David

22-spot ladybird. I thought I was keeping far enough away not to disturb it, but as I took these pictures it slowly retreated to the underside of the leaf.

Ragwort growing by the canal at Brewood, with a fly perching on the top of the plant.

Dock seeds just beginning to turn a red which will get richer later, but already giving a colour contrast with the foliage behind.

Wild strawberries, one bright red and well on the way to ripening; another pale green, not yet swollen to full size.

Common red soldier beetles, also called the bloodsuckers (actually they are purely vegetarian) seem to have been particularly noticeable this year.

Quite often it’s because they have been mating.

Crab apples ripening on one of the trees growing by the canal at Compton Rough