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David

Common blue damselflies, Compton Park pool

Common blue damselfly, Compton Park pool

Common blue damselflies on Compton Park pool recently. All are the more visible males. When the pool was first created some years ago there was plenty of open water, and it attracted several species of damselflies and dragonflies. It is now getting more and more choked with vegetation. As yet this year, the damselfly population has been almost entirely dominated by common blues – there was one brief visit by a large red.

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David

Hare’s foot inkcaps on wood chips by towpath

Hare's foot inkcaps on wood chips by towpath

Hare’s foot inkcaps growing on wood chips by the canal towpath near Horden Road. Not uncommon on fairly new wood chip mulch.

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David

Young dabchick, Bags Pool

Young dabchick, Bags Pool

This dabchick, more formally a little grebe, was still young, hatched this year. It was swimming on Bags Pool in Baggeridge Country Park.

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David

Ringlet butterfly resting, Baggeridge Country Park

Ringlet butterfly resting, Baggeridge Country Park

Ringlet butterfly resting on vegetation on the slopes of Toposcope Hill, Baggeridge Country Park. It has been a poor year so far for butterflies, but ringlets seem to have been an exception, more abundant than usual locally.

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David

Chiffchaff calling on high bare twig

Chiffchaff calling on high bare twig

Chiffchaff calling high on a bare twig. Spotted when I was standing on the Water Bridge.

Chiffchaff calling on high bare twig

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David

Strange fungus growing on damson stump

Strange fungus growing on damson stump

Strange fungus, blue-grey mounds with buff-coloured tips, like a little range of hills growing on a damson stump.