STOPHAM BRIDGE, near Pulborough

ACCESS: You can reach this superb area for dragonflies by driving a mile or so west from Pulborough, along the A283. A minor road to the left dips down towards the ancient bridge and a first-class pub, the White Hart. Car-parking is not too easy, but there are spaces on the left and if you choose a week-day, then there should be no difficulties.

Walk down past the pub and spend some time on the bridge which is closed to traffic. The new bridge a few yards upstream, takes the flow of vehicles between Pulborough and Petworth. To explore the River bank, climb up to the left of the pub and then drop down and so under the new bridge. On the other side there are some open areas and a none too easy path which makes its way through the vegetation along by the river. It is a fisherman's path path and very often becomes very overgrown. However, if you can push your way through, the rewards may be generous. It is the only place we have seen Club-tailed Dragonflies.

Generally, it is a place to potter on a warm and sunny day when splenden Damselfly males flit low over the water and Brown Hawkers may be seen over the open river. Apart from the immediate and somewhat limited areas along the eastern bank, most places are private. However, there is a very interesting walk through woodlands, following a path which climbs up the hillside above the River. Pass under the new bridge, look to your right, and you will see the beginning of this path. It climbs gently along the hillside, giving occasional views down on to the River. From a natural history point of view, this area is unexplored and might prove profitable.

BIRDLIFE: Although our natural history' interests are wide-ranging, we have never spent much time actually looking for birds here, the object of our visits being to look for dragonflies. Many woodland and riverine species have been noted, however, including Spotted Flycatcher (bred close to the bridge 2000), Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail. Reed Warblers breed, as do Reed Buntings. Buzzards may be expected now that the species is so widespread. We have heard Nightingales singing on the other side of the river, on the west side.

PLANTS: Lush riverine vegetation is typical, plus a diversity of tree'species.

INSECTS: Dragonflies are the main objective here, with a number of species occurring at the appropriate flight times. A glance at the Diary' notes below will give you some idea as to how rich in Odonata this stretch of the Arun is.

REPTILES and AMPHIBIANS: Apart from Viviparous Lizards, we have not seen any other reptiles here. However, Grass Snakes are always a possibility. The Arun is tidal as far as Pulborough, but there may be some saline influence as far as up here.

For a half-day visit, perhaps, on a pleasant summer's day in the May to July period, and especially mid-week, this area has lots of attractions. To give you a some impression, here are some Diary entries:

2000 - 18 July:
A really warm and sunny morning: it was 64 in the shade by 10.30. Shopping as usual, then away to Stopham Bridge. On the way, Ann saw a CLOUDED YELLOW in Midhurst, and a PURPLE HAIRSTREAK where we parked the car. near the Bridge. She saw also a SPECKLED WOOD, there.

From the Bridge, we saw a great many BANDED DEMOISELLES, most of them males. A BLACKCAP was singing somewhere, and a NUTHATCH was calling. Somewhere along the river, downstream, I heard calls which I was sure were those of SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS. Luckily one appeared, to prove my point! A nice COMMA was seen from the Bridge, and Ann saw and heard a KINGFISHER. We saw a couple of MEADOW BROWNS and a SMALL WHITE. A BULLFINCH was calling close by.

After inspecting the area around the Bridge, we crossed under the road and had a look along the bank. It was virtually impassable, due to the growth of vegetation. So, we headed along the track which we had explored briefly and for a short distance in the past. It climbs above the river and on this occasion we had plenty of time to push on for some considerable distance. A SOUTHERN HAWKER was seen, also a COMMON DARTER and a male BANDED DEMOISELLE. A CHIFFCHAFF was singing. A family party of COAL TITS passed across, accompanied by some BLUE TITS. Both GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS were around, calling. A worn RED ADMIRAL was added to the list, also a fine COMMA. Our views over the river were good, but we were not close enough to make any sense of the vegetation etc. We had a very distant view of a BROWN HAWKER, also of a fleeting CLOUDED YELLOW. It would have been nice to get down to the bank, but this proved impossible.

On the way back to the Bridge, we had a look at a field of RAGWORT which we had noticed earlier. It was full of not only RAGWORT but CENTAURY and other plants, too. HEDGE and MEADOW BROWNS were there in plenty. A female BANDED DEMOISELLE was flying amongst the RAGWORT!

On our arrival home, I checked the thermometer in the garden: 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It must have been well above that during the day.

1999 - 10 June:
Perhaps not the best of days, but Ann and I decided to drive to Stopham Bridge, where we arrived just before 10 o'clock. A look from the old bridge was distinctly discouraging, with virtually nothing to be seen, other than a fleeting view of a KINGFISHER. A single and distinctly lonely RED-EYED DAMSELFLY was out on a WATER-LILY' leaf. Then, we saw a lone BANDED DEMOISELLE male. Not a good start! However, there was a lot of bird song: STOCK DOVE, SONG THRUSH, BLACKCAP, GARDEN WARBLER, GOLDCREST, and CHIFFCHAFF, all within close distance of the bridge.

A second and third BANDED DEMOISELLE, one of them a female, gave us some encouragement, so we walked under the new bridge and explored the usual bankside vegetation. Quite a few DEMOISELLES were on the wing and I managed to get some pictures of females. The sun was out by this time and we saw two VIVIPAROUS LIZARDS, out on broad leaves, sunning themselves. There were a number of LARGE RED DAMSELFLIES, a few BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLIES and a COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY. I managed to get some pictures of WHITE-LEGGED DAMSELFLIES, too, males and females. They were out on the herbage, rather than flying over the water where I have seen them in the past.

The occasional REED WARBLER was in song amongst the river-side vegetation, and from the far side of the river, on the slope where we had heard it last year, a NIGHTINGALE was singing. His song was intermittent, however, and we guessed that he was probably feeding young. A CINNABAR MOTH was seen, also a lone RED ADMIRAL. Best of all, however, was a nice, male SCARCE CHASER which was seen very well seen. A SMALL TORTOISESHELL was nectaring at WATER DROPWORT.

A second look from the old bridge revealed three RED-EYED DAMSELFLIES, a single individual and a pair. JAYS and a GREEN WOODPECKER were calling, and on the far side of the bridge we found a dying SHREW.

1998 - 21 May:
A sunny start again and much warmer than the forecast had suggested. Away to Stopham Bridge just after 9 o'clock, arriving there a little after 10. BLACKCAPS and ROBINS were very vocal near the Bridge, also a MISTLE THRUSH, a STOCK DOVE, a GARDEN WARBLER, a GOLDCREST and a LESSER WHITETHROAT, to say nothing of a CHIFFCHAFF. A party of LONG-TAILED TITS passed across along the River bank.

Our first BANDED DEMOISELLE was spotted by Ann as it flew below the Bridge. This appeared to be the only one and indeed was for a short while but then they were simply abundant. The vegetation along the river was lifting with them.

Looking from the parapet, I spotted at least two RED-EYED DAMSELFLIES, sitting out on LILY leaves in the middle of the River, then, on the other side, a fully-coloured male SCARCE CHASER which flew down on to some dead twigs and branches to bask in the sun. BANDED DEMOISELLES were appearing in some numbers now and we were able to look down on them at leisure. AZURE DAMSELFLIES were on the wing, too.

We crossed the road, walking below the new bridge. The vegetation along the River was lifting with BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLIES, AZURE DAMSELFLIES, and there were amazing numbers of BANDED DEMOISELLES, both males and females. LARGE RED DAMSELFLIES were numerous and I managed to photograph some. Butterflies were infrequent, but we saw one RED ADMIRAL, two SMALL COPPERS, a couple of SMALL TORTOISESHELLS, a PEACOCK and a few CABBAGE WHITES. A RED-EYED DAMSELFLY was unusual to see on river-side vegetation.

Bird-song was good, and we were delighted to hear a NIGHTINGALE, singing in bushes some distance away, on a slope overlooking the flood-plain of the river.

As usual, we made our way as far as the WILLOW copse, turning back there. On the way back, we had splendid views of a female SCARCE CHASER at close hand, and saw at least three more. However, the best was still to come. Ann was ahead of me. I could not see her, but her anxious calling spurred me on. I was just in time to take a couple of pictures of a CLUB-TAILED DRAGONFLY, our principal quarry. We never really thought that we should see one, but there it was, on the vegetation. Unfortunately, it was vibrating its wings and quickly took flight over our heads, to disappear. Wonderful!

MAY-FLIES were abundant as we walked back: they had been common as we walked upstream but were now dancing high in the warm and sheltered clearings. The BANDED DEMOISELLES were taking them as they flew: clearly, they are a main prey species.

We had one last look over the parapets of the bridge before going back to the car. A COMMA butterfly was our only new record, apart from a CINNABAR MOTH.

For lunch, we drove out of Pulborough, along the road towards Billingshurst, but turning off left. It was a quiet road where we had LESSER WHITETHROAT, BLACKCAP and ROBIN for company as we ate. We had heard along the way a GARDEN WARBLER. Afterwards, we drove back and took another turning, one which took us close to Pallingham Quay. Unfortunately, we could see no way of reaching the River Arun from there.

1996 - 27 June:
...Rather than eating here (New Bridge, near Billingshurst), we drove to Stopham Bridge where we ate our sandwiches and then had a look from the old bridge. A local BLACKCAP was in full song and by the bridge we saw a pair of GREY WAGTAILS. Passing underneath and walking up the river bank, we flushed several BANDED DEMOISELLES from the NETTLE beds and other vegetation. Pushing on, Ann found some RED-EYED DAMSELFLIES on LILY pads out on the river. Two SMALL TORTOISESHELLS were flying and, looking into the NETTLES, I discovered several substantial colonies of PEACOCK BUTTERFLY' caterpillars. REED BUNTINGS were here, too, and I noticed one take a flying CADDIS or MAY FLY. On the vegetation, we had a WHITE-LEGGED DAMSELFLY. A REED WARBLER was singing on the other bank. A female BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY had a pinkish-brown thorax. Pictures were not easy due to the poor light, but I may have been lucky. A CHIFFCHAFF was singing in the riverine woodland and we had superb views of two GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS, an adult and an accompanying juvenile. I did not see any others but thought that we had run into a family party. Several SONG THRUSHES were in song as we made our way back towards the old bridge.

Back near the bridge, a MEADOW BROWN was flying and a TREECREEPER was singing in woodland on the other bank. A GREEN-VEINED WHITE was on flowers over near one of the buttresses of the bridge, and dozens of BANDED DEMOISELLES were skimming low across the river, in a chase-my-leader fashion, sometimes pursuing lone females.

1995 - 22 June:
...Driving from there, we made a stop at Stopham Bridge, a place which I had not visited for such a long time. Watching from the bridge itself was very profitable, with at least 50 BANDED DEMOISELLES flying below over the water lily pads: all were splendid males. From the bridge I also saw what I was sure were two metallic green dragonflies, but could not be absolutely sure of their identity as they passed below me so quickly and were out of sight in an instant. Walking along the River Arun on the far side of the road was also excellent. We saw more BANDED DEMOISELLES and while talking to a young couple from Nottingham who had also come in quest of dragonflies, a male SCARCE CHASER arrived and sat on vegetation to give us good views. Interestingly, this male had no additional blackish patches on the tips of its wings, unlike the Burton Park population. We told the couple about Burton Park Lake and other localities near at hand. At some distance I saw what I am sure was a WHITE-LEGGED DAMSELFLY male, although it breezed past and did not give a good view.

Screen Management
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