David

By now looking somewhat dehydrated, two of the fruits dangling from one of the plane trees in West Park.

Shovellers feed by filtering the water just under the surface. They often do this by swimming round in circles, usually in pairs or small groups. The water they are filtering has then been stirred up in the wake of the duck in front.

This pair in West Park were making very tight circles indeed. Perhaps they behave a bit differently in breeding season?

A bright magenta colour from the flowers on this currant. It was a breezy day, so the flowers weren’t attracting any bees.

The contortions of swans. One pair by the edge of the water at West Park twist and stretch so their beaks can reach every feather while they preen.

A cob nearby lowers its head and raises its wings to make itself as menacing as possible as it stalks towards a rival, hidden by a bush.

A front garden, covered all over in tarmac to get that low-maintenance tidy look. But every few inches, another coltsfoot has forced a way, displacing the tarmac and thriving. Between these gaps, patches of moss are spreading year by year.

Some ducks are at home high in trees. But others tend to stay near to ground level when they are on dry land. Mallards are of this latter type.

This female mallard was perching right at the top of one of the bushes by the lake in West Park. Between thei height of the bush itself and the steep shore, she was a good ten feed above the water she was looking out over.