David

Honesty flowers with a male orange tip butterfly butterfly feeding on the nectar.

Heron, probably the same young bird which has been haunting the canal and vicinity at points between Castlecroft and Aldersley. This time it was on the towpath, watching intently where the water of the overflow weir at Wightwick Lock joined the bottom pound. It stayed for some time, never getting to the point of pouncing. Then two Canada geese landed heavily on the water yards from it, and set it flying for a quieter spot.

White petals from a crowd of hawthorn flowers and a last few unopened flower buds.

West Park greylag goose family with the oldest of goslings having a change of scene so the young birds were spending their time eating the short grass in the beds near the Villiers statue.

Pair of St George’s mushrooms: they traditionally appear on April 23rd. When I spotted these in early May they looked suitably timeworn such that they might indeed have first emerged a week or so before the end of the previous month.

This year’s West Park swan family when I first noticed them a month ago. Six cygnets, which looked like they had only hatched within the previous day. Guarded by both parents as they fed by the edge of the lake.