Wildlife from Wolverhampton and nearby
Resting on bullrush leaves on the pond at Compton Park, two azure damselflies. When the pond was created (2013) there were hundreds of blue damselflies (azure, common blue and blue tailed).
There has been no maintenance since, so the pond is being taken over by the vegetation. There is now only a tiny area of open water. The day these pictures were taken, there were only these two azure
The toll booth at the Bratch Locks; the half mile stretch only one boat wide at the Pendeford Rockin’, and between the canal and the i54 industrial estate, the small nature reserve.
The swan family from the small pool at Perton – pen, cob, and all six cygnets thriving. Lying down stretched out out on the grass between the pool and the footpath, extending their necks to nibble at the short grass.
Pen and four of the cygnets together. Cob a little further away. One errant cygnet on a different patch of grass, and the final errant one on a footpath, unable to decide whether to stand or lie down.
Two meadow brown butterflies on the same roadside ragwort flower, fighting over which one gets possession.
Two goldfinches eating one of their favourite foods: thistle seeds. As soon as I’d taken these, as insurance pictures, two joggers came right by, scaring the birds away.
Another frequent visitor to garden buddleias: tortoiseshell butterflies. Whenever I got them in focus, they seemed to close their wings to show the less colourfull undersides.
Brown hawker dragonfly which spend some time resting in the sun on a buddleia flower
Clusters of glistening inkcap mushrooms by a tree stump near the canal at Pendeford. The older cluster were right by the base of the stump, the more recent growths a yard or so away.
There seem to have been a lot of meadow browns about this year. While i’ve seen a few ringlets and gatekeepers, I’ve not managed to get any pictures of them. In contrast, these shots have come from all over the place.
Ducklings and mother mallard on the canal between Autherley Junction and Pendeford. The ducklings, nine in total, were only recently hatched in late July.
I’ve not been getting to West Park very often recently. If any herons have been visiting, it must have been on a different schedule – it’s a long time since I last saw any. Then this one put in a brief appearance, standing tall on the fallen but still growing willow.
There have been very few cinnabar moth caterpillars this year. Until a recent visit to Himley Park, I had seen precisely one.
On a group of ragworts near the bottom pool, finally, several on each plant, busyly eating leaves and flowers.