Wolves Wild

A clump of crocus with the flower buds just beginning to open: I wasn’t sure whether the flowers would be white or purple.

Wall-rue growing on one of the walls of Compton Park. The original habitat of this plant was growing directly from the rock face of limestone hills. There mortar of the wall must have been alkaline enough to support it.

A turftie (tufted duck) struggling to keep up with one of the swans on West Park lake as the two birds swim in the same direction.

After spending some time drying its wings, the cormorant had a quick look around. Then it took off, initially flying low over the water. As it flew a little higher I wasn’t able to keep tracking it with my phone camera (a crutch was dangling in mid air from each of my arms. The bird disappeared behind the island, and didn’t reappear.

Early in the New Year, a cormorant spent some days on the lake at West Park – possibly the same bird which had a short visit around the same time last year.

Here it’s drying its wings after diving in the lake after fish, the pictures taken on a mobile phone.

Rather shrivelled but still bright red berries on a barberry growing on a wall, looking like any nearby hungry birds were still finding more palatable alternatives. The berries are supposed to be edible but sharp.