🐟Redd Survey Training 🐟 We are running redd surveys to monitor our brown trout population. If you are interested in helping monitor brown trout on the Chess, take part in the training! Latimer Park Nov 17 from 9:30am to 12pm https://bit.ly/487rYCf @chilternsnl.bsky.social @riverchesspaul.bsky.social

River Chess enjoying late afternoon autumn sunshine. Great to see so many walkers out including some wandering mistrals. Lifted the soul.

Last of the season.

Never get tired of these views of the River Chess @chilternstreams.bsky.social

Mouse storing fresh greens, it has taken to nesting in an owl box which will shortly be deployed. Not a good choice for a small rodent.

Sad outcome for this unfortunate young grass snake, close to Dodds Mill Chenies in the Chess Valley. @chilternstreams.bsky.social

Seed heads forming. Burdock, teasel and orange balsam.

Trout disturbed by ducklings. River Chess @chilternsnl.bsky.social @chilternstreams.bsky.social

Water meadow in the morning Chess Valley

Glorious River Chess

Last opportunity of a tour of the Chilterns Heritage & Archaeology dig at Sarratt, today 12th Aug at 12 noon prompt!!. Meet at the gate towards the top of the hill near Goldingtons, This what3words address helps you find this specific location. Tap to see exactly where it is: w3w.co/mops.ears.su...

Last opportunity of a tour of the Chilterns Heritage & Archaeology dig at Sarratt, today 12th Aug at 12 noon prompt!!. Meet at the gate towards the top of the hill near Goldingtons, the what3words address to help you find this location. rail.begun.blind

Thornwick Bay near Flamborough. The real joy was watching squadrons of gannets plundering fish shoals. Picking out prey from 50m. Dropping out of the skies in close formation. Then fighting to free themselves from the waves with or without lunch. Incredible energy investment.

Water vole in the Chess in Chesham on a section recently restored by @chilternstreams.bsky.social Great work creating habitat loved by this scares mammal. @chilternsnl.bsky.social

Mackerel Sky last night but no rain.

Cannons Mill stretch of the Chess looking fine @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social

Interesting article in the Waitrose Magazine. We use a similar technique when trying to work out what colour crayon the grandchildren have eaten.

It’s wild orchid season in the Chess Valley.

Early morning watching trout rise on the River Chess in Buckinghamshire. Seen from the Chess Valley Walk.

Chess Valley with a single roe deer.

We were out with Ipsos UK staff volunteers thinning some flag iris, repairing banks and an installing deflector. Great work team. They have been helping us for 12 years, a fantastic commitment. @chilternsnl.bsky.social @chilternstreams.bsky.social

River Till, a beautiful tributary of the Tweed, fishing under Scottish law but in England. The beauty hides a sinister past “SAYS Tweed to Till-- 'What gars ye rin sae still?'  Says Till to Tweed Though ye rin with speed And I rin slaw, For ae man that ye droon I droon twa.' Poem Anon.

This was from a 20 second kick sample on the River Chess at Latimer. A full 3minute sample would have filled the net. We would have been counting them in Kilos.

On the River Rye in North Yorkshire mayfly hatching.

Spot the mice.

Water vole at Rickmansworth on the River Chess. Enjoying willow foliage.

This turned up in the bucket of some young entomologists yesterday on the ⁦‪River Chess‬⁩ outside the Queens Head in Chesham. Possibly the nymph of Blue-tailed or Red eyed Damselfly. ⁦‪

This is Settrington Beck, until 1974 part of The East Riding of Yorkshire, now North Yorkshire. It is a chalk stream flowing off the scarp slope of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Beautiful few days in Ballater.

Flow in the River Dee are low for this time of year. Does not bode well for the summer. Irrigation systems on at full tilt to keep the potato harvest viable.

Not so mute swans.

Good morning from Bridlington

Red Campion in bloom on the Yorkshire Wolds.

Spent the morning on the Chess at Rickmansworth. There is no better time of year to see a chalk stream than May. @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social

This stretch of the Chess upstream of Lords Mill in Chesham is developing into something special. It suffered badly from poor flows but now after 5 years of reliable water it is providing great habitat. Now home for water voles and wild brown trout. @chilternstreams.bsky.social

One of the early restoration projects on the ⁦‪River Chess‬⁩ in Chesham, Meades Water Garden, looking magnificent today. Excellent chalk stream habitat with back waters. Yellow Flag, Ranunculus, wild garlic and cow parsley magical early May day.‬⁩ @chilternstreams.bsky.social

Work undertaken by Affinity Water has opened up this riverside walk on the River Chess in Chesham. @chilternstreams.bsky.social

Great to see this now in place, another result of Kathryn’s hard work. This section of the Chess now holds a population of brown trout and water voles. Quite achievement for an urban chalk stream. @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social @wildtrouttrust.bsky.social

Kathryn does a remarkable job. Encouraging so many monitors over the years. And the water vole population has done so well on the River Chess under her management. The range of this extant population has expanded into the urban environments of Chesham and Rickmansworth.

Here is a collection of of Yellow May Dun nymphs from ⁦‪Scotsbridge Mill‬⁩ on the ⁦‪River Chess‬⁩ we were out ⁦‪Riverflies‬⁩ monitoring on Saturday. Some will be hatching soon.

It has been a great year for wisteria

Cardamine bulbifera aka Coral Root or Bittercress. Nationally rare but at this time of year can be found in the woods of the Chess Valley. It produces small, bulb-like structures (called "bulbils") on its stems and leaves. This is how it proliferates and spreads its range.

Misty morning in the Chess Valley.

Great woodland walk today in the River Chess valley spotting these wildflowers taking advantage of a newly opened canopy, not just the light it’s also the warmth this fallen beech provides. @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social So pleased to have a botanist with us, thanks Astrid.

Out riverfly demonstrating at Restore Hope Latimer on the River Chess. These two turned up in the tray. One welcome one not so much. @chilternstreams.bsky.social

Personal space is not high on the agenda for Ruby.

Spring in the Chess Valley. @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social @hillfortian.bsky.social

Glorious morning in the Chess Valley. @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social

Interesting to note that due to a reasonable recharge in the early winter we are expecting normal to above normal flows in the Chess. But we do need rain @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social

This is the time of year to be out in the woods to see the wild flowers that flourish before the leaf canopy fills. Spotted this wood sorrel yesterday along with, coral root, violet, wood anemone, bluebell and celandine. @chilternstreams.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social