DAVID'S NATURE BLOG: September 2025

9 SEPTEMBER 2025 – TEDNAMBURY and THORLEY WASH

I’d heard about Whinchats being seen locally, so having seen the species previously at Thorley Wash (though not since September 2017) I thought I’d visit Thorley Wash in case one had found its way there. But as soon as I got off the bus at Spellbrook, instead of heading north along the Stort towpath, I headed south towards Tednambury, as I remembered I’d seen Whinchats there too in the past.

It started well with sightings of a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Green Woodpecker (both of which had been hard to see at Thorley Wash this year), but after a relatively short distance along the towpath I heard a ‘cronking’ sound and when I turned around, I saw a large ‘crow-like’ bird alight atop of a radio mast a couple of hundred metres or so away. The knew the ‘cronking’ was that of a Raven but the bird I was seeing was too far away to be sure, although binocular views when the bird bowed to show a large crop, I was certain in my mind that it was indeed a Raven; I mean its whole demeanour screamed Raven, and anyway Crows don't 'cronk'!!

I took several shots through the camera using my 100-400 mm telephoto - and in the screen when enlarged I could see the bird well enough to know that my conclusion was correct. But I couldn’t leave it there - I needed to get closer, to try and get better photographs if possible. So, I retraced my steps along the towpath, to get into the field where the radio mast was situated. I might have been trespassing (something I wouldn’t normally do) but access to the field was from an unrestricted pathway, so maybe I was okay; but up the hill I was luckily undercover of trees and bushes, and when I reached the mast I had no option but to leave the cover in order to view the top of the mast - but of course as soon as I did so, the bird saw me and took immediately to flight - joined by another equally large bird - both ‘cronking’ continuously. I had to act quickly, so trained the camera on the two birds, and tracked them as they flew, with just four or five shots taken before they were too far away to matter. They both flew around and away to land in a distant oak, where another - equally large - bird was perched, together with a kestrel which was diminutive in comparison. I looked at my shots, and could see the birds’ massive bills, and in one photo the wedge-shaped tail; so, I was happy I’d identified the Ravens correctly - indeed, I was over the moon at the superb views I’d had. Later, I enjoyed another sighting as a Raven flew high over me - ‘cronking’ all the time - and when I could see the wedge-shaped tail more clearly, although, unbelievably, I sort of forgot to use the camera!!

Along the towpath, I found a juvenile Little Grebe hiding amongst the reeds along the Stort. This was quite a surprising record, as normally Little Grebes are seen here (and at Thorley Wash) in the winter months - occasionally in good numbers, my best being fifteen individuals. But could this one be a locally bred bird?? I also saw a distant Red Kite and a Cormorant fishing in the river.

As for chances of seeing a Whinchat, well they were non-existent, as the marsh was virtually completely devoid of any birdlife - no Whitethroats; no Reed Buntings - absolutely nothing. But it would have been difficult to see any bird anyway as the marsh was completely covered in Himalayan Balsam, which was clearly rampant here; a scene completely different to the last time I visited the site some months ago. I turned back at that stage, and made my way back along the towpath, with no further views of Ravens, although I did get some quite lovely shots of the Little Grebe, before two canal boats disturbed the waters.

As I approached Thorley Wash Reserve along the towpath alongside Walbury Estate, I found a couple of pairs of Western Spreadwing damselflies (previously known as Willow Emerald damselflies) and the briefest glimpse of a Kingfisher flying high over some Willow trees.

A walk around the northern section of Thorley Wash Reserve produced little in the way of birdlife, and the number of Western Spreadwing damselflies was disappointingly small - indeed, I don’t think I’d ever witnessed the reserve so quiet. This quietude was exemplified by the sighting of a small herd of Water Buffalo that were lying down, sheltering from the warm sunshine beneath Willow trees. It had been warm, with unrelenting sunshine throughout the day, but cloud was increasing from the south, and by mid-afternoon showers were threatening. I did see several Hornets hovering over an Ivy bush, but it was almost impossible to get decent photographs because they were all entirely unpredictable and constantly on the move.

A few more Western Spreadwings were seen on my way north along the towpath - although they were incredibly difficult to photograph without risking falling into the river - and the Kingfisher was seen again, this time skimming the surface as it flew rapidly upstream. A few dragonflies were seen - a single Brown Hawker; several Common Darters (most in tandem with a mate egg laying); a couple of Common Blue Damselflies, and rather a lot of Migrant Hawkers - a couple of which I found ‘perched’ on stems of reeds and were photographable. Further along, I found a species of Cricket which I believe was a Brown Bush Cricket - an entirely new species for me.

I guess it hadn’t been exceptional bird-wise, but even as I write this, I still cannot believe I’d seen Ravens at such close quarters; and of course, the sighting of a Kingfisher was memorable because it was the first siting of the species anywhere this year.

RAVEN (the first view - vastly enlarged)

RAVENS

LITTLE GREBE

COMMON DARTER

MIGRANT HAWKER

WESTERN SPREADWING

WESTERN SPREADWINGS IN TANDEM

WATER BUFFALO

MUTE SWAN

HORNET

BROWN BUSH CRICKET

7 SEPTEMBER 2025 – SOUTHERN COUNTRY PARK

I hadn’t been out all week (except for health-related appointments) and although I’d enjoyed a bit of photography in the garden the previous day ( photographing both Hummingbird Hawkmoth and Hornet Hoverfly) I was hoping the warm spell of weather might be good for dragonflies and butterflies; so, I decided on a visit to Southern Country Park, NW Bishop’s Stortford.

Passing through Thorley Wedge on the way, I stopped to photograph a lovely bright Comma Butterfly and a rather tatty Common Blue, arriving at the northern entrance to the park shortly after 11.00 a.m. Immediately, I saw another male Common Blue, then a superb Ruddy Darter that literally posed for my camera. A Willow Emerald Damselfly (recently renamed Western Spreadwing) unexpectedly flew in, alighting on the branch of a Lime tree, a mere few feet away though at slightly more than head-level to me. But it was very difficult to get as close as I’d have liked, and anyway for some reason the sunlight was exceptionally bright - giving a rather over-exposed reading through the lens (which I knew meant that I would need to take that into account when processing the image in my software at home). This species had enjoyed good breeding levels in recent years, but in fact I wasn’t destined to find any more today, which was rather disappointing.

A couple of buzzing Migrant Hawkers along the treeline, made me feel as if today’s tally of dragonfly species thus far might eventually be quite good, but in fact I only managed to add just one other species to the list - a Common Darter; although to be fair not many species are still on the wing at this time of year, so I couldn’t have expected many more realistically.

The same could be said for butterflies, as throughout the day I only recorded seven species - both Large and Small White (in reasonable numbers); a Comma; a single Red Admiral; two Small Coppers (both males); a couple of Speckled Woods, and a simply huge number of Common Blues - at least 32 males and 3 females - without doubt the largest number I’ve ever recorded locally. But apart from the rather ragged male seen at Thorley Wedge, I only managed to get just one other (a male) to keep still long enough to photograph.

Another species I hoped to add was a Small Heath, and I was beginning to think that none were going to show, when at the last moment one flew passed me, landing on the ground in front of me and allowing a photograph (for record purposes only). The species is just about holding on in the park, but so far this year I’d not connected with any at all locally, so this sighting was welcome indeed.

Chickory was evident all over the park - a very attractive wildflower; as is Viburnum, with large leaves and masses of bright red berries - although only evident in the Wedge area near the lake. It was noticeable that most berry trees and shrubs were already well in advance with regard to their fruits - a consequence of the long, hot and very dry summer- so autumn fruits are likely not going to be so available to birds and insects this year. Nature certainly moves in strange circles.

I have to say that birdlife wasn’t in any sense prolific or anything remotely close - the only species seen were Woodpigeon; Carrion Crow; Jackdaw; Rook; Magpie; Mallard; Moorhen; Blue Tit; Swallow and a probable House Martin. A Red Kite was seen briefly (indeed, I’ve never recorded the species anywhere locally in September) but it was no more than a fleeting glimpse really.