The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties in town at Stratford on Avon have extensive gardens, with carefully-considered plantings for displays of flowers and fruits in season. The gardens of the out-of town properties (not featured in this set) have old fashioned variety vegetables. Hall’s Croft does too, as well as a herb patch.
This selection of flowers and fruits were in the gardens earlier this month, seen in brief intervals between the bouts of heavy downpours of rain.
Seen at the edge of the canal at Compton, this lunchtime, a pair opf banded demoiselle damselflies mating.
There were at least five of the males (electric blue coloured) flying around nearby, at two or more females (green, paler and harder to spot).
One of the females landed on vegetation by the side of the water, and began arching her abdomen – dispensing pherenomes to advertise her presence. A male landed, with the two taking up the contorted looking positions to begin mating.
A little while later, another male repeatedly flew at the pair, seemingly trying to interrupt or to get in on the act. It was at this point that the mating pair moved a few yards along the canal bank to rest on fresh vegetation.
Swallow by the nest, up in the roof of one of the barns at mary Arden’s Farm, Wilmcote.
Meadow salsify (jack go to bed at noon) seed head, plant growing by the path at Baggeridge Country Park.
Swan which wanted to get a hundred yards or so along the Avon at Stratford in a hurry. Instead of swimming it took a short hop flight where its feet never rose higher than the surface of the water and the take-off segued directly into the landing. I couldn’t see it doing anything special which needed a rush once it had landed.
Teazle in flower by the Compton Park pool, attracting a peacock butterfly and a hoverfly to feed.