Sun flies, quite a common hoverfly. This one was busy eating on ragwort flowers.
David
Spiky flowers: teazle
The entire superstructures of the (tall, tall) plants are covered in defensive spikes. Those on the flowers are long, and end in a hook. They are designed to catch in fur or feathers once the seeds have ripened, to get the seeds away from the parent plant.
Once upon a time, teazles were used as combs to clean raw wool. Later, they were the inspiration behind the invention of Velcro (TM).
Keep to the path (carrion crow, Compton Park)
Carrion crow keeping to the metalled surface as it stalked along the footpath / cycle path in Compton Park. Seems to be a regular habit for this bird.
Yarrow going to seed
The flowers on one stalk of a yarrow had had their time, and seemed to have folded over to form a ring as the plant began to go to seed.
Purple, red: thistle flower, soldier beetle
It’s been a common red soldier beetle summer. This one was feeding on a thistle flower.
Acorns, filling out
On the oak trees, the acorns had not yet reached their final egg in a fancy eggcup shape, but were filling out towards that goal last month.
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