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David

Early spring flowers: greater celandine

Early spring flowers: greater celandine

Greater celandines, a member of the poppy family. Lesser celandines, which flower somewhat earlier in the spring, are conversely from the buttercup family. It’s hard to spot what they have in common beyond being two of the may wildflowers which have yellow flowers.

Early spring flowers: greater celandine
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David

Early spring flowers: red campion

Early spring flowers: red campion

Pink campions, like the white-flowered version, are hedgerow plants. Most of the ones I notice are growing beside canal footpaths.

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David

Dunnock on a fence post

Dunnock on a fence post

Dunnock standing on a fence post by the footpath near the Wightwick Mill lock.

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David

Early spring flowers: lords and ladies

Early spring flowers: lords and ladies

Lots of the plants which flower in early spring grow on the ground storey of woodland, and develop leaves and flowers before the the trees grow their leaves and monopolise the sunlight. Lords and ladies (wild arum) are one such species.

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David

Conical magpie nest

Conical magpie nest

A very big and conical nest on one of the tall trees overlooking Compton Mill lock.

Conical magpie nest
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David

Distant brimstone butterfly

Distant brimstone butterfly

The yellow smudge in these pictures is a brimstone butterfly resting on a bush, right at the limit of my lens’s zoom ability. It’s a male: the females are paler. A few minutes later one was seen fluttering in the distance, likely the same individual.