The July Storm

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

Our Meet yesterday - Sunday 25th July 2021 was one of uncertainties - will anyone brave the elements or will it be completely washed out?  If not - what will we find ? 

As it happened the rain had lessened somewhat before 09.00, encouraging some of us to set out early, only to experience a downpour on setting out. This time the massive oaks did not provide much shelter, the direct downward weight of the rain overcoming canopies in full leaf. We continued nevertheless with the rain turning to light drizzle and abating for almost two hours. By the time the rain started again, we had finished, There has been far less rubbish to collect  so far this summer than last year.  The weather  took a turn for the worse in the afternoon when the area took a direct hit from a torrential rainstorm followed by a close thunderstorm. This drifted away gradually threatening to return several times. As soon as the rain struck, birds had retreated to cover and stayed put until well after the thunderclouds had gone. Woodpigeons were the exception, some flying out from the trees undeterred.

As there was no wind, damage was only done by the weight of the rain battering down grasses and more fragile plants and leaves.

The next morning after the rain, on Monday 26th July 2021:

One of the embankment fruit trees bearing a good crop

of undamaged fruit  with many weeks to go before they will be ripe.

The embankment grasses were somewhat flattened by the rain but recovering and drying out, with Gatekeeper butterflies attending, attracted by thistle and Senecio jacobaea flowers.

These butterflies also patrol the Hornbeam hedgerows keeping to the sunny side.

The Green June Meet

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

Our Meet on Sunday 27th June 2021 took place before the rain came on an overcast day. The riverside walk and surroundings had escaped much littering - the weather again being unsuitable for such pastimes apart from a refuge under an oak providing shelter from the rain on the cycle path.

With green vegetation growing quickly in the warming humid drizzle and occasional bursts of hot sunlight, the countryside was fast transforming into a 'tropical rainforest' with invertebrate life abundant. Birds were making up for lost time, many busy with second broods with no shortage of insect food for their young.

Not all insects benefit from drizzle however, especially butterflies. The Holly Blue butterfly appeared late this year but the Hollies and Ivies it uses, being evergreen, provide good shelter from rain. In spring, Bramble blossom provides nectar for it to feed on and patches of the earliest blossom were few and far between, in sunny locations.

The female Holly Blue has a distinctive wide black border  on

the forewings and all Holly Blues have small dark dots on the 

'silvery' underside without any orange colouring.

As  bright bonus on such a a grey day, a kingfisher was seen making a fast flypast under the footbridge, low over the river.

see date for next meet.