David

This salt-loving plant presumably originated in northern Europe. It has now spread along the margins of main roads in the countryside, where the splashes of salt-rich spray from winter gritting saturate roadside soil.

It forms a low and narrow band which starts at the very edge of the road, a few inches wide. Best seen in spring when it is in flower. These pictures taken on April 23rd, by the A513 outside Shugborough Park, but the plant seemed to be flowering on all the local A-roads outside built up areas.

This dandelion had not quite finished the process of transformation from flower to seed head. The last remnants of petal can still be seen in the north-east sector.

Insects hovering to the left of this dandelion flower.

Although the flowers of this stinging nettle are small, they still seem to be weighing down the plant.

Different stances adopted by a comma butterfly as it spread its wings to warm in the sun.

The comma which gives it its name is the white mark which can be seen here on the underside of the wing.

Pictures mostly taken looking into various pieces of woodland which lie directly by quiet roads nearby.

The frames above and below show ragged robin flowering among the bluebells.