David

Pictured just after Easter, a profusion of tulips in the gardens of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties in Stratford on Avon: the birthplace itself, as well as New Place and Hall’s Croft.

Each of these gardens was planted with a different mix of tulips and other flowers, with varying carefully chosen combinations of colours and of flower types.

First swallow I spotted this spring, by the house at the end of the bridle path by the canal at Castlecroft. One day a bird resting on the horse weathervane. The next day, what might have been the same bird was on the TV aerial.

Red body on a green leaf: cardinal beetles don’t go in for camouflage by protective colouration.

Stills of the same pair of swans and their dance performance on the River Avon at Stratford which featured in yesterday’s video. I was photographing the swans for about four minutes, but they were already well in to their act before I arrived, and look set to carry on well after I left.

Irises, petals still splashed with drops of water after recent rain. Planted up against the wall of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust property New Place, Stratford on Avon, so that the flowers are enhanced by the contrasts in colour and texture with the old bricks of the house.

Pair of swans performing a complex dance, co-ordinating their actions while swimming on the Avon at Stratford.

Quite likely the dance ended with the pair mating, but I didn’t hang around to see if that happened.