Mayfly

Sun 18 May, 22:08 (last edited on Sun 18 May, 22:08)

On the way home this evening, 2 at Reading station  (Kennet/Thames - pre-WW2 the hatches on the Kennet were so huge they were said to delay the trains!), even 1 at Didcot - and 2 at Hanborough!  I may be wrong (AM??) but the river is really low and flowing slowly - could that help them hatch?

Sat 17 May, 22:42

And a whole bunch of them dancing along the track beyond Walcot this evening. Serenaded by a pair of yellow hammers "little bit of bread and no cheeeeese "

Fri 16 May, 22:02

Thanks Rod. We went down to the Mill Field around 8pm and could still see them hatching from the river. Greendrakes by the look of them (three tails). One tree near the river was full of duns waiting to moult into their final adult stage. Really beautiful. What was strange was the absence of any fish feeding on dead ones floating in the water. 

Fri 16 May, 19:31 (last edited on Fri 16 May, 19:47)

Not all is lost.  If you want to witness a natural phenemenon, take an early evening stroll through the Mill Field - with river & leat either side of it, just hordes of Mayfly out this evening.  They don't last long....   

And what a life, 2 years in the mud, run the gauntlet of fish & birds and if you're lucky, take off for 48 hours of fun & frolics....