When this year’s alkanet plants were still fresh, and probably with leaves which were still soft and tender, several scarlet tiger moth caterpillars had been grazing on them. They grew large and fat, then disappeared, and are hopefully now pupating to emerge as moths, perhaps later in the summer.
After what seemed to be quite a long gap, another small one, seen here, appeared. It, too, is now grazing on the alkanet leaves.
The formal Dutch Garden at Bantock Park, looking towards the back of Bantock House. The garden is overlooked by the outdoor seating of the café which is now in the former barn and stables of the one-time farm.
The West Park Canada goose parents and this year’s goslings. The goslings were now nine or ten days old, growing fast, and busy eating to fuel that growth.
The formal Dutch Garden at the back of Bantock House just has to have tulips in season. Here a sample of the flowers.
A garden pond with frogs. Sometimes they were almost submerged, hidden by pondweed. At other times they had emerged, but were still obscured by the vegetation overhanging the pond.
A fungus (species totally unidentified) growing directly out of a brick wall. It must be getting the nutrients for the energy it needs from the moss which is growing alongside it. In return, it may be helping the moss to extract minerals from the mortar.