David

Common red soldier beetles – it’s now about the peak of the season for them, so they could be found on just about any flower, especially on warm days. Yhese were all on umbellifers on the Barley Field.

Big set of a tortoiseshell butterfly feeding on a Bantock Park thistle flower.

The insect spent a long time feeding on the flower. There wasn’t much else happening, so I kept on taking pictures of it eating. As it ate, it was constantly dancing around, shifting position.

I don’t know whether this was prompted by the other insects (a caterpillar and a beetle) also on the thistle. I didn’t notice these at the time – they only appear in a couple of the pictures.

Two different species of mushroom growing within a few feet of each other on the same lawn.

One is a lurid bolete, the other most likely a grey spotted amanita.

Both types have appeared on the same lawn in previous summers, but never, that I noticed, at the same time.

These pictures taken over a three day period earlier this month.

Flowers, mostly from front gardens, I’ve noticed over recent walks.

Flies gathering on one of the leaves floating tn the Compton Park pool. Final picture is the original image, the others are cropped to focus on individual insects.

The West Park turtle, still seems to be thriving. Here seen in the morning, climbing on to its favourite log, getting in position to rest in the sun for most of the day.