Category: David

Banded demoiselle male resting on a nettle not far from the female in the previous post. Males choose more exppsed positions to rest, whith their bright blue colour serving to advertise their presence.

Banded demoiselle female resting, abdomen erect, on a canalside nettle. Pale green colour makes her hard to spot on vegetation.

Flowers retreating towards the tip of the stem as seeds begin to develop: red hot pokers.

More abundant than usual in the hot weather this summer, probably not adding to gardeners’ pleasure, large white butterflies.

I was going along the canal, between the Water Bridge and Aldersley Junction, when I was attracted by the alarm cries of a moorhen chick.

As I stopped to look, the chick was heading off at speed for the far bank of the canal. Then I noticed a heron, also by the far bank, hard to spot in the shadow of the trees. It had also spotted the chick, and was giving it most of its attention. It began wading through the water in the chick’s direction, stalk, pause, stalk. Suddenly, it seemed to change its mind. It stopped once again, then took off.

Southern hawker dragonfly (probably – it was flying too fast for me to get a really good look) on patrol over the canal by the Wildside Centre.

Two dragonflies, both the same species, were zig-zagging up and down the same stretch of water, with no signs they were interacting at all while I was watching them.