River Life
Male banded demoiselle
Our local section of the River Roding runs adjacent to the M11, a stone’s throw away up an embankment, so from a human perspective, it’s hardly an oasis of calm. Nevertheless, it’s a relatively thriving wildlife corridor. Recently, we’ve seen a heron, cormorant and egret all fishing in the same ‘swim,’ which suggests there are plenty of fish. Many birds nest in the dense brambly hedgerows along the bank, and throughout June these have been alive with insects – Mayflies, damselflies, dragonflies, many kinds of wasps and bees, butterflies and others I can’t name.
Two months ago, an excited friend told me she’d spotted a crab in our local river, the Roding. Weird. We don’t have any freshwater crabs in the UK. What’s more, it had furry claws! Puzzled, she googled it and discovered it was a Chinese Mitten Crab, which can grow to the size of a dinner plate, an invasive species whose spread is being monitored.
Photo by Janet Walsh
The Canal and River Trust website warns Their extensive burrowing leaves fragile canal and riverbanks riddled with holes and vulnerable to collapse, which in turn puts waterside structures at risk too. …Mitten crabs … have ravenous appetites and will take on almost anything that gets in their way, putting native species at risk of decline.
David and I began avidly scanning the river for crabs, and a week ago we spotted one. We weren’t close enough to see its mittens but it did have the tell-tale white tips on its claws. To our amazement, as we watched, a large crayfish appeared and began to chase the crab. We’ve never seen a crayfish in the Roding before either. The crab scuttled off and, having outrun the slower crayfish, buried itself in the riverbed. It was exciting to watch this encounter, but also concerning – another threat to our river, along with litter and pollution.
Comma butterfly
And yet, walking there several times a week, I’m often amazed by the abundance of wildlife. This week, a comma butterfly landed on my hand, then flew off but returned and settled on my elbow. And for once, a stunning male banded demoiselle posed obligingly for a photo. What a marvel of creation!
Male banded demoiselle
