Category: David

Tawny mining bees (Andrena fulva), one resting on a leaf, sunbathing. The other one was busy eating some of the pollen from a male yew flower.

A pair of Canada geese on West Park lake performing a vigorous synchronised swimming and bathing routine. The pair had just mated; the routine isa reinforcement for their pair bond.

A common flower fly (Syrphus ribesii, a type of hoverfly) eating flowers on a bay tree. They are indeed one of the commonest of the hoverflies. Also a gardeners’ friend. The adults feed on nectar, so they’ll help fertilising flowers. The young feed on aphids.

Wild garlic, flowering in a front garden. The greens and whites of the plant are visually attractive in a minimalist way. Personally, I prefer the smell when it’s confined to the dining room.

Several pairs of coots are nesting on West Park lake, as they do every year. This, with one of the birds brooding, is in one of the less sheltered spots. The nest is also very near the bridge, so there are clear views looking down on it.

Another visit to West Park, later the same day. The same greylag family were now on the shore of the lake not far from the bandstand. The six young gosling were all sitting in the middle of the footpath, while the parents kept careful watch as ever.