Riverside refreshed - our August Meet

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

Our August 2022 Meet was on 21st, brought forward to avoid the Late Summer Bank Holiday. There had been another 'heatwave' starting on 10th August with an orange tinge to the atmosphere during the following  days, ending with very welcome rain on 16th. The riverside immediately sprang to life with wrens singing and many other birds suddenly becoming active along the banks and over rising water, now flowing faster. The rivers had not run dry at all but levels were low. Mud and aquatic vegetation had remained an attraction for birds and small mammals throughout the heat but meadow flowers and grasses away from the river had dried to form hay, populated with crowds of small grasshoppers, grass moths and other insects. There were no baked bare earth areas however. When it rained, the water soaked into the dry vegetation - no 'flash floods here - and green shoots appeared within a few days. Suddenly clumps of bright green leaves appeared followed by the brilliant yellow flowers of Fleabane:

This very fresh clump had only appeared after the rain, replacing other Fleabane plants which had been flowering when the August heatwave struck. The leaves had dried and the flowers had turned dark brown whereas normally after flowering seed heads form. Hopefully. the late summer plants will produce seeds.

These new flowers are attracting insects, including late summer butterflies.

The excessive heat followed by rain meant that the riverside was not overburdened with the results of picnics and groups of runners. The playing-field area was exceptionally free of litter having been used for sports training by responsible youngsters and their parents during the holidays.