OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE
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Our meet on 18th August 2019 coincided with a deluge of rain which lasted all morning. It was impossible not to get soaked, even the massive oaks could not provide sufficient shelter from the heavy rain. For wildlife it presented a welcome change, as previous showers had not soaked into the ground.
House sparrows delighted in the downpour, continuing to sing loudly from hedges. Later they would be bathing on shallow banks in the faster-flowing river and drying off in the late sun.
The August Meet had been brought forward to avoid the Bank Holiday weekend which meant the accumulation of litter and rubbish since the July meet was minimal.
Early berries.
By the middle of August early berries were ripening fast , with signs of a bumper crop for winter migrant birds. The Guelder Rose berries were especially quick to ripen; their vivid colours would be lasting well into the winter, attracting birds flying over and along the course of the river. Years ago our Group had planted Guelder Rose whips together with a variety of other plants along parts of the river banks which were in danger of collapse and erosion, as their root systems bind and stabilise the soil. The berries were a bonus for wildlife.
