Wolves Wild

Large red damselfly on vegetation at the edge of the pool in Compton Park. This year there has only been a flying visit from this one individual, there one day at the start of June, and no sign of any others since.

Hairy flowers on this courgette plant, a means to try to discourage anything from using them as a tasty snack.

Small heath butterfly at rest on vegetation, half way up the slope of Toposcope Hill, Baggeridge Country Park, recently.

Garden poppy flowering: about two days between the buds opening and the lasst of the petals falling in a gental breeze.

Common blue damselflies on Compton Park pool recently. All are the more visible males. When the pool was first created some years ago there was plenty of open water, and it attracted several species of damselflies and dragonflies. It is now getting more and more choked with vegetation. As yet this year, the damselfly population has been almost entirely dominated by common blues – there was one brief visit by a large red.

Hare’s foot inkcaps growing on wood chips by the canal towpath near Horden Road. Not uncommon on fairly new wood chip mulch.

This dabchick, more formally a little grebe, was still young, hatched this year. It was swimming on Bags Pool in Baggeridge Country Park.

Ringlet butterfly resting on vegetation on the slopes of Toposcope Hill, Baggeridge Country Park. It has been a poor year so far for butterflies, but ringlets seem to have been an exception, more abundant than usual locally.

Chiffchaff calling high on a bare twig. Spotted when I was standing on the Water Bridge.

Strange fungus, blue-grey mounds with buff-coloured tips, like a little range of hills growing on a damson stump.

Cygnets with their protective parents on the edge of Spring Pool, Baggeridge Country Park

Betony flower with a visiting bee, canalside opposite the Wildside Centre recently.