July started pretty much the same way as June had ended; cooler, duller, and damper but the wetter weather came as the first week wore on and after having just had one of the driest Junes on record, we were hit with one of the wettest Julys on record!
The cycle of strimming and cutting grass continued as it does at this time of the year, but at least there was a change of scenery this month as we all headed up to our Cargill rod beat with our strimmers to give them a helping hand taking back some of the bankings.
Many hands make light work as they say and with everyone doing a bit it was soon all back in check again.
It was good to see some of the fishers out in the boat getting a catch while we were up there.
As the month progressed the rains got heavier, and we soon had a rise of a few feet back onto the river. The ground was certainly needing some rain, but it did go from one extreme to the other! Pumping out and bailing out some of the old cobbles was becoming an almost daily occurrence.
There were the odd spotted marsh orchids about the riverside to be seen that always appear after all our other orchids have died back. We never see these ones in any great numbers and they a slightly lighter head on them.
The young Cygnets from up at the fishery are spending a lot more time out on the river with the adult birds now, and the Osprey has put in the odd appearance.
We are seeing a lot more greenfinches about the riverside, which is good to see, and the sparrow nest boxes have been busy with second clutches. The swallows had started to gather up in numbers by the end of month, and as August beckoned there was more of an autumnal feel about place, the good warm weather beginning to feel like a distant memory.
The river level had settled back around the foot mark as the month drew to a close on a dull damp day.
Dago