David

A hawthorn shield bug, resting in the sun on an alkanet leaf. The third shield bug species I’ve noticed this year.

For several days in the middle of this month, a frog spent some time in the late afternoon resting in the water of a bird bath, almost completely submerged. The routine ended as abruptly as it began.

Another day when a heron was showing itself on one of the West Park lake islands. This time the bird was on one of the regular lookout points, on a fallen but still healthy willow, keeping watch on what was going on.

Shaggy inkcaps. Like other inkcap mushrooms, they release their spores by deliquescing. Their caps gradually turn to a black mush containing the spores, starting from the rim and moving towards the centre. This pair show the process half completed.

Bright colours of some of the ripe fruits and berries I’ve noticed on my walks this month. All growing wild, though some possibly escaped ornamental garden varieties (e.g. the crab apples).

Lesser marsh grasshopper jumping about in the grass. As it leapt around it kept landing in positions were it was only half-hidden in the grass.