David

Orange tip butterfly, a male. They are the ones with the orange tips to their upper wings. Tis one was occasionally also showing its lower wings, with their green veining. Resting on the canal bank near Aldersley Junction.

Late April. Green alkanet with its tiny blue flowers. The flowers and leaves lightly dusted with an early morning frost.

Another two days gap, another visit to the stretch of the stretch of the canal near the Wildside Centre where I saw my first set of ducklings this year. All of them still there, still zipping along the water. This time they were swimming in and out of the shadow of the Hordern Road birdge.

Last summer, the garden was visited by an adult scarlet tiger moth. Now, crawling over alkanet leaves, a brightly coloured caterpillar. Just the one – at least so far.

Bluetit, its feathers all fluffy just after emerging from a full body immersion in a bird bath. In one picture it shakes itself to help dry off.

Ramsom (wild garlic) flowers, just about to open. Then seen again, two days later, once the flowers had opened. From a patch of the plants growing by the side of the canal near Aldersley Junction.