with fine drizzle but not cold or windy, not a day to encourage dawdling to admire the view...

It turned out to be a very productive Meet with a total of 12 participants collecting 10 bags of rubbish and one trolley. Another three newish trolleys appeared in the river under the Deer Way footbridge - spotted before the end of the month. Their appearance and subsequent removal remain a mystery.

The good new was that some Hazel catkins were brightening the bare riverside:

Another winter's day:

A mix of winter trees, Apple and a 

very bare but magnificent old Oak in the background -

and in the centre yellow Hazel catkins

under a very blue sky.

Frost Ice and Rain - our December Meet on 18th 2022

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

Back to normal winter weather!

The first frost of winter 2022 occurred on the 8th of December ...-4  C and remained very cold (for us) for the following days with some snow on 12th:

Looking along the river bank from the East Bridge

The snow and ice formed a hazardous mix but there were definitely more birds foraging and singing as the temperature remained below zero. Blackbirds, three Redwing, Robins, wrens, a Grey Heron. The river environment itself remained warm. 

 Our meet on 18th December (brought forward allowing for the holidays) was a short one, as much of the usual litter was invisible under the snow and terrain conditions hazardous with ice on paths and roads remaining as it gradually turned warmer and started to rain. This proved to be the last icy day of the month as conditions changed rapidly.

What does 2023 bring? Hopefully good conditions for the survival of wildlife throughout the year. It will probably be challenging in many ways.

Our November Meet - Does Winter approach?

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

Our meet was held  on Sunday 27th November 2022, a damp, cloudy morning with light drizzle now and then. There were almost enough people to cope with the large amount of litter scattered on routes used by those getting from A to B whilst enjoying snacks. Football was mentioned as a possible cause! The haul was 9 bags of litter with no sightings of trolleys or abandoned bicycles this week, although the levels of river water may have hidden some.

The weather was clearly welcomed by birds, with more Song Thrushes singing again and reports of Tawny Owls heard at other times during the wet weather. Tawny Owls have held established permanent territory in the woodland areas here for many many years and it's good to hear them in the same areas, especially where there are old Oaks and old conifers providing plenty of shelter.

Oak leaves are still abundant on the branches this autumn.

Some Oaks are still retaining leaves whilst most other trees are bare after the windy weather.

Acorns are still crunching underfoot, far too many for small mammals and larger birds to collect and cache. Winter Migrants - Fieldfare and Redwing have been seen in small numbers but severe weather in Europe may yet cause many more to make the journey across the sea to forage along our hedges.