A less welcome visitor to some, is this one..
Orange Balsam may not be anything like as invasive as Peruvian Balsam, but I suppose it really shouldn't be in this sort of setting. (I quite like it though).
One of my favourite small breeding birds on Fishlake is the Reed Bunting. Although the striking looking male wasn't showing himself on this day, and despite not usually being attracted by women with moustaches, I actually prefer this female's subtle mix of creams and browns
Very close to where she was sitting was this Water Knotweed looking pretty in pink, it isn't scarce here, but neither is it in profusion
One species that was in profusion was the Gatekeeper, they were flitting about everywhere, but finding one not on the wing proved quite difficult until this one eventually stopped by for a quick slurp of Ragwort nectar.
Also feeding on Ragwort, but in a different manner, were the Cinnabar moth caterpillars which had put on a considerable bulk since my previous post. Here they are still wearing their stripy pyjamas and gorging themselves on their unfortunate host.
I haven't seen so many Peacock butterflies as in previous years, but maybe its just been a question of wrong place at the wrong time, so I spent a little time in the company of this fresh as a daisy example (while being eaten by Horseflies). When the wings are folded, there is little to suggest what treasure may lie between
This one was a little shy in exposing its full glory
I know its a familiar butterfly to everyone, but I wonder how often we stop and really examine its beauty, the tiger stripes at the front, the dusting of bronze near the body, the ginger hairs, the raggedy but perfectly symmetrical coastline of the trailing edges, the gold tipped antennae... I suspect most of us are too mesmerised by the eye spots to take all this in. And that is just as well, because that is what they are there for.
On the way back up to the canal I at last found a Blue tailed Damselfly at rest in a place I could photograph it.
I love watching these things fly, the body almost gets lost against the dark ditch water and they look as though they are towing a bright blue flag by an invisible bit of string... ahem...maybe thats just me
When looking for butterflies, it is always a good idea to look not just on flowers, but on the ground. Butterflies often supplement their diet with various minerals and nutrients to be found in soil and other less palatable things to be found on the floor. This Red Admiral was not sunning itself as I first thought, but tasting something from the path as can be seen in the second picture
Near the canal the parallel ditch forms a very small pool which is often a good resting spot for dragonflies. Its also a good spot for the very strange Branched Bur-reed flowers, the male flowers above and the female flowers below all borne on the same stem.
I was buzzed here a few times by an Emperor dragonfly and a Southern Hawker (I think) but neither hung around for portraits. Much more obliging were the Common Darters of which there were quite a number around, each with their own particular perch. Of all the dragonflies these remind me most of helicopters, they hover quite regularly and at rest often fold there wings down as though ready to go in the hanger.
I know this looks like a studio shot, but it really isnt!
I tried a few in flight shots of which none were really successful, but I include this one as to me it reminds me of that helicopter in Thomas the Tank engine. I know. I have a vivid imagination. Anyway, it looks to have a cheeky grin. Actually the main reason for posting it was to show how the legs are tucked up in flight to reduce drag.
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