Category: David

Bee gathering from the roses in a front garden, its pollen baskets already very full.

Swan and cygnets in the Sandwell Valley nature reserve. The birds weren’t with the swan flock on Swan Pool, but on Forge Mill Pool instead, dabbling in the water for vegetation to eat not far from the RSPB hide.

A closer view of a few of the southern marsh orchid flowers in Baggeridge Country Park.

Spotted orchids, flowering among the much more numerous southern marsh orchids in Baggeridge Country Park. Leaves are spotted or mottled, flowers are paler apart from darkened markings.

Many hundreds of orchids, mainly southern marsh orchids, in flower in a marshy area of Baggeridge Country Park recently.

Immature male Beautiful Demoiselle at rest, warming itself in the morning sun. Adult males are a stunning electric blue, females brown (and often the hardest to spot).