Wolves Wild

A sun fly resting on a leaf, sunning itself. Sun flies are species of hoverflies, and are quite common.

Another day, another visit to West Park. Once again, a magpie on the daisy lawn was busy picking away for insects or other invertebrates to nibble, unconcerned that I was nearby.

These pictures taken a week and a half ago. The daisies are still there, but they are beginning to get past their peak. The magpies are still there, and they will still be there when the daisies return next year and beyond.

Bear garlic, a.k.a. wild garlic. These flowers were on plants that weren’t so wild, growing, as they were, in a front garden. It’s also quite common actually growing wild round here. Try shady woodland on warm days around now. If there’s any big patches growing, they will make their presence known by their garlicky smell.

Two of the West Park coot chicks from the first brood to hatch. Though still only a few days old when I took these pictures, they were swimming around near the nest. One climbed onto a fallen bough to stretch its so far tiny wings. While it was there, it was joined by one of the parents.

Turkey tail fungus growing on, and slowly killing, a buddleia bush. Turkey tail is a very common bracket fungus, which parasites many species f trees.

Round about this time of year, some of the short grass areas in West Park become a sea of daisies. This also makes those areas popular among many of the park’s birds. There’s often a mixed pack of feeding geese, with a few greylags among the Canadas. Magpies and carrion crows also favour the area, seeming to prefer it when they are the biggest birds around.