Demanding coot chicks, West Park

Demanding coot chicks, West Park

Coot chicks on the lake at West Park. Although they’re well-grown enough to dive to get food for themselves, they still insistently demand to be fed by their parents.

Growing fast: ducklings, West Park

Growing fast: ducklings, West Park

A mother mallard and her well-grown ducklings heading rapidly  ahead of me on the lake at West Park. There were five ducklings altogether, though I only managed to get four in shot at once.

We’d never noticed the ducklings on previous visits to the park. In these pictures, they had already outgrown the downy feathers they hatched with. All looked like half-sized replicas of the mother duck.

One scarlet tiger moth again

One scarlet tiger moth again

The day after the two scarlet tiger moths had been mating: I’m told that early that morning, both moths were still on the wall, though not so close as the day before.

By the time I got round to looking, only one moth was still there. It, too, had gone later that day.

Ox-eyed

Ox-eyed

Among the wildflowers growing by the pond in Compton Park, some ox-eye daisies. Like most of the flora in this wetland area, originally planted when the pond was created a decade of so back, but now successfully spreading by themselves.