David

A robin hiding in a blackthorn bush as it sang. Picture taken a month or so ago, so the leaves were still just opening on the bush and the robin wasn’t really hidden.

Marsham’s nomad bees (Nomada marshamella), which look more like wasps than than the bees they actually are.

Several were flying around a niche in a stone wall, possibly the site of the nest of one of the bee species that the juveniles parasite on: the adults feed on a wide range of plant flowers.

I’m about to go into hospital for an operation on my broken knee. That probably means some time when I won’t be up to getting out of the front door under my own stream, quite likely that I won’t even be managing to get to the computer to write more posts.

A few posts are already waiting to appear: there’ll be something new every day for just over a fortnight. I’ve more pictures in hand that I haven’t got round to drafting post for yet. Hopefully there won’t be too long a delay before I start dealing with them. And then full normal service should be resumed as soon as possible.

A lesser black backed gull flying overhead, low enough that its picture more or less filled the frame.

An ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria) resting on a shiny bay leaf, perhaps warming itself in the sunlight.

The West Park Canada goose parental pair with their one surviving gosling. The gosling was eating in a patch of short grass with lots of daisies, when the parents decided to head towards the water.

The adults strolled at a stately pace. In an effort to keep up with them, the youngster had to goose step to keep up.

By the time it reached the bank of the lake, it was in the lead. Then it found something else it wanted to nibble.